Ghosts galore: Brighton's most haunted places

Brighton and the surrounding areas have their fair share of dark and ghostly tales, from Theatre managers to train crash victims - there's spooky goings on everywhere.

Here are a few of the most haunted places in and around the town, visit if you scare:

Theatre Royal

It has been widely reported that the iconic Theatre Royal is haunted and given its long and rich history, there are plenty of rumours of spirits and returning souls. 

The main ghost is said to be the Lady in Grey, believed to be Mrs Nye Chart, the legendary woman who ran the theatre from 1876 to 1892.

Among those who claim to have seen the Lady in Grey are Danny la Rue, Sylvia Randall and former EastEnders star Michael Cashman, as well as the actor Martin Jarvis, who has apparently spoken of it on several occasions.

Additionally is the departed soul of Sarah Bernhardt, or Divine Sarah, an acclaimed actress of her day who sustained a leg injury while appearing at Theatre Royal Brighton that later led to the amputation of the limb.

Some have suggested this may have caused her to return to the venue from beyond the grave.

The ghosts often return and scare camera crew and actors alike. 

Clayton Tunnel 

Image by Andy Gardner

After three years of work the Clayton Tunnel was completed in 1841. Twenty years after its completion it was sadly marked by the Clayton Tunnel rail crash in 1861.

Five miles from Brighton the crash killed 23 people, it is said cries and the sound of the crash can still be heard.

One ghost was nicknamed Charlie although nobody knew his real identity. In one of the towers there is a sealed-off entrance to an inspection tunnel leading to ventilation shafts. It was in this inspection tunnel that footsteps were heard as well as eerie noises like screams or sighs.

The Regency Hotel

The Regency Hotel is 200 years old and was converted into the small guesthouse in 1976. 

It is said that the first floor rooms are haunted and two spirits can be seen on the property.

The first is a tall grey lady that walks around the hotel and can even walk between walls.

A young Victorian girl can also be seen and according to legend, she smelled gas emerging from a newly installed pipe, clambering onto the window ledge of an upper storey to escape and fell to her death.

Brighton Rocks

When the pub was known as "The Battle of Waterloo" there was a legend that said a coachman haunts the bar. 

The building used to be an old coaching house and the coachman was the victim of a robbery by a highwayman.

The coach was carrying the mayor and his daughter and after murdering the mayor and the coachman, the highwayman abducted the young girl.

It is believed the restless ghost of the coachman never came to terms with his fate.

Cricketers Inn

A poltergeist is believed to have caused mayhem in the popular pub on The Laines. 

Built in 1547 this historical pub on Black Lion Street has many ghostly tales to tell.

Bottles and glasses would fall off shelves, doors were heard to slam shut, and footsteps were heard climbing the stairs.

One manager even said they saw a man wearing a long black cloak on numerous occasions. 

The grey nun that haunts The Laines has also been seen just outside of the pub.

Have we missed another ghoulish tale? Let us know in the comments.