Types of ghosts

The same few figures appear again and again in ghost stories, across countries and centuries. Here are the most common, and the places they are tied to.

• Ghostly ladies

  148 places

  White, Grey, Green and Blue Ladies: the places where a female ghost is reported, who she is said to be, and how far the records back the story.

• Child ghosts

  81 places

  Places where the ghost of a child is reported, from the Queen Mary's pool to Waverly Hills and the Tower of London, with the sources behind each story.

• Soldier ghosts

  35 places

  Places haunted by soldiers, from Roman legionaries in York to Gettysburg and the airmen of RAF East Kirkby, with the battles and records behind the stories.

• Prisoner ghosts

  17 places

  Prisons and jails with ghost stories, from Eastern State and Alcatraz to Bodmin Jail, with the documented history of the people these stories are about.

• Monks and priests

  17 places

  Abbeys, missions and churches where phantom monks and priests are reported, from Beaulieu and Furness to Mission San Juan Capistrano.

• Poltergeists

  19 places

  Places known for poltergeist reports, from Old Jeffrey at Epworth in 1716 to the Bell Witch and Gracie Mansion: knocks, moved objects and unseen forces.