Our series “Haunted London” uncovers the paranormal side of the capital. Today we look at Haunted Whitechapel, a district in the East End of London, England, in the London Borough of Tower Hamlets. It is known world over as the site of the notorious Jack the Ripper murders in 1888.
Durward Street, Whitechapel, E1
- The luminescent ghost of a woman lying prostrate in the gutter has been sighted in Durward St, (formerly Bucks Row), which is where the corpse of Mary Ann Nichols, the first victim of Jack the Ripper was found. Further haunting reported in the vicinity include what are said to be the sounds of the Ripper’s other victims.
- In December 1974, a man in the now demolished warehouse, got a shock when he witnessed the ghost of a young boy dangling from a rope tied to a ceiling hook. Previously, the building was a boarding school.
29 Hanbury Street, Whitechapel, E1
Annie Chapman, a victim of Jack the Ripper, is said to be at the centre of hauntings reported here during the 1930s.
It appears to be a cyclical haunting, as it was mostly active in autumn; Annie was murdered in a house that once stood on the location on 8 September 1888.
The sounds of what seemed to be the re-enactment of her murder were heard by one witness, whilst a headless ghost, said to be Annie, has also been sighted.
Old Bass Sales Office, Cephas Street, Whitechapel, E1
Around 1980, employees encountered cold spots and the stench of embalming fluid whilst in the office. Previously, a doctor’s surgery stood on the site; perhaps a case of the old building’s haunting taking up residence in it’s replacement?
Royal London Hospital, Whitechapel Road, E1
- A ghostly grey lady reputedly walks the corridors of the hospital, whilst tradition has it that the shutters must be closed overnight, otherwise there will be an unexpected death.
- Joseph Merrick, known as the “Elephant Man”, was admitted to the hospital in 1886 and spent the last few years of life here. His mounted skeleton is housed at the medical school but not on public display.
Mitre Square, Whitechapel, EC3A
Catherine Eddowes was one of Jack the Ripper’s victims, and was found dead by PC Edward Watkins on the south-west corner on Mitre Square at 1.45 am whilst he walked his beat on 30 September 1888.
Sometimes, the apparition of Catherine’s badly mutilated body can be seen lying in the gutter late in September, in what seems to be a cyclical haunting.
Have you experienced the paranormal in Haunted London: Whitechapel E1 or know of a local story? Let us know in the Comments section below or Contact us here.
