In the lead up to everyone’s favourite spooky season, GoodBye Car are taking a look at the most ‘haunted’ roads in the UK and why they’re considered to be eerie and unearthly.
Whether you believe in ghosts or not, it’s still interesting to look at their history …
1. The Devil’s Highway
Location: A666 Near Bolton
When you name a road ‘666’, the chances are the future is going to be rife with plenty of occult shenanigans. There have been a number of sightings of a shady figure at the side of the road after the sun goes down, described by eye-witnesses as being hunched over with a slight limp.
There has even been some video footage of this, which you can make your own mind up on if you see it. Filmed on a dashcam, the white figure approaches the car slowly, much to the distress of the driver and their passenger…
2. The Ghost Road
Location: A75 Gretna to Annan
I mean, the name kind of speaks for itself here. This road, just over the border between England and Scotland, links Gretna to Annan and is notorious for being extremely badly lit. Driving along pitch black roads can play tricks on the mind at the best of times, especially if you’re aware that this road has seen incidents of the paranormal in the past.
Unnervingly, the police have recorded calls from drivers that describe having run over an old man in a tweed suit who they claim was crossing the road. But when they got out to check, the man was nowhere to be seen…
3. Blue Bell Hill
Location: A229, Kent
This particular road was the scene of an unfortunate tragedy back in November 1965 and has been haunted ever since, in the eyes of many. A young woman was due to be married when she was killed in a car accident.
Since then, the woman has been spotted wearing her extravagant wedding dress, veil and all, standing by the side of the road waiting for a lift. The scariest part of the story is that some people claim to have given the woman a lift, only for her to disappear completely soon after…
4. Stocksbridge Bypass
Location: Stocksbridge
A relatively new road when compared to the others on the list, the Stocksbridge Bypass quickly gained a reputation for events of the paranormal. Connecting the M1 with the A1616, the spooky shenanigans started occurring as soon as the building work started.
When construction was underway back in 1988, two security guards reported that they saw some young children playing right in the centre of the construction site. This would be an odd sight at the best of times, made even more bone chilling by the fact that the children disappeared without a trace as the guards approached them, with no signs of footprints…
5. M6 Bermuda Triangle
Location: M6
Named after the infamous Bermuda Triangle, it’s not a surprise to see that it’s gained this nickname for a negative reason. As opposed to the new style road seen above, there have been parts of this route that have been in place for around two thousand years.
What is now the M6 used to be travelled across by the Roman’s before the layers of concrete were added, and as such there have been numerous reports of Roman soldiers marching across the road. That’s not all though, as junctions 16-19 are particularly accident prone, leading to more tormented souls being seen, such as hitchhikers that vanish into the night and eyes that have been spotted watching passers by from the bushes. Slightly unnerving…
6. The Spaniard’s Inn
Location: Hampstead
When you pull up to the Spaniard’s Inn in Hampstead, it just looks like a normal pub. However, there are sinister undertones at play, with a rich history of ghosts and ghouls being spotted in the area. The building actually dates back to 1585, and became famous thanks to Dick Turpin’s father reportedly being the landlord of the pub.
The Inn gets its name from a Spanish Ambassador who used to meet with King James in the 16th Century. There were also reportedly two Spanish landlords named Francesco and Juan in the 17th century, to which the rumour exists that the duo fell out and eventually ended with Francesco killing Juan in a duel, who was later buried near the Inn.
I’m sure you can see where this is going, but it’s reported that Juan’s ghost still haunts the pub, looking for Francesco to claim his revenge…
7. Overtoun Bridge
Location: West Dumbartonshire
Probably the saddest story we’ve seen so far, this one is not for the faint of heart. Long story short, it’s said that the bridge located on the grounds of Overtoun House in West Dumbartonshire is haunted by the White Lady of Overtoun, who’s the ghost of the wife of former estate owner John White.
The sad part comes in when people claim the bridge affects dogs in particular, causing them to terrifyingly throw themselves off the side of the bridge. It’s said that more than 300 dogs have suffered this fate over the years. Our advice would be to keep your dog on a lead if you’re passing over the bridge any time soon.
If you don’t want to believe in the supernatural, non-believers say that the smell of wild animals in the woods below is what compels the dogs to jump over the side. But what if…
8. Blairgowrie
Location: A93
On the subject of wild animals, that takes us on nicely to the Hellhound of Blairgowie. This plagued pooch is said to have glowing red eyes and patrols up and down the side of the road. If you’re unfortunate enough to encounter it, you’ll likely smell it before you can see it, as it’s said to carry a stinking odour.
The hound is particularly a menace to dogs and horses, who become incredibly spooked when in the area, particularly at night.
There’s even a legend that says if you stare directly into the Hellhound’s eyes three times, then you’ll die. So that’s fun…
9. Platt Lane
Location: Westhoughton
Infamous to locals in the area, Platt Lane is another sad story of a tragedy leading to plenty of haunting stories. The incident in question was the Pretoria Pit mining disaster on 21st December 1910, leading to 344 of the 900 men and boys who went into the mine on that day never making it out alive.
The issue came from a gas leak due to a broken lamp, which then ignited an explosion. Some died from the flames, while others suffocated from carbon monoxide in what was a terrifying event for such a close-knit community.
Now it’s been said that when you drive along Platt Lane you can see the eyes of the miners watching on from the bushes, and the road is also partial to an eerie mist overcoming it at all parts of the year…
10. The Ghost of Gracious Lane
Location: A21, London
Normally when a road is made into a duel carriageway, life just goes on without incident. However, the ghost of Gracious Lane did not take too kindly to the road being split, and it prowls the street looking to take revenge by leading cars off the road and the unfortunate drivers to their death.
After drivers travel underneath the bridge, an odd phenomenon occurs where the standard A21 road seems to disappear and a new road takes its place, which actually points in a different direction.
Oddly, it’s not the only cursed activity in the area, as there are also reports of a white haired woman being seen stood in the middle of the road. Most drivers try and swerve to avoid what they think is a living and breathing human being, but inevitably run her over.
When they get out to check if she’s alright though, the woman is nowhere to be found …
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