Haunted Winchester: A Ghost Tour for the Brave

Ever wondered if Winchester is really haunted? Rebecca, a BA (Hons) Medieval History graduate (2025), explores five of the city's most notorious haunted locations. Drawing on her knowledge of Winchester's ancient past, she uncovers the ghost stories and legends that have persisted for centuries. Do you dare take the tour? 

 

The Eclipse Inn 

This pub is most famous for the tale of the hauntings of Lady Alice Lisle. She was executed for harbouring dissenters after a battle in 1685 and she spent her final night at The Eclipse Inn before heading out to the scaffold. There have been reports of unexplainable loud noises and moving around upstairs, fridges and freezers opening, bottle lids flying off and a ghostly women appearing upstairs where Lady Lisle spent her final night.  

 

Theatre Royal 

Many ghost stories have emerged from the theatre, including that of John Simpkin. Brothers James and John Simpkin built the theatre in 1912 and James had his initials placed on above the arch without his brother’s initials. John’s ghost is reported to drift through the wall, check the arch to see if his initial has been added and exit through the opposite wall. Another story includes that of a dancing girl and a spotlight operator, her lover, who was called away during WWI. While on stage the dancer fainted and claimed that, although he was away at war, she had seen her lover in the corner. Unbeknownst to the dancer, the spotlight operator’s mother had received a telegram that day informing her of his death. People claim that both the dancing girl and spotlight operator can both be seen today.  

 

Cathedral Close 

The Close is reportedly haunted by a cloaked figure in brown who limps through the area, most notably near number 11. Some believe he is a monk who from a church that predates the Cathedral that stood on the same site, while others are still unsure on who the figure may be. An archaeological dig nearby found 3 skeletons, one of which had evidence of arthritis in the knee which may explain the phantom’s limp. 

 

Dome Alley 

Just round the corner from the Cathedral, ghostly reports have come from 7 Dome Alley. The previous owners have reported regular footsteps in the alley beside the house as well as other spectral noises in the house. There was a group of ghosts who came to be known by the residence as the ‘happy ghosts’ which included some young children seemingly being read to by a ghostly woman.  

 

Winchester Library 

The library has 2 reported ghost sightings although these alone may not be enough label the building as ‘haunted’. In 1992 the caretaker reported lively and unexplainable footsteps throughout the gallery and ghostly opera was reported throughout the building on a separate occasion. 

 

Take the tour and let us know if you discover anymore ghosts along the way. 

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