50 berkeley square tour

50 Berkeley Square – The most haunted house in London 50 Berkeley Square – The most haunted house in London

Many spectacular spirits are said to haunt 50 Berkeley Square, the “most haunted house in London”: According to legend, the house is so charged with psychic tension, you only need to touch the exterior brickwork in order to receive a tingling sensation that sends shivers down your spine.

The story of the haunted house

50 Berkeley Square is a house in Mayfair in Central London. In the 19th century it became known as the “most haunted house in London”. But where did this reputation come from?

Once the house was home to George Canning , former Prime Minister, until his death in 1827. Next, it was inhabited by a Miss Curzon, until her death at the age of 90. Strange things began to happen when its next inhabitant moved in in 1859. Thomas Myers lived in the house until the early 1870’s. There was rumour that he had been rejected by his fiancée and slowly turned mad. He moved into the attic and slept during the day. He never saw a living soul and walked through the house at night only with a candle in his hand.

Strange lights and noises in the night

The house fell into disrepair and people were scared of the strange lights and noises at night and its mad inhabitant. Myers was even sued by the local council for not paying his rates. When he did not appear in court, the magistrate excused him because he was known to live in a haunted house.

There are stories of many incidents that happened in the house. Especially its attic room was a haunted place. A spirit of a young woman who committed suicide there haunts the house. The girl purportedly threw herself from the room’s window after being abused by her uncle. Depending on who you ask, her spirit either appears in the form of a brown mist or as a white figure.

“Bloody Bones” lives at 50 Berkeley Square

Also, the ghost of a little girl who was killed there by a sadistic servant, is said to haunt the attic. And then there is the tale of a young man who was locked in the attic room and was fed only through a hole in the door, until he died in madness. There were so many tales that it was said that the house was haunted by “ Bloody Bones “.

The Mayfair Magazine printed an article in 1879, which stated that a maid had a strange encounter in the attic room that had turned her mad. She was put into in an asylum, where she died. She was said to be the maid of a man and his two teenage daughters. The eldest daughter disliked the smell in the house which reminded her of the animals in the zoo.

A maid was driven insane by a spectral presence

Her fiancé was a man named Captain Kentfield. When he came to visit the house in Berkeley Square, the maid was sent to the attic to prepare a room for him. The household was then terrified by her screams coming from the attic. When they came upstairs, they found her lying on the floor in a coma-like state. She was muttering “don’t let it touch me”.

The maid was not the only one that was driven insane by the ghost in the attic. Apparently a nobleman spent the night in the attic room. He told the other inhabitants that they should only come up if he rang the bell twice in the night. He would only ring once to ease his nerves. So they went to bed and when he rang the bell at midnight, it was ignored. All of a sudden the bell began to ring furiously and the other inhabitants rushed upstairs.

A nobleman wanted to disprove the haunting

He too was so paralyzed with fear that he could not speak. In one version of the story, it was Captain Kentfield who decided to stay in the attic to face the horrifying ghost that had killed the maid. On that faithful night, the other inhabitants heard his screams from upstairs and a gunshot. They rushed upstairs and found his dead body on the floor.

In another version it was Lord Lyttleton who stayed a night in the building’s attic in 1872 because of a bet. Just like in the story above, he fired at something he saw that night. But unlike Kentfield, he did not die nor was he driven insane. He could only find his shotgun cartridges the next morning when he went to look at what he had fired.

Finally, in 1887 two sailors from the HMS Penelope sought shelter for the night by breaking into the now abandoned house. The next morning, one of them was found dead, having tripped as he ran from the house. The other sailor reported that they had seen a ghost, possibly that of Mr Myers.

Where did the stories come from?

Many people did not believe in these ghost stories. A common conclusion was that the neglect of the house had inspired them. Lady Dorothy Nevill wrote in her autobiography The Reminiscences of Lady Dorothy Nevill from 1906, that she was a relative of Mr Myers and that his behaviour was the only scary thing about the house. Sceptics claimed that the stories were made up by writers. The story of the sailors was attributed to Elliott O’Donnell .

Then why the stories in the first place? Why that house?

About Philipp Röttgers

Philipp Röttgers (M. A.), born in 1989, is author, musician and writer. He is drummer for PARIAHLORD . Philipp studied »English Literatures and Cultures« in Bonn, Germany. His first book about his favourite band Genesis was published in 2015.

His second book „ London and its genius loci – a journey beyond time and place “ was published in 2019. Philipp feels deeply connected to London, more than to any other place in the world. He is an expert in the capital’s (and Britain’s) literature and culture. He is also a „Ripperologist“ (and was already featured in the magazine of the same name) and of 2020, he also lead walks through London. Get in touch via mail for more information.

8 thoughts on “50 Berkeley Square – The most haunted house in London”

I and two friends had an interesting afternoon there in 1997 with the owner. Who showed us around. I will tell anyone who wants to know just e mail me.

as if ! lol

I’ll be interested, what’s your email address?

Is it possible to obtain a floor plan of each floor of No. 50 Berkeley Square? If so, sincerest thanks to anyone who can help.

I work there and there is nothing there and I walked through the basements and around the house,

Interesting that the video photograph shows what appears to be a dark, SOLID, HUMAN figure with head seemingly bent down staring at the floor in the fourth floor left corner window!

I believe in the paranormal. But this particular house bares all the markings of tall-tale fodder. The only way to see if it actually was once haunted, you’d have to get in Doc Brown’s time machine, go back to the days of the “white wigs” ( Ebenezer Scrooge’s era) and see for yourself!!! The stories are fuzzy ( no one can VOUCH for anything ) and the tabloids of an era that followed shortly after the Salem witch-trials were certainly RIPE with wild and crazy tales of witches, demons, ghouls and monsters, most of which were published by silly story tellers who used fictitious names.

Having grown up in Regents Park, London in a haunted house I have a feeling that number 50 was and probably still is haunted. It was well documented, to my knowledge back in 1950s. Unfortunately my haunted house was demolished as it was prime land to develop.

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50 BERKELEY SQUARE

The most haunted house in london..

50 Berkeley Square has a long held reputation as being the "Most Haunted House in London."

According to Charles Harper in his book Haunted Houses , published in 1913:-

The haunted house in Berkeley Square was long, one of those things that no country cousin come up from the provinces to London on sightseeing bent, ever willingly missed.

Harper goes on to say that:-

But truth to tell, its exterior is now a trifle disappointing to the casual seeker after horrors. Viewed in the afternoon sunshine with a milkman delivering the usual half pint, or quart, as the case may be, is just as respectably commonplace as any other house of similar late Georgian period, and even at the weird stroke of 12, when the midnight policeman comes and thrusts a burly shoulder against the front-door, and tries the area-gate or flashes a gleam over the kitchen windows from his bulls-eye, there is nothing at all hair-raising about it.

But there was a time, Harper continues:-

When number 50 wore an exceedingly uncared for appearance. Soap, paint, and whitewash were unused for years, and grime clung to brickwork and Windows alike. The area was choked with wasted hand-bills, wisps of straw, and all the accumulations that speedily made a derelict London house. The very picture of misery; and every passing stranger stopped the first errand-boy, and asked various questions, to which the answer was, generally, "'aunted 'ouse,"; or, if the question happened to be "Who lives there?" the obvious reply was "Ghostesses..."

It should noted, however, that Harper himself, begins his article with the warning that "the house is no longer haunted, nor even empty."

He goes on to say that "there are those who declare it was never haunted, and that the story "...was, indeed, invented by a popular novelist of years ago.."

Harper's dismissal notwithstanding, the house certainly acquired something of a sinister reputation and visitors to London still make the pilgrimage to Berkeley Square to seek out what they often refer to as "the most haunted house in London."

It was then occupied by a Mr Myers and it was with his tenancy that the house's sinister reputation apparently began.

The story goes the was due to be married and had furnished the house in a manner befitting his forthcoming and changing domestic circumstances. But, shortly before the wedding, his bride to be jilted him and the heartbroken Myers became a recluse

he moved into a tiny room at the top of the building where, alone with his memories, he lived day after day never seeing a living soul and only ever coming out at night to walk through the rooms by candlelight.

The flickering flame of the candle cast a dull glow from the house's Windows by night as he drifted from room to room.

In 1873 the local council sued him for failing to pay his rates. He failed to appear in court but the magistrate excused him on account of the fact the house in which he lived was known as "the haunted house."

In 1879 the magazine a Mayfair , published an article about the property stating that the house was in a state of great decay:-

With Windows, caked and blackened by dust, full of silence and emptiness, and yet with no notice about it anywhere that it may be had for renting. This is known as the haunted house in Berkeley Square.

The article goes on to tell several ghost stories about the property, which have, over the years, found their way into countless books and articles about haunted London.

One tells of a man who moved in with his two teenage daughters, the eldest of which immediately complained of a strange musty smell that, she said, was rather like that of the animals cages at the zoo.

Later, the elder girl's fiancé, a Captain Kentfield, was due to visit the house and a maid-servant was asked to prepare his room.

No sooner had she gone upstairs to do so than the household heard terrified screams coming from the room.

Rushing to assist, they found her collapsed on the floor, muttering to herself "don't let it touch me."  They were unable to ascertain exactly what it was, as the girl died in hospital following day.

He duly headed upstairs by candlelight, and the household heard him close the door. 30 minutes later, terrible screams were heard coming from the room, followed by a gunshot.

They rushed to his aid but found him dead on the floor, his face twisted in terror.

Evidently something evil lurked in the ether of this room at number 50, Berkeley Square, and Charles Harper in Haunted Houses whetted his readers appetites by melodramatically describing it as an "unnamed Raw Head and Bloody Bones..."

Harper goes on to tell of a man who was "sceptical and practical", and who before retiring to bed, had given instructions to those who occupied the rest of the house that in the dead of night if he were to ring the bell once they were to take no notice as he might simply be a little nervous without due cause. But if he were to ring twice, then they must come  immediately to him.

So saying, he retired to bed. All was quiet at first, but when the clock chimed midnight there was a single ring on the bell. As per his instructions they ignored it, but suddenly the bell began to ring furiously and, racing to his room, they found the man in convulsions of absolute terror.

Like the earlier maidservant he was unable to say what he had seen, and he too died shortly after.

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RICHARD'S BOOK. UNCOVERING JACK THE RIPPER'S LONDON

Uncovering Jack the Ripper's London takes a close look at the period over which the Whitechapel 'Jack the Ripper' Murders occurred in 1888. The book is lavishly illustrated with both full colour and evocative black and white photographs.

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The Secret of 50 Berkeley Square

By paul collins , the mag | jun 7, 2015.

by Paul Collins

It starts with the house. Long before it inspired one of London’s most popular haunted house rides, the building at 50 Berkeley Square inspired fear. The dark and dilapidated structure sat ignored, caked in decades of soot and grime. Handbills and loose straw accumulated in the yard. In the words of Charles G. Harper, author of the 1907 book Haunted Houses , the four-story manse was “the very picture of misery.”

A spectacle of decay in an otherwise respectable central London neighborhood, the house became a magnet for ghost stories. One magazine claimed: “When touched, [the walls] are found saturated with electric horror.” Those foolhardy enough to spend the night inside, it was whispered, were found dead in the morning, their faces contorted with terror.

In the 1860s and 1870s, the few who dared knock at the door were waved off by a tight-lipped servant. One would-be investigator, fortifying his courage with drink, was promptly arrested and fined 10 shillings—though he never managed to get inside. The local Spiritualist Society had no better luck contacting the owner, leaving the Victorian poet Frederick Doveton to muse:

The cobwebs in the windows lie, And dirt and dust are there; What is the unknown history Of 50, Berkeley-square?

In 1880, the disappointingly mundane answer emerged in Notes & Queries magazine. Despite its vacant appearance, 50 Berkeley Square had been occupied by a Mr. Myers since 1859—unlisted and unseen but brought to light in 1873 by a tax summons. The “ghost” was simply a recluse who had let the place decay. But like the best haunted houses, 50 Berkeley Square had juicier secrets tucked beneath its floorboards. In fact, the home’s true legacy may be more fantastic than any ghost story and may hold the key to unlocking one of literature’s greatest puzzles.

Who, exactly, was Mr. Myers? Only one person seems to have had any knowledge of the ghost of Berkeley Square: a grande dame of Victorian society named Lady Dorothy Nevill. Born just down the street, Lady Nevill was a writer, horticulturist, and “noted conversationalist.” But in her 1906 memoir, The Reminiscences of Lady Dorothy Nevill , she spilled insider knowledge about Mr. Myers: namely, that he was a relative. Her hints, traced through peerage records, reveal him to be Thomas Myers.

It turns out Myers was the son of a member of Parliament, though he didn’t follow his father into politics. According to Nevill, “He was exceedingly eccentric, to a degree which bordered on lunacy.” Myers had acquired the home after becoming engaged, and “he made every preparation to receive his bride in it—ordered carpets, pictures, china, everything—but a few days before the day fixed for the wedding the lady to whom he was engaged threw him over and married another man. ... [He] remained there, leaving everything in exactly the same state as when he heard the news which had ruined his life. ... some of the carpets were not even unrolled, and remained for years tied up just as they were when they left the warehouse.”

If Lady Nevill's description of Myers sounds eerily familiar, it’s because it matches Charles Dickens’s immortal character Miss Havisham, from Great Expectations . Dickens began writing the novel in September 1860, around the time that Thomas Myers became unhinged.

In Dickens’s telling, the tragic Miss Havisham is jilted on her wedding day and morbidly preserves her home as it was at that moment. She lives out her life dressed in her bridal gown, with all the clocks stopped at 20 minutes to nine. “Everything in the room had stopped, like the watch and the clock, a long time ago,” Dickens wrote. “Without this arrest of everything, this standing still of all the pale decayed objects, not even the withered bridal-dress on the collapsed form could have looked so like grave-clothes, or the long veil so like a shroud.”

Though Dickens himself never gave away the inspiration, Miss Havisham was indeed based on a real person. Dickens’s colleague James Payn revealed in his 1884 memoir that Havisham was modeled after someone he’d told the novelist about. Payn discreetly neither named nor revealed the gender of the person but vowed the Dickens version was “not one whit exaggerated.”

Dickens was known for borrowing his characters from real life. The London criminal Ikey Solomon inspired the infamous Fagin in Oliver Twist . Fellow author Walter Landor became Lawrence Boythorne in Bleak House . Dickens often didn’t cover his tracks: After his wife’s chiropodist complained that she’d inspired the vulgar Miss Mowcher in David Copperfield , the author admitted she was right.

But for decades, biographers and academics have been unable to find an entirely satisfactory inspiration for Miss Havisham—perhaps because they have always looked for brides. Favorite candidates included the obscure Australian eccentric Eliza Emily Donnithorne, who sequestered herself and let her wedding cake rot after her 1856 nuptials were canceled, and Eliza Jumel, an elderly former wife of Aaron Burr rumored to have once hosted Dickens on a visit to New York and to have maintained a decaying dining room feast, leftovers from her grief over a lover. But the arguments in both cases are thin—in fact, Jumel’s feast and Dickens’s visit both appear to be apocryphal.

While the smart money would bet that the original Miss Havisham was a mister and that her eerily preserved home was inspired by the decaying walls of 50 Berkeley Square, only Dickens would know for sure. Today, the building’s shiny, polished exterior at 50 Berkeley Square occupies a less spooky role in literary history: It houses the famed antiquarian bookshop Maggs Bros. Ltd. “The stories about the ghost are complete horlicks. ... Nothing to it at all,” bookseller Ed Maggs assures us. But the first edition of Great Expectations in his shop is quite real—it’ll set you back £60,000.

Want more amazing stories like this?  Subscribe to mental_floss magazine  today!

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Icy Sedgwick

Fantasy fiction & folklore!

50 Berkeley Square: The Most Haunted House in London

December 30, 2023 by Icy Sedgwick Leave a Comment

If I asked you to name “the most haunted house in London”, you probably wouldn’t pick Berkeley Square as your location.

Yet for almost a century, No. 50. Berkeley Square had quite the supernatural reputation.

It’s part of the Grosvenor Estate in Mayfair, built in the mid-18th century by architect William Kent. Famous residents of the square have included Horace Walpole, Winston Churchill, William Pitt the Younger, Charles Rolls, the co-founder of Rolls Royce, and Harry Gordon Selfridge.

But was it actually haunted? Let’s see…

An Early Version of the Legend

In March 1872, the Spiritualist magazine reprinted a story from the South London Courier. Apparently, “a private circle of friends” could authenticate this story, although as always, names are omitted. According to this version, a couple took a house in Berkeley Square ahead of their wedding – supposedly, only a few months before the newspaper published the article.

Once the agreement was confirmed, the agent told them that the house had a ghost, seemingly confined to a particular room. The couple didn’t seem to mind the news, but the mother of the bride offered to sleep in the offending room. As she put it, she was at the house anyway to oversee the arrival of their furniture. She kept two or three servants, so she wasn’t sleeping in the house alone. She went to bed, and all seemed well. The following morning, the woman didn’t appear as usual, so the servants went to fetch her. They found her dead in bed, still staring at the ceiling. The servants fetched a doctor who couldn’t immediately find a cause of death, other than to say he believed she’d had some kind of shock.

The couple were sad about the death but refused to believe it was related to the supernatural. The husband then offered to sleep in the room to disprove the stories of ghosts. His wife only agreed as long as she could sleep in the corridor outside the room, armed with a pair of pistols and accompanied by a bulldog. Two policemen agreed to sleep in another nearby room. The husband agreed to ring a bell twice if the ghost did appear and he needed the policemen. Quite what he expected the policemen to do about a ghost is never explained.

At around half past midnight, the bell rang twice, and the wife burst into the room. Her husband lay on his back, staring at the ceiling, and quite dead.

The newspaper assured readers the story was true. Writers at The Spiritualist magazine wrote to J. E. Muddock, the newspaper’s editor, for some more information so they could check how accurate the story was. The editor replied, saying he couldn’t give them any names, but he could vouch for the accuracy of the facts. While he couldn’t give them the couple’s names, they were free to use his. Later, Muddock reported to The Spiritualist that the verdict of a coroner’s inquest was ‘ Died by the Visitation of God ‘ (1872: 20).

In a variation of the tale, the Illustrated Police News reported strange rappings coming from the house at all hours. A gentleman decided the noises had a rational explanation and got permission to stay overnight in the house. He slept in the room most afflicted by the noises, with his valet in a nearby room. The valet found the gentleman dead the following morning. Meanwhile, the noises continued, and people saw a “strange figure…flittering about” (1876: 2).

Mayfair Magazine Catches On

By 1879, the house was empty, and rumours persisted that the house was haunted. No one knew who, what, or why it would be haunted. Yet Mayfair magazine (not the men’s magazine) caught onto the legend.

Now, we have to go back in time slightly. In either the 1850s or 1860s (sources disagree), Mr Myers took possession of the property. As an eccentric recluse, he withdrew to a single room. Rather than care for the whole house, he let the rest of the house go to rack and ruin. Some said his bride jilted him the day before his wedding, and he’d slowly descended into madness (Westwood 2005: 456).

He wandered the house during the night, and people assumed the bobbing candlelight inside the house to be a ghost. Apparently, when summoned to court for not paying tax, the judge even commented on the house being known as “haunted” in 1873 (Clarke 2013: 288). This suggests the story from the South London Courier in 1872 about the newlyweds who took the house might be false.

The stories weren’t just concerned with an eccentric recluse wandering his house at night. No, they fixated on a room reputed to be fatal to any who slept there. The same room from the story published in 1872!

The Legend Runs Out Of Control

By 1880, the legend had spiralled. At this point, one legend circulated that Lord Lyttelton had kept a vigil in the haunted room. He’d loaded his guns with silver sixpences and shot at something that dropped to the floor. By morning, he only found floorboards damaged by gunfire (Clarke 2013: 289).

Next, the absentee owner apparently gave the room to a maid to use as a bedroom. Soon after she took the room, the maid’s terrified screams woke the staff during the night. They burst into her room to find her standing in the centre of the room, completely rigid and staring madly in front of her. The maid never regained her senses, and lived out the rest of her days caught up in her madness (Westwood 2005: 456). Other versions of the story say she was struck dead.

An unnamed gentleman insisted upon staying in the now-locked room. In one version of the legend, the owner found the guest dead on the floor. In another, the gentleman survived but never regained his senses (Clarke 2013: 289). According to Mayfair magazine, many people had died in the same way in the room (Westwood 2005: 456).

Lord Selkirk took the house in 1884, and the newspapers reported that people had been making wagers that he would soon quit the house. Oddly, they referred to “a little old woman in grey”, who they claimed “had the house to herself for a long time” and “objects to the intrusion of earthly tenants” (Shields Daily Gazette 1884: 3).

Newspapers claimed that only an elderly man and woman lived in the house, acting as caretakers. Yet they couldn’t access the room, not having the key for it. Only “a mysterious and seemingly nameless person” had the key. He locked the couple in the basement every six months, before spending hours in the haunted room (Kirkcaldy Times 1879: 3). Some rumours went further and claimed it was the owner, practising black magic in the room.

The stories mounted up. A man took the house and his teenage daughter complained of an animal smell in the house. A maid encountered one guest cowering in his room, screaming “Don’t let it touch me!”, before he died in the same room (Clarke 2013: 289).

People claimed a child tortured in the nursery now haunted the house. Some say an earlier owner kept his mad brother locked in the upstairs room. Others say a girl threw herself from its window to avoid an assault by her uncle. Yet more claimed someone tortured a Scottish maid in the room (Westwood 2005: 457).

One urban legend arose in the 1920s about two sailors who apparently broke into the house while it stood empty. They sought a place to sleep, and this abandoned house seemed ideal. The story claimed that one sailor found something awful in the house and hurled himself from an upstairs window, only to land on the railings below. The other either goes mad in some versions or escapes to tell the tale in others. It’s worth knowing that Elliott O’Donnell invented the legend.

A Possible Cause?

The Illustrated Police News raised the prospect of an infamous murder in 1758 in Bruton Street, 3/4 of a mile from Berkeley Square. Sarah Metyard, a cruel widow, employed young girls to knit mittens for ladies. She sorely mistreated them and had her daughter beat one of them to death. Metyard hid the girl’s remains in a hole in Chick Lane. The poor victim’s sister was Metyard’s next victim after she announced she knew her sister hadn’t run away, but was dead (1876: 2).

Eventually, Metyard’s daughter went to work for someone else who took a house on Berkeley Square. Metyard and her daughter had furious screaming matches in the street, during which they both accused each other of being “the Chick Lane ghost”, and the truth finally came out. Both women were hanged for murder. The Illustrated Police News suggested that the talk of murder and the accusations of ghosts clung to Berkeley Square due to the screaming matches, rather than Bruton Street, where the murders actually happened (1876: 2).

They do discuss Myers’ peculiar behaviour, too. Apparently, Myers wouldn’t let anyone see him, and lived elsewhere while renovations and alteration work was underway at the house. Servants needed to lock themselves in their rooms by 10 pm, and Myers came at midnight to see the progress of the works (1876: 2). The newspaper notes that crowds assembled every night to watch his light bobbing around the house. They said he died in 1874, and only servants remained to care for the property while it made its way through a tortuous legal process towards a new owner. The servants confirmed they’d never heard anything untoward, or seen anything in the house.

What’s going on with 50 Berkeley Square?

Here is the rub where No. 50 Berkeley Square is concerned. Those letters in Notes and Queries that discussed the deaths only ever did so with second or third-hand accounts. No one actually personally knew any of the victims. Indeed, many of them have no names, if they even exist at all. Other letters debunked the rumours, particularly from maids who worked for Mr Myers, and a butler from the 1850s who scoffed at stories of ghosts.

And look at the 1876 piece in the Illustrated Police News, that confirmed the servants thought the whole thing was hokum.

It’s hard to find a real connection between Mr Myers’ eccentricity, provoked by the trauma of his jilting, and the later tales of grotesque creatures and instant madness. Yet the legends became so notorious that one rumour claimed the owner only charged a peppercorn rent to their new tenants at the end of the nineteenth century; but a huge forfeit awaited them should they quit the lease before three years were up (Westwood 2005: 457).

John o’London at The Tatler suggests the ghost story began in 1871, during the period the house was “shut up” for year after year (1906: 43).

It’s most likely that the stories of hauntings accrued in the building due to its dilapidated state, rather than because it was actually haunted. Perhaps Myers’ odd behaviour, rambling around the house at night, gave rise to the suspicion of a phantom.

The sordid tales associated with the haunted room could have been an attempt at fanciful storytelling that simply took root.

They certainly captured the imagination. A gentleman called at the house late one night in 1872, wanting to see for himself if the house was haunted. Police charged him with being drunk and disorderly, although he denied the charge. The magistrate fined him ten shillings for the potential disturbance (Pall Mall Gazette 1872: 4).

I want to leave you with one point though. 50 Berkeley Square passed into the hands of the Maggs Brothers, antiquarian booksellers, in 1938. Not only has no one reported further activity, but the firm resolutely denies the existence of any first-hand accounts at all (Clarke 2013: 290).

So just think, next time you see a dilapidated house that decays a little more every day. It may not have a sordid or dark history after all. Those tall tales and legends might only exist in the imagination. It may just be a lonely house that yearns to be loved.

Do you think the stories were true? Let me know below!

Clarke, Roger (2013), A Natural History of Ghosts: 500 Years of Hunting for Proof , London: Penguin.

Illustrated Police News (1876), ‘The Alleged Haunted Mansion of Berkeley Square’, Illustrated Police News , 23 December, p. 2.

Kirkcaldy Times (1879), ‘The Mystery of Berkeley Square’, Kirkcaldy Times , 21 May, p. 3.

o’ London, John (1906), ‘Fashionable London: Some Stories of Berkeley Square’, The Tatler , 18 July, p. 43.

Pall Mall Gazette (1872), ‘Occasional Notes’, Pall Mall Gazette , 21 December, p. 4.

Shields Daily Gazette (1884), ‘London Correspondence’, Shields Daily Gazette , 2 July, p. 3.

The Spiritualist (1872), ‘A Serious Story’, The Spiritualist , 15 March, p. 20.

Westwood, Jennifer and Simpson, Jacqueline (2005), The Lore of the Land: A Guide to England’s Legends , London: Penguin.

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50 Berkeley Square

• April 19, 2024
• England , Europe

It’s probably one of the most haunted houses in London: 50 Berkeley Square. At least, that’s what people have said about the place for centuries. The 18th century townhouse in Mayfair has had many residents including Prime Minister George Canning. So, what makes this particular house so haunted? What happened here and most importantly, are the stories true? 

The history of 50 Berkeley Square

The Mayfair townhouse was constructed in 1750 and it still stands tall. Although there was a time in which it was very neglected. Luckily, 50 Berkeley Square was renovated. The floor storey house is painted in dark blue (near black) color and is currently owned by Maggs Bros. booksellers. The house was designed by architect William Kent who was also a famous landscape architect. Prime Minister George Canning lived at the house from 1770 until his death in 1827. Following Canning, the house was owned by the Honorable (Hon) Elizabeth Curzon who also lived in the house until she died aged 91 in 1859. The ghost stories started to come to light around 1840) when she lived there.

Thomas Myers

When Miss Curzon died, the house was bought by a strange man named Thomas Myers. He had just been rejected by his fiancée and went a little mad after that. His nocturnal behaviour increased the tales of the supernatural. Myers hardly ever left the house, he slept during the day and lived in the night. During his nightly walks inside his house he made strange sounds and noises which scared neighbours and casual passers-by. When Myers stopped paying his taxes in 1773, a tax-agent paid the house a visit. By seeing the state of the house, he decided not to levy more taxes on the house. Meyers died the following year and the house was left to his sister. But due to the neglect and the level of disrepair the house was in, she decided to stay at her own comfortable house. 50 Berkeley Square was left abandoned until 1884.

Haunted house

Since 50 Berkeley Square was rumoured to be haunted AND abandoned after Myers’ death, the house became a magnet to people. The attic room was a terrible place, according to many. There are several stories about this place, depending on who tells the tale, but one thing always returns: the fact that the attic is haunted by a young woman. This young woman committed suicide by jumping from the window when she tried to escape her abusive uncle. She appears as a brown mist and has scared several people, literally, to death. Another legend claims a young man was locked up in the attic room. He was fed through a hole in the door until he finally went mad. His spirit is said to haunt the attic. And the attic is said to be haunted by a little girl in a Scottish kilt.

Brave souls

The house was well known for its hauntings and when it was left vacant, many placed bets to spend a night at the house. Lord Lyttleton was challenged as well. When he spent a night at the house he brought a gun, just to be sure. Sometime that night, he was allarmed by brown smoke that appeared in the room. He fired his gun at the smoke and the next morning when he went to check the gun’s cartridges were nowhere to be found.

In 1879, a maid also stayed overnight at 50 Berkeley Street. When they found her the next morning she had become completely insane. She died the following day in an insane asylum. Two sailors from the HMS Penelope were also challenged to stay there for the night. By morning, one of them was found dead. He had probably tripped as he ran from the house. The other saylor claimed they were attacked by the aggressive ghost of Thomas Myers.

Is there any truth in the ghost stories?

After the house was renovated, the new occupants lived peacefully at 50 Berkeley Square. There have been no paranormal claims after 1887. Did the spirits simply disappear? Or are the house’s ghosts a product of Victorian novelists? Back in the Victorian era, ghost stories were very popular. Even newspapers reported about ghosts and haunted places. Death and the afterlife were pretty common back then and a great source of entertainment. However, the house was named in Peter Underwood’s book “Haunted London” in 1975. It even appeared as a venue for a Charles Dickens’ Ghost Club Mission in the Assassin’s Creed Syndicate video game. Is 50 Berkeley Square indeed haunted? What do you think?

Do you want to read more stories about haunted places in Europe? Click here !

Cover photo: N. Chatwick via geograph.org.uk CC BY-SA 4.0 Sources: wikipedia, london-overlooked.com, london-beyond-time-and- place.com, haunted-london.co.uk, buildington.co.uk, essexghosthunters.co.uk and greaterlondonproperties.co.uk Address: 50 Berkeley Square, W1J 5BA, London, United Kingdom

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The Little Walk of Horrors: Discover the dark side of the city

50 Berkeley Square

London, england.

Once declared the most haunted house in London, 50 Berkeley Square has a body count to send shivers down your spine. This one is not for the faint-hearted!

“Don’t let it touch me!”

The gruesome legend of 50 Berkely Square is made up of many isolated incidents. One of the most haunting is that of Captain Kentfield.

A guest at the Mayfair house, his visit got off to an uneasy start when a terrified scream ripped through the ceiling. He and his hosts raced upstairs to find a young maid gibbering on the floor of what was to be his bedroom.

'Don't let it touch me,' the maid is reported to have said.

Not wanting to come across a coward, the Captain resolved to stay in that room regardless. In the middle of the night, however, his hosts were awakened by a frightful bellowing. A gunshot. And then, silence.

By the time they reached the bedroom, the Captain's body was twisted and pale.

So spooky, even the taxman's scared

50 Berkely Square may look like an unassuming Georgian house, but its history is full such incidents. Many of its former residents have either died or gone insane. So many, in fact, that it was at one point made exempt from Council Tax.

A legend larger than after-life

The attic in particular is said to be a place of devilish happenings. Legend has it that a young girl threw herself out of its window and her spirit has remained chained to the property ever since. Various eye-witness accounts claim to have seen her ghostly white figure or a strange brown mist.

She is not alone there, however. Two more spirits are said to lurk the attic's rafters. A child believed to have been killed by a servant and the ghost of a young man, locked there and fed through a hole in the door until he evetually succumbed to madness and death.

Many, like Captain Kentfield, have tried to prove their bravery by spending the night amidst 50 Berkely Square's spirits, and just like the Captain, many have paid the price for their foolishness.

Bloody Bones

Further accounts tell of children experiencing strange zoo-like smells, trespassing sailors tripping and dying mid-flight, and a nobleman bringing a bell up to the attic with him, just to ease his nerves. In the nobleman's case, the house was awoken at midnight by the bell’s frantic ringing. Depending on which version of the story you encounter, he either died of fright or committed suicide 4 years later.

The tales are so wild and frightening that, in his book, ‘Haunted Houses’, published 1913, Charles Harper claimed that 50 Berkeley Square was haunted by an “unnamed Raw Head and Bloody Bones”. A being now better known as ‘The Bogeyman’.

Thomas Myers

The truth of number 50 is likely less fantastical and more sad.

Between 1859 and the early 1870s, 50 Berkely Square was occupied by a heartbroken Thomas Myers. Having recently been rejected by his former fiancée, Thomas began to devolve. He stopped going outside, barely even slept, just roamed the house night and day, muttering strange thoughts.

And, reportedly, he spent most of his time in the attic.

The house fell into disrepair and, when he passed, was left to decay. This, of course, only added to its legend: the reclusive Myers whose spirit succumbed to a deep and lonely depression. A classic victim.

After his death, the house stood vacant for a long time.

An 1876 newspaper article states that the London Association of Spiritualists wished to exorcise it of a presence that had dwelt there for fifty years. Although there is no record of this having taken place, it has served to further compound the legend.

Sceptics of the house’s ghostly legend believe that it was Myers’s strange habits that led to its frenzied folklore. They claim that residents of Berkely Square, having watched a lonely, flickering candle slowly move from window to window, night after night, simply let their imaginations run wild.

The legend lives on

This hasn’t stopped its myth from being explored to the present day, however. The house has been referenced in television shows, such as Whitechapel, and has even appeared as a point of interest in the videogame Assassin’s Creed Syndicate , in a mission associated with Charles Dickens.

The legend of this humble, half-white, half charcoal house lives on to this day. And, it being surrounded by the beautiful gardens and strange statues of Berkely Square, remains a worthwhile stop-off point in any London ghost-tour.

One More Thing...

50 Berkeley Square was also the residence of George Canning- Britain's shortest serving Prime Minister. This fact is commemorated in the form of a blue plaque stuck to the house's exterior.

Interested in finding more places like this? Try one of our Treasure Hunts in London - untangle cryptic clues as a team, as you are taken on a journey to the most unique, unusual and bizarre corners of London.

Alternatively, find more tales of ghostly happenings in our article on York Ghost Merchants .

Information

What you need to know

• http://www.haunted-london.com/
• https://london-beyond-time-and-place.com/
• https://www.mylondon.news/news/zone-1-news/terrifying-story-londons-haunted-house-16900766
• https://london-overlooked.com/berkeley/
• https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bloody_Bones
• https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Elliott_O%27Donnell
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The terrifying story of London's haunted house where someone literally died of fright

At least four people have died after staying in the attic

• 06:00, 21 SEP 2019

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In the heart of Mayfair is a townhouse that looks much like all the other beautiful buildings in the area.

Currently home to antique booksellers Maggs Brothers, and former home to Prime Minister George Canning, the grand four-floor building has a dark secret.

50 Berkeley Square is one of London's most notorious haunted houses , with three men dying from fright and one woman going insane, only to die the next day, after spending the night there.

The house was home to a couple of people before, but in 1859 Thomas Myers moved in - this is where the mysterious events started to occur.

Mr Myers was soon to be married and had furnished the house for the soon to be Mrs Myers, but he was jilted and the heartbroken Mr Myers became a recluse.

He's said to have locked himself away in the attic, only leaving the room by flickering candle at night, until he went mad and died.

'Don't let it touch me'

A series of people who have stayed in this same attic have experienced a 'strange brown mist' - many of them going insane or dying.

A maid was sent up to the room to make a bed for a visiting man, but no sooner had she gone upstairs did she let out a blood-curdlng scream. The household rushed to her aid and found her collapsed on the floor, muttering to herself "don't let it touch me". She died in hospital the next day.

The man, Captain Kentfield, decided to still spend the night in the room and 30 minutes after heading to bed there was a terrible scream and the sound of a gunshot. He was found dead on the floor, his face twisted in terror.

Another man, Lord Lyttelton, stayed the night in the attic armed with a shotgun. In the night he saw an apparition coming towards him and fired at it, later claiming that something fell to the floor 'like a rocket', but the next morning he couldn't find anything but the shotgun cartridges.

A huge gaping mouth

One of the most well known stories about the haunting of 50 Berkeley Square is the tale of two sailors who broke in, needing a place to stay. Bedding down in the attic, they were awoken in the night to the sound of footsteps coming up the stairs.

As the door creaked open they came face to face with a strange, shapeless creature with a huge gaping mouth, which seemed to slither into the room.

Seized with panic the two men tried to make their escape. One backed up towards the window while the other rushed past the creature and made his way down the staircase to the safety of the street.

The escaped man returned with a police officer, only to find a smashed window. Looking out the window they saw the lifeless body of the sailor’s friend impaled on the iron railings below.

In a book by Charles Harper titled Haunted Houses he describes another case of a man dying from fear. The man was sceptical of the rumours of hauntings, and so decided to spend a night in the attic himself.

More than one spirit

Before going to bed he told the household that he would ring a bell in the night if he needed help. Just after midnight the bell began to ring furiously and he was found in convulsions of absolute terror. He died soon after.

While many believe the house is haunted by Mr Myers, some legends also tell that the attic is haunted by the spirit of a young woman who killed herself, jumping out the top floor window after being abused by her uncle.

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Another version of the tale is that a young man was locked in the attic room, fed only through a hole in the door, until he eventually went mad and died. One rarer legend is that the room is haunted by the ghost of a little girl who was killed there by a sadistic servant.

Over the last few decades tales of hauntings are few and far between, but in 2001 a cleaner, while working in the upper room, had the overwhelming feeling that someone was watching her. Around the same time an employee witnessed a strange brown mist suddenly appear in the upper room.

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Perhaps, after centuries of terror, the brown mist is starting to fade and leave the tenants of the house alone.

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A Sensitive Restoration Providing a New Wellness Destination for Mayfair

49 and 50 berkeley square are both independently listed mid-terrace townhouses of historical significance..

Our Proposals

About the Operator

The Birley Clubs consist of five private clubs, each of them distinct from one another and utterly unique in London, if not the world. 

The glamour of Annabel’s, the continental grace of Harry’s bar, the contemporary elegance of George, and the old-world charm of both Mark’s club and Bath & Racquets.  All clubs share the same values of discreet and attentive service, scrupulous sourcing of ingredients and a meticulous attention to detail.

We want to gather your feedback to ensure that our plans reflect local priorities.

Public Exhibition

• We held a public exhibition on our plans on Wednesday 18th October.

Online Survey

• Our consultation survey has now closed.

A new wellness destination for Mayfair

• Email: [email protected]
• Phone: 0800 193 9945

© 2024 All Rights Reserved.

Thank you for participating in the public consultation on our proposals for 49-50 Berkeley Square.

City Sightseeing Moscow Hop-On Hop-Off Bus Tour with Optional Cruise

• Hop-on or hop-off at any of Moscow’s main highlights
• Views of Moscow from an open-top, double-decker bus
• Learn about the city with recorded commentary
• Visit Red Square, Alexander Gardens, and more
• Bus pass inclusions: 48 or 72 hour bus pass + walking tour
• Boat pass inclusions: 60 minute boat trip + walking tour
• Bus & Boat pass inclusions: 48 hour bus pass + 60 minute boat trip + walking tour
• Vouchers valid for 12 months
• Hotel pickup and drop-off
• Food and drinks, unless specified
• Location Name: The route begins at Red Square but you can board at any stop
• Wheelchair accessible
• Stroller accessible
• Near public transportation
• Confirmation will be received at time of booking
• Red Route runs from 10:00am - 6:00pm, every 25 minutes. Duration - 60 minutes. First stop - Bolotnaya Square.
• Most travelers can participate
• Green Route runs from 10:00am - 6:00pm, every 60 minutes. Duration - 120 minutes. First stop - Bolotnaya Square.
• Orange Route (currently suspended) runs from 10:30am - 6:30pm, every 30 minutes. Duration - 140 minutes. First stop - Museum of Cosmonautics
• Walking tour runs daily at 10:45am. Duration - 2 hours 30 minutes. Meeting point - Next to monument of Saints Cyril and Methodius.
• Boat tour operates 5th May - 20th October, from 11:30am - 6:30pm. Duration - 60 minutes. Meeting point - Zaryadye Park Pier.
• Mobile and paper vouchers are accepted for this tour.
• Vouchers can be redeemed at any of the stops along the routes.
• Vouchers are valid for 12 months
• For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours in advance of the start date of the experience.

• DebbJ 0 contributions 4.0 of 5 bubbles Great way to get oriented to Moscow We started our Moscow experience with the hop on hop off. It was a great way to get orientated to the city. The additional optional tours were also good, we did the Metro tour which I highly recommend, we also paid for the Kremlin tour. The hop on hop off has three different lines all included. Only fault was the bus was sometimes full and you had to wait for the next one which was about 15 minutes (in the cold). Read more Written January 6, 2020
• UmaDelhi 0 contributions 5.0 of 5 bubbles 2 days are required Very very good audio guides- the voice quality was also good and also the anecdotes of history were brilliant. Russia is truly beautiful Read more Written September 1, 2019
• BeverleyT 0 contributions 1.0 of 5 bubbles Boat trip - TERRIBLE We got on the bus, but couldn’t buy a 1 day ticket. They suggested we do the 1 hour boat trip and said they would drop us to the dock. 1) they dropped us in the wrong place 2) they were lost because of the marathon Then the boat, after we finally found it: 1) stinking fumes, actually gagging 2) no commentary, in fact, no interaction unless you begged 3) offered us 2 for 1 icecreams as they had melted and refrozen as the fridge gets turned off at night Honestly, we enjoyed the afternoon in the boat but spent all of it laughing at just how awful it was!!! The worst thing in Moscow! Read more Written August 18, 2019
• niruDurbs 0 contributions 3.0 of 5 bubbles Not the best value for the price The ticket is quite expensive and covers three different routes in a 24 hour period. The red route is quite exciting and takes about an hour. The bus comes every 10 to 15 minutes. However the other two routes take about two hours each and buses come every 30 to 40 minute period. If the bus is full then you have to wait at the stop for the next bus. So personally I feel that not much can be seen this way. I definitely was not impressed. However it must be noted that one can learn a lot about the history of Moscow Read more Written July 3, 2019
• IrishCueTravel 0 contributions 1.0 of 5 bubbles SLO Motion Not all their fault , but if you plan on trying this Attraction be patient! Traffic is a big problem first and foremost. But to add additional unnecessary delays; the bus stops at each site for 15 minutes at a time or More ! I gave up half way through ( 45 minutes) ; and walked back to the starting point in 10 minutes! Read more Written June 4, 2019
• michael g 0 contributions 1.0 of 5 bubbles Worst hop on/hop off EVER Waited for 40 minutes in the cold rain for a bus that never came... unacceptable. Traffic is so bad that when on a bus the previos day it was barely moving. My advice-get a subway pass and a good travel guide book and do sightseeing on your own! Read more Written October 24, 2018
• Rebecca J 0 contributions 3.0 of 5 bubbles Boat element was excellent We purchased a ticket online for the boat and bus for 2 days. The boat element was wonderful, we saw some amazing parts of Moscow along the river side. The bus element was very disappointing as it only started at 10am and was finished by 6:30pm. It was extremely warm when we were there and it would have been great to do the tour in the cool of the day. There was also no air conditioning in the down stairs part of the bus. They also turned away passengers at one of the stops as the bus was full and there was not another bus for 40 minutes. Read more Written September 26, 2018
• Monismith2014 0 contributions 4.0 of 5 bubbles it was very enjoyable it was very interesting seeing things we saw walking around from the bus. so much more to see. we had a lot better view of the attractions from the height of the bus.also the bus was reasonable slow which gave us time enough for photos. it stopped at sparrow hill for 10 minutes for picture taking Read more Written September 20, 2018
• fati666222 0 contributions 4.0 of 5 bubbles The best way to see Moscow We did both routes but if you have little time then only do the red route.Its very informative and it takes you to the important sights.The staff on the bus are very friendly and helpful. Read more Written August 20, 2018
• adolfo17 0 contributions 3.0 of 5 bubbles The worst hope-on hope-off service I've ever seen Diffiult to understand the route maps and stops. Staff wouldn't help either. Lengthy stops. No air conditioning. Read more Written August 4, 2018
• Peter F 0 contributions 3.0 of 5 bubbles Two Routes There is a short red route which depending on the traffic takes about an hour. The route is generally around the Red Square area. The ear phones were small and sometimes the commentary did not link up with the sites you were seeing. The green bus takes you on a longer route and ours took two and a half hours due to the heavy traffic. I would not recommend this trip unless it is raining or you want to fill in time. The sights we saw were nothing outstanding with plenty of time at certain stops for photos. Also the driver stop for a bite to eat at one stop. Read more Written July 30, 2018
• Bernardo P 0 contributions 1.0 of 5 bubbles Boat Trips Moscow, Russia Yesterday, I booked a boat trip with the GetYourGuide.com web page and was totally horrible, didn’t have audio guide as it shows on the picture-Nobody Talk-. The girl on the picture-light blue bag-ask for 100 Rubles for show her the QR Code while I had the Booking and PIN number cause she must see the vessel name-Didn’t say nothing and after she said board any vessel. I suggest take the trip and pay on site, avoid fake internet pages, there are many other services with a lot of entertainment, don’t take this ones. Read more Written July 14, 2018
• Kathrynowl91 0 contributions 3.0 of 5 bubbles Good way to see some sites We usually do these tours when we travel. They get you round and you see the sight . The traffic is quite heavy so it is a bit slow but there is not a lot they can do about it. We only did the red route. Just a note people don’t queue here when the bus comes it’s a bit of a free for all. Read more Written July 13, 2018
• Daniyal91 0 contributions 3.0 of 5 bubbles Was Ok.! Started our tour of moscow from here, We had got the 2 Day Pass with the boat ride. The route and the map was good but not well managed. The bus didn't stop at many points. Were were unaware a couple of times at what point we were and missed them. Headphones and maps were provided. Would recommend one should check out the route map before going and decide which places to stop in advance, this way one can manage and enjoy the tour more and us it more effectively.! The boat ride was Ok, a little crowded. No guide provided, just a boat ride with restaurant service Read more Written July 12, 2018
• WilliamDyer 0 contributions 1.0 of 5 bubbles Poor service on boat and too many waiting times on buses For the price, you should expect at minimum English speaking tour guides with decent experience, but at least in my case that did not happen both in buses and boats. And in the boat even tough we were 90% English speaking tourist at least, the tour guide spoke 95% of the time in Russia, and only 3 sentences in English, I really counted how many times she spoke in English. And at the end she asks us if we have any questions? Of course I told her I couldn’t ask her anything since I didn’t understand 95% of what she was saying. The boat tour is not worth it, just take the bus that would be my advice. Second minus is the waiting times, in the boat they made us wait an hour before it departed, and in many stops with the buses waiting times of 20-30 minutes. I actually think I lost that day around 2 hours doing nothing. Be careful. Read more Written July 10, 2018

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Detailed Reviews: Reviews ordered by recency and descriptiveness of user-identified themes such as wait time, length of visit, general tips, and location information.

City Sightseeing Moscow Hop-On Hop-Off Bus Tour with Optional Cruise provided by City Sightseeing Moscow

Come with me on my travels, as you plan yours

A Moscow Free Walking Tour of the Iconic Red Square

Updated March 10th, 2020

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No visit to Moscow, Russia is complete unless you take a walk around the famous Red Square and see the iconic sights of the city. One of the best ways to see all the famous landmarks in Moscow and learn a little something about them too is on a free Moscow walking tour through the Red Square.

Continue reading for a sneak peek at what you will see on your free tour in Moscow and for tips on both the tour and visiting the sights. Make sure to save some time during your trip to go inside of the magnificent buildings because you will not be going in the buildings during the tour.

The State Historical Museum

The Moscow free walking tour begins at the Marshal Zhukov monument in front of the State Historical Museum . You can’t miss this massive red building. The museum’s interior is almost as spectacular as the artifacts you can see within. Read my post dedicated to the museum here to find out more on what you can see and tips for visiting. Admission is free with the Moscow City Pass .

The Kremlin

Behind the walls of the Kremlin lie the working offices of Russian’s government and president. When visiting the Kremlin you can see the Armory Chamber, Cathedral Square, the Patriach’s Palace and many more cathedrals. You definitely want to buy tickets ahead of time so you avoid the long-lines. You can get free admission with the Moscow City Pass . It’s also worth it to take a guided tour if you don’t speak Russian so you have more of an understanding of what you are seeing.

St. Basil’s Cathedral

If asked to conquer up an image of Moscow, St. Basil’s Cathedral might just be the most likely image you picture. The cathedral has a museum that you can visit at a later time. You can buy tickets at the ticket kiosk outside the cathedral or receive free admission with the Moscow City Pass .

Moskva River

Next up on the tour is the Moskva River which runs through the center of Moscow. A cruise on the Moskva River is a great way to see the city from a different perspective.

GUM Shopping Mall

Who would think a mall would be one of Moscow’s most well-known attractions? GUM shopping mall across from the Kremlin makes up one of the four sides of the Red Square. The stores might be a bit too pricey for shopping, but the gorgeous interior is worth a visit. If that doesn’t convince you, the mall has some of the best ice cream! GUM is the only building you go inside during the free walking tour. There are pay bathrooms you can use while you have a few minutes of free time.

Kazan Cathedral

Located on the northeast corner of the Red Square, the Kazan Cathedral is another impressive dome-shaped building in Moscow that is also an active place of worship. Entering the cathedral is allowed, but remember to be respectful if people are worshipping.

Bolshoi Theater

Contrary to the previous buildings, the Bolshoi Theater isn’t along one of the four sides of the Red Square. Located a few minutes away, the theater is one of the best theaters in the world. Make sure to come back for a guided tour of the inside or make reservations far ahead of time to attend a ballet or opera.

Alexander Gardens

The tour ends near the Alexander Gardens , a free public park located along the western Kremlin walls. The garden’s green lawns, sculptures and water fountains offer a nice place to take a stroll or relax a bit after some busy sightseeing.

You can visit all these sites on your own, but the best part of doing the Moscow free tour is that you learn more information and have the potential to meet new people!

During my tour I started to talk to a woman from Malaysia and she invited me to join her and her friends for a Russian meal afterwards. It’s these little impromptu meetings and opportunities that I love most about traveling and add more to the sightseeing experience. While I was a little hesitant about going to the tour myself I told myself it would be a great opportunity to possibly meet new people. I love when things work out like that!

If you have already seen the iconic sights of the Red Square and are looking for other things to do in Moscow check out my What to Do in Moscow post that gives more off-the beaten track things to do in Moscow!

Moscow Free Walking Tour Visiting Information

Moscow Free Walking Tours

How to Get There

The Moscow Free Walking Tour begins at the Marshal Zhukov monument in front of the State Historical Museum (a large red building). The website shows a map with the exact meeting point.

To get to the red square area you can take the blue 3 metro line to the Ploshchad Revolyutsii stop, or the green 2 line to the Teatralnaya station or the red 1 line to the Okhotny Ryad station. For more on how to use the metro read my Moscow Metro Guide .

Tours every day at 10:30am – 1pm in English

If you need a toilet before the start of the tour the Okhotny Ryad and GUM shopping malls are both close to the start of the tour. You will need to pay to use the toilets. There is a quick break mid-way through the tour at the GUM shopping mall where you can use the toilet if needed.

During the mid-way break in the tour you can buy some ice cream at the GUM shopping mall. There aren’t many other options or time for anything else. After the tour there are a lot of restaurants in the area. There are a couple of Varenichnaya №1 locations nearby if you would like some authentic Russian food. Their speciality is Russian dumplings. Another classic choice nearby is Grand Cafe Dr. Jhivago. While you can try traditional Russian foods like borscht and Olivier Salad, you may need a reservation. GUM has several restaurants, including a couple of buffets upstairs.

Recommendations

While I would start off your visit to Moscow with a tour of the Red Square, make sure to come back to each place to tour the inside. If you are visiting several sights consider buying the Moscow City Pass  to save money on admissions.

Other Tour Options

Another company  Moscow Free Tour  does a similar free walking tour in the Red Square. Check the site for the details on the starting point and times. If you prefer a private paid tour with a hotel pick-up and a visit to St. Basil’s Cathedral included check out this tour . For a private paid tour with a hotel pick-up and a visit to the Kremlin included you may want to take this tour or this one . Even if you don’t typically take tours, I would recommend taking tours as much as possible in Moscow. Many people do not speak English and most information is not in English either.

Where to Stay in Moscow

Find somewhere to stay in Moscow near the Red Square so you are convenient to all the sights!

More About Russia

• Moscow Things to Do:  Unique Things to Do ,   Spartak Stadium
• Moscow Markets:  Izmailovsky Market ,   Danilovsky Market
• Moscow Museums:  Moscow City Museum ,  Victory Museum ,  Museum of the Patriotic War in 1812 ,  State Historical Museum ,
• Moscow Life:  Malls ,  Christmas in Moscow ,  Metro ,  Learning Spanish ,  My Russian Apartment ,   What is Life Really Like in Russia ,  FiFa World Cup ,  Russian Winters , and more posts about  life abroad in Russia .
• St Petersburg:  City Guide ,  The Hermitage Museum ,  Kayaking the Rivers & Canals ,   Peterhof Palace

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22 comments.

The Kremlin looks rather imposing. It would be great to explore the history in Moscow.

There is a lot of history in Moscow to explore!

What a handy guide to get the most of Moscow’s red square! I’ve always wanted to try a walking tour and this looks like the perfect place to start!

I really enjoy walking tours, I think they are a great way to get to know a new place!

You have highlighted all the main sights around and in the Red Square indeed! I have visited Moscow in winter and the atmosphere was magical…even though it was cold 🙂 I’m looking forward to visiting in summer too!

Yes, there is a magical feel during the winter. I have to say I prefer the warmer, brighter summers though 🙂

Follow My Anchor

I am planning to go to Moscow and St. Petersburg this year so reading this was very helpful. I would love to do the walking tour! What time of year did you do it? I am planning to go in August as I really can’t stand the cold 😀 Do you think August might be a good time to visit Moscow? Thank you so much for your information!

I did the walking tour in September. July and August are the best times to visit Moscow in my opinion, so you are going at a great time! I lived in Moscow for a year so I have a lot of posts about Moscow and a couple for St. Petersburg too. Please check out my other posts as you are planning your trip and feel free to send any questions my way!

I’m a huge fan of taking free walking tours whenever my husband and I travel. We learn more about the history from the local’s perspective. Your walking tour in Moscow looks fun. The St. Basil’s Cathedral is beautiful and would love to see it. Thanks for sharing the must-see places in Moscow!

I’m a big fan of free walking tours too! I completely agree that you get a good perspective and introduction to the history of the city.

I would love to take the walking tour to get a good coverage of the area! The tip about paying for the bathrooms is great. That’s something I didn’t realize when I went to Europe for the first time from the US.

I always find it annoying paying for bathrooms in Europe!

I visited Moscow in June this year for the World Cup and I loved it. St. Basil’s Cathedral was the highlight for me, it’s such an impressive piece of architecture. I would’ve liked to visit more of Russia but maybe next time!

I really enjoyed Moscow during the World Cup too. The city was much livelier than usual!

I have been to St. Petersburg but never to Moscow. I think that these kind of tours are very useful to gather many information but I second your suggestion to visit the palaces inside as they have stunning interior decor and art treasures.

Yes, I think both going on tours and getting an overview and touring the inside of places are good to do.

Shreya Saha

St. Basil’s cathedral is definitely a beautiful place to visit. I would also love to stroll by the Alexander gardens and maybe spend some time in the shopping mall call mom maybe visit the theater, also I would love to visit Kremlin and the State Historical Museum. That’s a great list you have managed to provide here.

Never been to Russia, but the country’s history and culture has always fascinated me. Great list of things to do in Moscow’s Red Square. Kremlin is definitely on top of my list!

Russia does have a fascinating history and culture!

The architecture here always looks so beautiful. I would love to go to Russia. Some helpful tips here that would really help me navigate a future trip. I love the Russian ballet so a trip to the theater would be a must for me.

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