Introduction
London has plenty of history to keep you awake at night. Beyond the familiar landmarks lies a city of ghost stories, mysterious creatures and Gothic imagination: a place where a supposed haunting could become a public sensation, and an ordinary Tube journey comes with a decidedly unsettling backstory.
This Halloween, explore that darker side of the capital with five episodes of the London History Podcast, hosted by me, London Guided Walks’ Hazel Baker. From Georgian ghost-hunting to Victorian vampires, these episodes explore not just the stories themselves, but what they reveal about the people who told them.
Whether you fancy a single spooky tale or a whole evening of eerie listening, here’s where to start.
Monsters and Myths of London — Episode 142
A mysterious figure leaps across rooftops. A spectral dog stalks a notorious prison. Reports of a vampire bring a London cemetery into the spotlight.
This Halloween special brings together some of the capital’s most unsettling legends, including Spring-Heeled Jack, the Black Dog of Newgate, the Highgate Vampire and the Cornhill Devils. Spring-Heeled Jack’s story also takes us into the world of Victorian popular entertainment, where frightening tales found new life in theatrical productions and penny dreadfuls.
It’s a lively starting point for anyone who enjoys the stranger side of London: the stories that sit somewhere between urban legend, popular imagination and a very good scare.
Haunted Underground Stations — Episode 122
Your next Tube journey might feel a little different after this one.
In Haunted Underground Stations, I explore ghost stories associated with London’s transport network, including Bank’s Black Nun and tales connected with Covent Garden. The episode takes familiar places and reveals the eerie stories attached to them.
There’s something particularly unsettling about a ghost story set somewhere you know. You don’t need a remote castle or a creaking country house when your everyday route through London can provide the setting.
Put this one on for a suitably atmospheric listen — though perhaps before, rather than during, your last train home.
The Ghost of Cock Lane Special — Episode 28
A haunting, an investigation and a city caught up in the excitement: the Ghost of Cock Lane offers a different kind of Halloween story.
This special explores the supposed haunting that gripped eighteenth-century London, and the investigation that exposed it as a hoax. It’s a reminder that the history of ghost stories can be every bit as compelling as the ghosts themselves.
If you prefer your spooky listening with a historical mystery at its centre, start here. The interest lies not simply in whether something supernatural happened, but in how a story gained an audience , and what happened when people began asking questions.
Unveiling London’s Victorian Vampire Legacy — Episode 159
For listeners who like their Halloween with a Gothic flavour, this episode follows the vampire into Victorian London.
Originally created for World Dracula Day, it features David Turnbull in a discussion of vampire literature, penny dreadfuls, Bram Stoker and the Lyceum Theatre, exploring Dracula’s connections with the capital.
Rather than treating the vampire as an isolated horror-film figure, the episode places it within London’s literary and theatrical world. It’s a chance to explore the stories and settings behind the familiar image, and an appealing listen for anyone drawn to Victorian fiction and Gothic atmosphere.
🎧Listen to Episode 159: Unveiling London’s Victorian Vampire Legacy
London’s Folklore — Episode 10
Where does history end and folklore begin?
In this episode, I join Vanessa Woolf of London Dreamtime to explore London’s folklore and ghost stories, including the Highgate Vampire. Their conversation considers the shifting boundary between fact and fiction: fertile territory for anyone fascinated by the stories a city tells about itself.
This is a good choice if you enjoy storytelling as much as historical investigation. It widens the Halloween listening list beyond individual hauntings to the legends that give London another layer of meaning.
Make a Night of It
For a Halloween double bill, begin with The Ghost of Cock Lane Halloween Special, then move on to Monsters and Myths of London — both explicitly presented as Halloween specials. Add Haunted Underground Stations for familiar places with unfamiliar stories, or settle in with the vampire episode for a more literary evening.
Choose your episode, get comfortable and explore London’s darker stories with me. Just don’t blame us if every unexplained noise suddenly seems worth investigating.
📚If you prefer to read your spooky history then perhaps you would enjoy these blog posts:
