Haunted Hotels in Essex

Hotel Locations: These are confirmed hotel addresses where you can make reservations. Click markers to view booking information and ghost stories.

Interactive Map Legend

Hotel

Haunted Hotels

6 results

Brook Red Lion Hotel Hotel

43 High Street, Colchester, Essex CO1 1DJ

3-star (Grade I listed historic inn)

The Brook Red Lion Hotel is renowned as one of Essex's most haunted locations, with multiple documented spirits spanning different historical periods. Alice Catherine Millar, murdered in 1633 or 1638 after discovering she was pregnant by an influential figure, is the most active spirit, appearing in rooms 5, 6, and 10, and materialising in a rocking chair to ask if guests are alright. A hooded monk who died saving children from a fire centuries ago watches protectively over corridors and reception. A small boy spirit, seen mainly by children, appears in the Parliament Room and has been captured in numerous guest photographs. Additional spirits include a woman in Edwardian costume, a Cavalier who walks through doors and windows, and the sounds of panicking children from a 1970s fire tragedy.

Spirits: Alice Catherine Millar (murdered chambermaid), The Hooded Monk...

Haunted Accommodation Medieval 3-star (Grade I listed historic inn) Star

The Blue Boar Hotel Hotel

Silver Street, Maldon, Essex CM9 4QE

2-star (traditional inn with basic comforts, Grade II listed)

The Blue Boar's hauntings center on two primary spirits, each with distinct manifestation patterns and historical connections. The most frequently reported ghost is the Spectral Cat - a black phantom feline that has been consistently witnessed for decades. This spectral cat brushes against guests' legs in the bar area, darts through corridors, and appears on beds in guest rooms before vanishing. During 1970s renovations, workers discovered mummified cat remains sealed within the medieval walls, a protective practice that provides historical context for the ongoing feline hauntings. The second major spirit is the Lady in White, a Victorian-era female apparition dressed in light-coloured period clothing. She appears primarily in the front-facing upper rooms overlooking Silver Street, often standing by windows gazing out onto the street below. This manifestation may be connected to a documented carriage accident on Silver Street in the 1880s, where a young woman was reportedly carried into the Blue Boar following the incident but did not survive. Additional paranormal activity includes a possible former innkeeper spirit in the cellar areas, unexplained electrical phenomena, and various forms of interactive haunting behaviour that suggest intelligent spiritual presences rather than mere residual energy. The hotel's staff acknowledge these supernatural residents whilst maintaining professional service, and the building's 600-year history provides ample foundation for its reputation as one of Essex's most authentically haunted establishments.

Spirits: Spectral Cat, Lady in White...

Haunted Accommodation Medieval 2-star (traditional inn with basic comforts, Grade II listed) Star

The Cross Keys Hotel Hotel

32 High Street, Saffron Walden, Essex CB10 1AX

4-star (boutique inn and brasserie in Grade II* listed building)

The Cross Keys is reputedly haunted by at least two ghosts linked to its 17th-century heyday. The first is described as a man in old military attire – likely a soldier from the English Civil War. He’s commonly seen or sensed pacing the corridors, as if still on guard duty. Guests have dubbed him the “Roundhead Officer,” and he tends to appear as a fleeting figure in a cloak or simply as heavy bootsteps in the night. The second spirit is said to be a beautiful woman in a flowing dress, rumored to have been Oliver Cromwell’s secret mistress who accompanied him during the 1647 war council here. Her ghost is more elusive; she’s most often reported in one of the upstairs bedrooms (whispering or a sudden floral perfume in the air) and occasionally seen gazing out of a window. Both ghosts are considered friendly – even protective – with no reports of malicious behavior. These hauntings are well-known enough that a local shopkeeper once matter-of-factly informed curious visitors that “the inn is widely accepted to be haunted by a Civil War ghost”. Indeed, the Cross Keys’ spirits are an ingrained part of Saffron Walden’s folklore, adding an extra layer of intrigue to this historic inn.

Spirits: Three principal spirits: a **Civil War soldier** (often said to be a Cromwellian soldier), **Elizabeth Tollermarche** (believed to be Oliver Cromwell's mistress)...

Haunted Accommodation Medieval 4-star (boutique inn and brasserie in Grade II* listed building) Star

The Green Man Hotel Hotel

Mulberry Green, Old Harlow, Essex CM17 0ET

3-star equivalent (pub hotel, historic coaching inn)

The Green Man’s legend centers on a heartbroken mother and child. According to folklore, a woman in the eighteenth century, desperate for a baby, engaged in an illicit affair with a local blacksmith. She bore a daughter, but tragically the infant perished in a fire shortly after birth. Today, the grieving mother’s ghost is said to wander the 600-year-old inn, eternally searching for her lost child. Staff refer to her simply as “the Grey Lady of Mulberry Green.” Her presence is marked by sobbing sounds at night and a fleeting female figure seen near rooms and on the staircase. Occasionally, the faint cry of a baby is also reported echoing through the halls (despite no infants on site), reinforcing the tale that the mother and child haunt the inn together. This poignant story – more tragedy than terror – is well-known in Harlow, making the Green Man a local ghost lore landmark.

Spirits: The “Bereaved Mother of Mulberry Green” (a sorrowful female spirit) and her infant child’s ghost

Haunted Accommodation Medieval 3-star equivalent (pub hotel, historic coaching inn) Star

The Mistley Thorn Hotel Hotel

High Street, Mistley, Essex CO11 1HE

4-star (restaurant with rooms, historic coaching inn)

The Mistley Thorn's spectral notoriety stems from multiple tragic events connected to its history. The dominant presence is Matthew Hopkins, the infamous Witchfinder General who owned the original inn in the 1640s and conducted his brutal witch trials from this location. His ghost appears as a tall, cloaked figure in Puritan dress, particularly around the anniversary of his burial (August 12). The hotel is also haunted by a Georgian-era serving girl who continues her eternal duties, walking the corridors and maintaining the rooms as she did in life. Most tragic is the spirit of a young boy who was killed when pushed under a horse's hooves during a fight in the inn's stables - his presence is felt in the rear areas of the building. Additionally, the spirits of Hopkins's victims linger nearby, with phantom screams heard from Hopping Bridge where witch trials were conducted. These multiple hauntings create an unusually active paranormal environment that extends from the hotel to the surrounding village landmarks.

Spirits: Matthew Hopkins (the 17th-century Witchfinder General), The Serving Girl (Georgian-era hotel staff)...

Haunted Accommodation Georgian 4-star (restaurant with rooms, historic coaching inn) Star

The Rose And Crown Hotel Colchester Hotel

East Street, Colchester, Essex CO1 2TZ

3-star (Best Western, Historic Inn)

This centuries-old inn hosts multiple well-documented spirits with detailed witness accounts. The most beloved is 'Val', a little elderly woman in Victorian-era black dress who managed the bar in the early 1900s. Staff regularly see her walking from the bar toward reception before vanishing, with one housekeeper casually noting 'Oh yeah, I know her! I see her all the time.' The White Lady Bride is a more mysterious figure, first documented in the 1950s when night porter Frank saw her on the main staircase wearing a flowing white lace wedding dress, pearl necklace and earrings, and a red flower in her hair. A decade later, another porter saw the identical apparition with no knowledge of the previous sighting. Recent paranormal investigations by Essex Ghost Hunters in 2022 allegedly made Ouija board contact with a spirit calling herself 'Elizabeth', possibly identifying the bride. Beyond these apparitions, extensive poltergeist activity plagues the hotel: televisions spontaneously turning on for over 30 years across different room types and TV models, unexplained footsteps in empty corridors, mysterious bed disturbances including sheets being tucked in while guests sleep, confetti appearing on visitors during wedding tours, and guests experiencing phantom bed companions. The hotel's basement prison cells add another supernatural dimension, with staff reporting oppressive atmospheres and the sensation of being watched.

Spirits: Val the Lady in Black (former early 20th-century bar manager), the White Lady Bride (possibly 'Elizabeth')...

Haunted Accommodation Historic 3-star (Best Western, Historic Inn) Star

Haunted Hosts

Interactive Map Legend

Haunted Hotels

Brook Red Lion Hotel Hotel

Documented Spirits

Hotel Information

The Blue Boar Hotel Hotel

Documented Spirits

Hotel Information

The Cross Keys Hotel Hotel

Documented Spirits

Hotel Information

The Green Man Hotel Hotel

Documented Spirits

Hotel Information

The Mistley Thorn Hotel Hotel

Documented Spirits

Hotel Information

The Rose And Crown Hotel Colchester Hotel

Documented Spirits

Hotel Information