Ghosts, Gore & Other Ghasty Stories in the City of London

Bank Station may be the perfect place to begin a ghost walk: beneath one of London’s busiest financial districts, you’ll hear why its underground passages are said to be among the city’s most haunted. From there, the route moves through lost rivers, skull-filled discoveries, public executions, body snatchers, and the old City gates.

I like two things here. The private format lets your group ask questions and set the pace. I also like the mix of famous places and overlooked corners, from Cheapside to Smithfield Market. The main consideration is that this is a walking tour with grim subject matter, so it suits curious adults and older children better than anyone seeking a gentle sightseeing stroll.

Key points to know before booking

• Bank Station begins the ghost story: Hear about underground hauntings and a strange tale linked to the Bank of England.
• The route covers five historic areas: Bank, Cheapside, Paternoster Square, Holy Sepulchre Church, and Smithfield Market.
• Guide Ross leads with humor and detail: His style includes questions, local legends, odd facts, and room to follow your group’s interests.
• A private group controls the pace: The price is $342.79 for up to 15 people, which can be good value for a full group.
• The final stretch gets especially dark: Expect stories of executions, Newgate Prison, body snatchers, and haunted churches.
• You finish near a pub: The Old Red Cow is the endpoint, with chances to stop for drinks or food along the way.

Why Bank Station is an ideal starting point

The tour opens at Bank Station, officially part of the Bank and Monument underground complex on Princes Street. This is a practical meeting point in the City of London, and it puts you right inside the modern financial center before the stories pull you back into earlier centuries.

The first stop takes about 20 minutes. You’ll hear why the station beneath your feet may be one of the most haunted on the Underground network. The story also links the supernatural to the Bank of England, including the ghost said to haunt the building and the curious tale of the only alleged robbery in its long history.

That contrast is the fun of the opening. You are surrounded by offices, commuters, and grand financial buildings, yet the guide points out the older fears and legends beneath the polished streets. The tour does not rely only on dark lanes or theatrical effects. Much of the atmosphere comes from seeing ordinary places differently.

Ross is the guide named in the available feedback, and his strength is storytelling with humor. You can ask questions as you go, rather than waiting for a formal question period. That matters on a private walk because your group can spend more time on a story that catches your interest and less time on one that does not.

Cheapside and the city’s lost rivers

The walk continues to Cheapside, where the tone shifts from ghosts to the harsh realities of medieval London. This section takes about 20 minutes and introduces one of the City of London’s two lost rivers.

The idea of a buried or vanished river gives the streets a useful sense of time. Modern London can make the City seem fixed and permanent, but its waterways, roads, and uses have changed repeatedly. You’ll also hear about the discovery of a pile of human skulls, a detail that gives the stop its gruesome edge without needing elaborate staging.

Cheapside also brings stories of punishment and strange work. The tour covers why a priest was hanged there and explains the job of the Human Lavatory. That unusual detail shows the kind of material this walk favors: not just famous kings and battles, but the unpleasant jobs and public customs that made daily life very different from ours.

I like this part for its sense of surprise. You may pass through Cheapside on a regular city visit and never suspect what happened beneath or around it. The drawback is that the experience depends on listening and imagination. There is no promise of a dramatic attraction at each stop, so you should book it for stories and context rather than physical displays.

Paternoster Square and medieval punishment

At Paternoster Square, the guide spends about 15 minutes discussing medieval life in an area once associated with London’s printing trade. This is one of the shorter stops, but it adds useful background to the walk.

You’ll hear about the punishments handed out to people who broke the law. You’ll also see the last City Gate and learn about the grim display that visitors would encounter when entering London. These details show how public authority once used streets and gateways to frighten, warn, and control people.

The modern square has a more ordered feel, which makes the old stories harder to picture. That is part of the appeal. You get a clear example of London’s habit of building over its own past, while the guide brings earlier layers back into view through carefully chosen anecdotes.

This is also a good point for photography. The tour promises plenty of landmarks and neoclassical architecture, so you should have chances to take pictures between the darker stories. Still, it is worth keeping your camera ready without letting it distract from the narration. The best moments here come from connecting the visible buildings with what once happened in their place.

Holy Sepulchre Church and the Black Dog

Holy Sepulchre Church is scheduled for about 20 minutes and adds several linked stories. You’ll hear what connects the church to one of England’s most notorious jails, along with the legend of a Black Dog said to haunt its walls.

The stop also asks you to imagine watching a hanging while eating breakfast. That detail captures the public nature of punishment in earlier London. Executions were not hidden events. They could become part of the daily routine, with crowds gathering for entertainment and spectacle.

Next door, you’ll hear about ghosts associated with the pub. The combination of church, jail, hanging, and pub gives this section a strong sense of place. Instead of treating each tale as a separate scare, the guide links them to the buildings around you.

Admission is not included at this stop, so check the arrangements when you book. The supplied details do not spell out what access may involve, and the experience remains primarily a guided walk. I would treat any interior visit as an extra rather than the main reason to choose the tour.

Smithfield Market and the darkest stories

Smithfield Market is the longest stop, at about 30 minutes. This is where the tour gathers several of its most disturbing subjects: body snatchers, executions, a Scottish national hero, and one of the City of London’s most haunted churches.

The body-snatching stories connect the area to the grim trade in human remains. The Newgate Prison section is another major point, with the walk passing the old prison site and moving toward stories linked to St. Bartholomew’s and the people who stole bodies. You’ll also hear about executions, which gives the end of the route a harsher tone than the opening.

The Scottish national hero adds a different thread. The exact story is best heard from the guide, since the pleasure here is in the telling and the local setting. The route does not simply pile up ghost tales. It moves between crime, punishment, religion, medicine, national identity, and urban legend.

This final area is likely to be the strongest match for anyone who enjoys grisly history. It may be too much for young children or anyone uncomfortable with executions and body snatching. If your group wants a spooky walk with a few laughs, Ross’s reported style should help keep the tone from becoming relentlessly bleak.

A private tour that works best for a full group

The price is $342.79 per group of up to 15 people. That figure looks high for one or two people, but the calculation changes with a larger party. Split among 10 people, it works out to roughly $34 per person. With 15 people, it is about $23 per person.

That is the key value point. You are not paying a per-person rate that rises with every member of your family or walking club. A full group gets a private guide, the ability to ask questions freely, and control over the pace. For a couple, the same price is harder to justify unless the private experience matters greatly to you.

The advertised duration is approximately two to three hours. The listed stop times add up to about 105 minutes, leaving room for walking, questions, photos, and possible breaks. One separate ghost walk connected with the guide was described as lasting about 90 minutes, so I would allow the full two to three hours for this route but avoid scheduling a tightly timed attraction immediately afterward.

You can also stop for drinks or food in one of the many pubs along the route. Those costs are not included. Since the tour ends near the Old Red Cow, this gives you a natural place to continue the conversation after the walk.

What Ross’s guiding style adds

Ross’s approach appears to be a major part of the experience. His tours have included Roman London, Open House London walks, and other themed routes. That suggests he can adapt his storytelling to different interests rather than delivering a fixed list with no room for questions.

The strongest praise centers on his humor, enthusiasm, pacing, and ability to make local legends feel alive. One group even received an extra stop at the Roman Amphitheatre in the Guildhall Gallery on a different walk. That does not guarantee an extra stop here, but it shows the benefit of a private guide who pays attention to the group.

You should expect a story-led walk rather than a formal lecture. Ross reportedly keeps people involved, answers questions, and adjusts the emphasis when a group shows interest in a particular subject. That is especially useful in the City, where a short distance can connect several periods and themes.

The route also includes a Star Wars filming location on another City tour led by the same guide. That detail suggests he enjoys adding modern film and pop-culture references when they fit the streets around you. It may not be part of this ghost walk, so do not book this experience expecting a film-location tour.

Practical details for your day

You meet at Bank Station, at the Bank and Monument complex on Princes Street, London EC3V 3LA. The endpoint is the Old Red Cow pub at 71 Long Lane, near the Long Lane entrance to Farringdon Street Station in the Barbican area.

The walk is offered in English and uses a mobile ticket. It is near public transportation, and service animals are allowed. Most people can take part, but you should remember that the experience involves walking between several City locations for up to three hours.

Wear comfortable shoes and bring a phone or camera if you want photographs of the buildings. The tour is outside-focused, and the pace may include pauses for questions rather than a nonstop march. If your group includes people who need frequent rests, use the private format to request a slower pace.

The tour has free cancellation if you cancel at least 24 hours before the local start time. Changes or cancellations inside that window are not accepted for a refund, so check your plans before the deadline.

Who should book this City of London walk?

I would choose this tour if you enjoy local legends, unusual facts, old crimes, public punishment, and history told with a dry sense of humor. It is also a good fit for London residents who want to see familiar streets from a different angle. The route gives you plenty to discuss afterward, especially around Bank, Cheapside, and Smithfield.

Families with older children may enjoy it, but the subject matter is not mild. Executions, skulls, haunted jails, and body snatchers are central rather than occasional details. For younger children, a lighter London walk would be a safer choice.

Couples and small groups should think carefully about the price. The private setup is valuable, but $342.79 is much easier to defend when shared among a larger party. A walking club, family reunion, or group of friends can get strong value from the fixed group price.

Should you book Ghosts, Gore & Other Ghastly Stories?

Book it if you want a private, story-heavy walk through the City of London and you like your sightseeing with a dark edge. The best features are the flexible pace, Ross’s engaging delivery, and the route’s mix of famous districts and less obvious stories.

Skip it if you want a major indoor attraction, a gentle overview of London, or a low-cost activity for just one or two people. Also think twice if executions and body-snatching stories are not your idea of holiday fun.

For a full group that wants history, humor, and a few chills without a staged haunted-house feel, this is a strong choice. You get a memorable route from Bank Station to Smithfield, and the private format lets you make the walk your own.

FAQ

Where does the tour start?

The tour starts at Bank Station, at the Bank and Monument Underground complex on Princes Street, London EC3V 3LA.

Where does the tour finish?

It finishes at the Old Red Cow pub, 71 Long Lane, Barbican, London EC1A 9EJ. The pub is opposite the Long Lane entrance to Farringdon Street Station.

How long does the tour last?

The tour lasts approximately two to three hours.

How many people can join the private tour?

The price covers a private group of up to 15 people.

Is food or drink included?

No. There are opportunities to stop for drinks and food at pubs along the route, but those purchases are not included.

What is the cancellation policy?

You can cancel for a full refund if you cancel at least 24 hours before the local start time. Cancellations and changes made less than 24 hours before the start are not accepted for a refund.