The Viaduct Tavern - Newgate Street. London, UK
N 51° 30.975 W 000° 06.109
30U E 701079 N 5711218
The Viaduct Tavern stands on the north side of Newgate Street at the junction with Giltspur Street. It is close to the Old Bailey and Barts hospital. The ghost is in the pub's cellar.
Waymark Code: WMK9JE
Location: London, United Kingdom
Date Posted: 03/05/2014
Views: 5
The Haunted London website tells us:
The Viaduct Tavern stands opposite the Central Criminal Courts (better known the world over as the Old Bailey after the road in which they stand). It dates from 1875, and is the last example of a late Victorian gin palace left in the City of London.
It is also prone to suffer from bouts of poltergeist activity. “Poltergeist” is derived from two German terms Poltern meaning “to knock” and Geist meaning “spirit.”
The restless spirit that haunts the Viaduct Tavern has a propensity to haunt the pubs cellars where several members have staff have experienced its unwelcome attentions.
In 1996, a manager was tidying the cellar one Saturday morning, when the door suddenly slammed shut and the lights went out. Feeling his way to the door, he found that no matter how hard he pushed it just would not open. Fortunately, his wife heard his cries for help and came down stairs to investigate. She found that the doors, which would not open from the inside, were unlocked and easily pushed open from the outside.
In May 199 two electricians, working in one of the pubs upstairs rooms, also attracted the ghosts unwelcome attentions. They had rolled the carpet up and were taking up the floorboards, when one of them felt a hand tap him on the shoulder. Thinking it was his workmate he turned round, but found that he was on the other side of the room. Believing he’s imagined it he went back to work and yet again he felt a tap on his shoulder. Standing up, he went over to his friend to ask if he was playing a prank, but the man denied any involvement. As he was about to return to his chores, both men watched as the heavy carpet, that lay rolled up by the window, was lifted into the air and dropped heavily onto the floor.