The UK is home to many intriguing cities. However, very few can claim to have over 200 pubs and be one of the most haunted in the world. But that’s exactly the case when it comes to York. While August is often hit or miss when it comes to the British weather, travel experts say this is the best time to visit York.
The city’s average temperature in August sits around 15C, and while it’s warm, it’s rarely too hot. Rain is less likely than at other times of year, and evenings are cooler, so it’s the perfect time to explore the historic streets or enjoy a drink outside. For anyone who is obsessed with ghosts, York also holds the title of one of the most haunted cities in the world.
According to Visit York, the city has more than 500 reported hauntings and a history full of war, invasion and bloodshed.
The International Ghost Research Foundation once even called York the most haunted city in Europe.
One of the city’s most famous ghost stories comes from the Treasurer’s House.
In 1953, a young plumber was working in the cellar when he saw Roman soldiers marching straight through a brick wall, walking on an ancient road buried under the floor.
Sightings like this, along with other tales of ghostly nuns, vengeful women and phantom children, have become part of the city’s identity.
There are also ghost walks and tours happening every evening, including trips through dark alleys like Mad Alice Lane, named after a woman hanged in 1825 for murdering her husband.
Some visitors say they’ve seen her face in the windows above the lane.
Then there’s the pub scene. Many claim York has a pub for every day of the year, and while that’s not quite true, the city has long had a strong drinking culture.
WhatPub’s guide says there were 235 pubs open as of 2024, and the City of York Council lists over 1,100 licensed premises in total.
Some of these pubs are also rumoured to be haunted. The Golden Fleece is the most haunted pub in the city and is said to be home to at least 15 spirits, including Lady Anne Peckett, a former mayor’s wife seen gliding up the stairs and rearranging furniture.
Away from the spooky stories, there’s plenty to do.
Visitors can walk along the Roman city walls, cruise down the River Ouse, explore The Shambles (a narrow medieval street that inspired Harry Potter’s Diagon Alley), or climb Clifford’s Tower for views across the rooftops.
York Minster, the city’s famous cathedral, is also worth a visit, along with the Museum Gardens and the bustling Bishopthorpe Road, known as “Bishy Road,” full of independent shops and cafés.