Grant Museum of Zoology has around 68,000 zoological specimens – including the world’s rarest skeleton: the quagga – dodo bones and fossils, creatures of the deep sea, a collection of preserved brains, and much more. Let’s explore!
Extinct Species, Preserved Animals and Rare Skeletons
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Grant Museum of Zoology and Comparative Anatomy was established in 1827. Since the following year, the museum has been continuously used by students at University College London (UCL). The Grant Museum of Zoology first opened to the public in 1996.
The old-fashioned museum is packed with skeletons, preserved animals in jars, skulls, mystic creatures from the deep sea and remains of species now extinct, such as bones of Dodo that went extinct in the 17thcentury; a skeleton of a quagga which was a type of zebra or an egg from an Elephant Bird. Elephant Birds were hunted to extinction in the 1700s.
Photo: Urban Adventurer
There is a different section dedicated to animals in jars. For example, monsters from the deep sea, such as Three-Toothed Pufferfish or Wolf Fish.
There is a jar full of moles – and it’s a mystery who and why made that jar -; and ‘jars of assorted specimens’, such as lizards and terrapins.
A Collection of Brains
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The brain collection is originally from the anatomical and pathological collection of Kings College London’s School of Medicine, and it consists of mammal brains (except from a single turtle), preserved in alcohol. The brains were collected from Africa, Asia, South America, Australia, and Europe. Among others, the collection consists of a brain of a dog, a monkey, a gibbon, a rabbit, and an infant tiger.
Fossils
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Grant Museum of Zoology is proud to have a number of well-reserved fossils of long extinct dinosaurs, such as Ichthyosaur, a marine reptile lived 250-90 million years ago or Pterosaur, a flying dinosaur we all know from Jurassic Park and Jurassic World blockbusters.
The Micrarium
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The Micrarium is a back-lit corner displaying over 2,000 of the tiniest microscopic specimens, all in just 2.52 square metres. The slides mostly show whole tiny animals but there are bits of bigger animals, too, for example mammoth hair.
A narrow cast iron staircase leads to the basement to Museums of Curiosities. You descend to a rabbit hole where nothing makes a lot of sense; to a different world which is bizarre and sometimes even scarry but wakes up your curiosity and makes you wanting to discover more.
The space is small and narrow but is loaded with so many oddities that, if you really want to see everything, you could spend hours down there.
Occult Cabinet, Fairies, Dead Pets, Tribal Art and More
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Museum of Curiosities is divided into multiply sections, such as ‘Cabinet of Monsters’ that includes preserved animals in jars, while ‘Fairies, Mermaids & Giants’ section includes mummified fairies, the legbone of an Irish Giant, preserved remains of a mermen and more. ‘Magick & the Occult’ section includes a fully functioning Occult Temple, a jar of moles (yes, you read it right), Woodoo artefacts from West Africa, and an occult cabinet, just to name a few.
Photo: Urban Adventurer
There are countless of other sections and artefacts to discover, including erotic-themed paintings, artworks and photos, mummified pets, a large collection of butterflies, creatures of the deep sea and human hair, including Elvis Presley’s hair, the hair of a Titanic survivor and an 18th-century human scalp.
Absinthe Parlour & Cocktail Bar
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I would highly recommend not to leave the museum without trying one of their absinthe cocktails at their absinthe parlour. Museum of Curiosities’ absinthe parlour has the largest collection of traditionally made absinthes.
Photo: Urban Adventurer
Order an absinthe fountain, sip one of their absinthe cocktails or bring home a bottled absinthe or tasting set from the bottle shop.
Interested in occultism and occult cocktails?
Then you might want to take a look around the museum’s mini shop, where absinthe glasses & spoons, books, – such as a signed copy of ‘A Grimoire of Occult Cocktails & Drinking Rituals’ – artefacts, prints and more are available to purchase.
NOTE: Due to the adult nature of some of the exhibits (dead people, erotica) under 18s are only allowed before 5pm and must be accompanied by a parent or guardian.
Locals living within walking distance with proof of address may buy £6 tickets on the door
Tuesday discount
Discounted tickets are £5 on Tuesdays (walk-in only)
OR
£2.50 on Tuesdays (walk-in only) IF you order a drink at the bar
Opening Times
Tuesday – Friday 15:00-23:00
Saturday 12:00 – 23:00
Sunday 12:00-22:00
Ready for your next adventure? Do you think you could solve the hundred-year mystery around the identity of Jack the Ripper? Visit Jack the Ripper Museum.
Located next to London Bridge station, The Old Operating Theatre is Europe’s oldest surviving operating theatre. You might remember from movie scenes when medical students gather around an autopsy table in a horseshoe-shaped room to witness an autopsy or an operation on a human body to learn about the organs and anatomy.
Well, let’s step into that movie scene…
Watch mini video tour here (coming soon).
Access Through a Spooky Narrow Spiral Staircase
Photo: Urban Adventurer
The Old Operating Theatre is an extraordinary museum in many ways, but it’s really not for everyone. Here’s why.
The museum is housed in the attic of an 18-century church. This church once belonged to St Thomas’ Hospital.
In order to get access to the museum, you have to climb a 52-steps narrow spiral staircase. This experience is spooky enough by itself for some of us to decide to quit the whole thing. It also means, that currently there is no wheelchair access to the museum.
Original Herb Garret
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The original Herb Garret used to dry and store herbs in this attic in 1822 where the operating theatre was included.
This original timber framed Herb Garret is where your theatre journey starts. Here you’ll learn more about herbs and for what and how they were used back in the 19th century and how apothecaries used those herbs to make medicines.
Horrifying Facts
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Leaving the Herb Garret your journey gets more thrilling.
You’ll learn about (the lack of) hygiene, pain relief methods and equipment used in the 19th century.
During the period the operating theatre was in use – between 1822 and 1862 – surgical equipment was rarely washed before the operation. Bandages were often reused, and surgeons washed their hands and the medical equipment after the operation rather than before. This practice caused serious infection and later the death of many patients even if the operation itself was successful. This became known as ‘ward fever’.
In the 19th century, forms of pain relief were most often alcohol or opium. Sometimes, however, surgeons administered too much or too little pain relief that resulted the patient not waking up at all after the operation or waking up throughout the operation.
Photo: Urban Adventurer
Despite of the high mortality rate, which was 30% in the 19th century, amputation was regularly performed for cases of disease, accident, or trauma. But even if the patient survived, they had to face the high risk of infection caused by that fact that surgical equipment at that time was not cleaned properly.
Before 1846, amputations were performed using a knife or saw. Many of that hair rising equipment is on display in the theatre. (I am so glad I am living in the 21st century…)
The Operating Theatre
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The next room to visit is the operating theatre itself. It’s a small horseshoe-shaped room with high glass ceiling to let as much light as possible for clearer view.
Despite of the theatre’s relatively small size, it allowed 140 people in total to witness an operation or autopsy.
Photo: Urban Adventurer
Here the exhibition gets even more interactive. If you download The Old Operating Theatre mobile app and follow the instructions, you’ll get access to an Augmented Reality experience: you’ll step into the shoes of a 19th century medical student and get fist-hand information of the latest procedures. (Don’t worry, nothing disturbing will happen during the AR experience)
Preserved Organs and Women’s Health
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Continuing your journey within the museum, you’ll get the opportunity to see some human organs floating in formaldehyde and learn more about anatomy and dissection.
You’ll learn for instance, that by the middle of the 18th century dissection of the dead had become a central to surgical education. It means that fresh human corpses had become extremely valuable in surgery to rehearse operations and educate anatomy.
Due to the extreme high demand, the number of available human bodies became limited, and this was the point when body snatchers started stealing recently buried bodies and sold them to anatomy schools.
The next section is dedicated to women’s health, focusing on birth giving. Here you’ll see a number of absolutely blood-curdling forceps, scissors, crochet hooks, and other equipment you would never want to be used on you. (Again, glad to live in the 21st century…)
Events at The Operating Theatre
There are a number of events The Old Operating Theatre hosts throughout the year.
Upcoming events for example: Surgery & the Victorian Operating Theatre Live Event, Mummies and Medicine, A Victorian Mummy Unrolling Demonstration, Victorian Gothic Tales, and there are so much more down the line.
Unique accessories that go perfectly well with your Halloween costume, such as brain stud earrings, heart stud earrings, apothecary poison bottle earrings & necklace, bone saw pedant and brooch, scull brooch, blinking doll eye necklace, keychain & hair grips, and the list goes on.
Cool! What else?
How about a graduation brain cell keyring, Coronavirus plushie, DNA plushie or uterus plushie?
Hmmm, would you try some cubed earwax, organ marmalade or olde fashioned brain jam? If you’re craving for something crunchy, I would recommend the toasted bone chunks to try. All those yummy treats from Hoxton Monster Supplies.
Apart from all of these, the shop offers lots of books, original artworks inspired by the museum, board games and more.
Practical Info
Please note: There are no public toilets onsite at the Museum.
Jack the Ripper is one of the most famous serial killers in the world who is believed to have killed eleven women in Whitechapel, London between 1888 and 1891. Despite of the fact that he sent multiply hand-written letters to the police and newspapers, the grisly murderer’s identity is still a mystery after 100 years. Jack the Ripper Museum is displaying original artefacts and recreate crime scenes.
The mysterious murderer inspired countless of books, movies, and theories, trying to solve the Ripper’s case, however, it still remained unsolved even today.
Jack the Ripper Museum is located on Cable Street which location does actually have connection with the Ripper’s third victim, Elizabeth Stride: her body was taken to St George-in-the East Mortuary off Cable Street.
Original Artefacts and Recreations of the Crime Scenes
The original “From Hell” letter believed to have been hand-written by The Ripper
Photo: Urban Adventurer
The museum is a 6-floor Victorian building packed with never-seen-before original artefacts, such as the famous original “From Hell” letter, written by the Ripper and sent to George Lusk, the president of the Whitechapel Vigilance Committee on the 16th October 1888. Along with the letter The Ripper sent a three-inch cardboard box that contained a half human kidney that is believed to once have belonged to Catherine Eddowes, the fourth victim of the Ripper.
Original artefacts: whistle and handcuffs PC Watkins was carrying on the night of discovering Catharine Eddowes’ body
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The museum provides detailed exhibits of the Ripper-related crime scenes, the investigation, the recreation of The Ripper’s final victim, Mary Kelly’s bedroom, the recreation of how Jack the Ripper’s sitting room would have looked, original newspaper cut-outs and more.
Disturbing Original Photos of the Victims’ Dead Bodies
The most disturbing room within Jack the Ripper Museum
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Jack the Ripper Museum is not for everyone. In the basement, there are original photographs of the victims’ dead bodies and an authentic autopsy table. This room is the most disturbing among of all, so if you don’t want to see the photos, simply skip the basement, and start your tour on the first floor.
(The restroom is also in the basement, but none of the photos are visible from the outside of the exhibition room and there is also a warning sign on the door.)
Everything to Know about the Ripper
Recreation of The Ripper’s final victim, Mary Kelly’s bedroom
Photo: Urban Adventurer
Although, some of the rooms and artefacts might be disturbing to some of us, Jack the Ripper Museum is designed to educate their visitors by giving information of the history of women in the 19th century and how life was in the East End of London during the Victorian times.
As Jack the Ripper’s victims were all appeared to be prostitutes, the museum gives a detailed description on how difficult life was for those living in poverty during the Victorian era.
Walking through the museum feels like visitors was really strolling on the streets of the Victorian London: sounds and smells help visitors time travelling to the 19th-century Whitechapel under the dim lights.
Highlights of Jack the Ripper Museum
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The original “From Hell” letter believed to have been hand-written by The Ripper
The original whistle, handcuffs, truncheon and notebook PC Watkins carried during the night when he discovered Catharine Eddowes’ body on Mitre Square at 1.44am on 30th September 1888
Original newspaper articles about the crimes
The recreation of The Ripper’s final victim, Mary Kelly’s bedroom
A lock of Mary Kelly’s hair
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Lock of hair of The Ripper’s final victim, Mary Kelly (find it on the wall in the Ripper’s sitting room)
Original photos and illustrations of the victims
Recreated scenes with life size wax figures
Jack the Ripper’s sitting room as it would have looked like based on the beliefs of his identity
Victorian style props
Photo: Urban Adventurer
If you enjoyed your visit, don’t forget to purchase some souvenir in the shop to support this extraordinary museum.
Dark but cosy atmosphere, 80’s nostalgia, and black charcoal pizzas served with balsamic pentagram. This is Lost Boys Pizza, the world’s only vampire-themed pizzeria that is located in Camden.
Inspired by the cult classic from 1987: The Lost Boys, the pizzeria looks very similar to the Frog Brother Comic Book Store in the horror movie.
The ceiling is clustered by black and white comic book pages, while the walls provide the perfect Insta backdrop with old comics and posters and a huge spooky mural.
The chandeliers made from skulls and bones and a huge red and white candle adds the finishing touch to the vampiric atmosphere.
Love at First Bite
Photo: Urban Adventurer
The creative menu offers black charcoal pizzas, and there are gluten-free and vegan options too. Apart from the classic add-ons, you can ask a balsamic pentagram to be drawn on your pizza to maximise your experience.
We sank our teeth into ‘The Jack Skellington’ from the menu which came with butternut puree base, mozzarella, goats cheese, shallots, sundried tomato, red onion and balsamic pentagram.
It was light and crispy, yet filling, and looked really cool with its black dough and the pentagram.
Cocktails to Die For
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The cocktail menu is just as creative as the pizza menu. Apart from the old classics, such as Negroni and Espresso Martini, they offer artistic and olds fashioned blends, like ‘Wild Kids Old Fashioned’ that includes Four Roses Bourbon, cherry cola reduction and bitters; or ‘Ryders on the Storm’ which is a refreshing blend of Four Roses, Ginger beer, lime, and bitters.
Black Wednesday
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Every Wednesday is ‘Black Wednesday’ at Lost Boys Pizza.
Make sure you follow them on Instagram and check what’s the mystic incantation for that Wednesday. Whisper that to your server before ordering to unlock 2-4-1 pizza offer and Happy Hour drinks prices all night long.
Ready for your next adventure? Grab same fresh garlic and fill your bottle with holly water because we’re going for a vampire hunt in Highgate Cemetery!
Pick up your stakes, grab your garlic garland, and fill in your holy water bottle because we’re going for a vampire hunt in Highgate Cemetery.
The Story Begins
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In the 1960s interest in vampires was high thanks to movies and TV shows dealing with horror stories about supernatural creatures sucking human blood.
As a result, when Evening Standard published a report about vandalism in Tottenham Park Cemetery, many Londoners quickly jumped into the conclusion that the culprit must had had a vampire.
According to the article, unknown persons entered the cemetery and dug out a newly buried body to drove a sharpened iron bar through the lid straight into the corps’ heart. The report also said that flowers were arranged around other graves in bizarre formation.
14 months after this incident a series of newspaper articles and two vampire hunters started a hysteria around vampires.
Hampstead and Highgate Express published a letter written by a local enthusiast of the paranormal, David Farrant, claiming that he had seen a mysterious tall dark man standing in Highgate Cemetery on Christmas Eve 1969. Farrant claimed he had spoken to two people who had had similar experiences.
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Farrant decided to investigate this by spending a whole night in the cemetery. He later said, he had thought the mysterious figure might have just been an animal, but around midnight he glimpsed a tall dark figure with red eyes floating above the ground. Farrant reported he had felt like losing control of his body and mind and the air suddenly turned icy. To escape from the terrifying situation, he had repeated some Kabbalistic incantation. Shortly after the phantom disappeared.
In February 1970 Farrant asked the local newspaper readers in another article if they had similar encounters.
A number of people responded; however, they gave slightly different descriptions of the mysterious entity. One had seen a tall man wearing a hat, another person depicted a lady dressed in white, while someone else claimed they had witnessed a ghostly cyclist.
Meanwhile, another man with interest in the supernatural published his ideas in Ham and High newspaper. In the article entitled “Does a Wampyr Walk in Highgate?” Sean Manchester shared his theory about the paranormal events.
According to Manchester ‘a King of Vampire of the undead’ was buried in Highgate Cemetery. That vampire was originally a Romanian aristocrat who was a black magic practitioner and had been transported to England by his followers in a coffin in the 18th century. His followers had even purchased a house for him in the elegant West End area.
According to Manchester, Satanists recently carried out rituals to reawaken the evil, that’s why the vampire appeared again. Manchester claimed he had spoken to local people who had experienced vampire activity, such as anaemia, nightmares about the evil, and there were people with two small round shaped wounds on the neck.
The Vampire Hunt
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On the evening of Friday 13th March 1970, the two vampire hunters, Farrant and Manchester went to Highgate Cemetery to search for and kill the vampire. ITV aired a program on that day that included a live report from the cemetery.
Within two hours, a mass of people started gathering around the cemetery, and many of them climbed over the walls to help the vampire hunters find and kill the evil. There were so many people that the police were unable to stop them.
It is said that Manchester and his companions penetrated into a catacomb and found a sinister-looking black coffin that didn’t seem to fit to the others laying down there. Manchester performed an exorcism using garlic and holy water and sprinkled salt around the coffin. A few months later remains of a woman were found in the catacomb showing signs of black magic ritual.
Later Manchester found similar black coffins in the cemetery and did the same rituals.
Meanwhile Farrant attempted to communicate with the Highgate Vampire using two circles, candles, incense and a medium. His first attempt was interrupted by the police, but the second attempt was successful. An entity appeared and grabbed him by the throat. Farrand had to break the circle to escape.
After that Farrant came up with a new theory. He claimed the entity was malignant and was not a vampire at all, but an evil presence.
Highgate Cemetery Purged
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In 1974 Manchester and his team went back to the cemetery to find another black coffin. They removed the lid and found and evil creature with fierce eyes and drawn-back lips. Manchester drove a stake into the “vampire’s” heart and then he and his followers burnt the coffin with the body. After this Manchester claimed, “Highgate Cemetery is purged.”
Even Discovery Channelcreated a report around the Highgate vampire and story of the vampire hunters.
The Highgate Vampire Returned?
In 1991 Declan Walsh claimed he had witnessed a tall very thin man dressed in Victorian style as walking through a locked gate.
Another witness took a glimpse of a figure floating from the east site to the west site of the cemetery in 2005.
Many popular horror stories were inspired by the Highgate vampire and even filmed within the cemetery, such as “Tales from the Crypt”, “Taste the Blood of Dracula” and “Dracula A.D. 1972” starring Christopher Lee. The latter was directly inspired by David Farrant’s vampire hunting activity.
The Highgate vampire appears as a villain in television series, such as “Buffy the Vampire Slayer” (season 9) and in comics, such as the “Dark Horse”.
Do you believe in vampires?
Ready for your next adventure? Why not book a spine-chilling experience in one of the oldest prisons in England, The Clink Prison Museumthis October?
After collecting the best shops for Halloween, it’s time to explore London’s weirdest, spookiest yet most wondrous museums to visit in London during the spooky season.
Located in the attic of an early 18th-centurey church of the old St Thomas’ Hospital, The Old Operating Theatre & Herb Garret is Europe’s oldest surgical theatre.
The museum takes you back to the Victorian era and showcases the equipment, tools and guide you through the most common surgical procedures have been taken place 200 years ago.
In the 18th century more than 150 medical students gathered in this original space to learn about surgery.
Photo: Urban Adventurer
The museum regularly hosts online and offline events. They also offer spine-shivering quirky treats, human preserves and edibles. Why not treat yourself with some Sugar Dusted Bogies, Cubed Earwax or 0+ / AB- Blood Drops after your museum experience?
NOTE: The entrance is via a 52-step narrow spiral staircase.
Opening Times
Fridays and Saturdays only, 10:30am – 5pm (last admission is 4:15pm)
The notorious serial killer, Jack the Ripper committed a series of murders in London during 1888. Despite of the hundreds of theories, movies and books trying to solve the mystery, The Ripper’s identity remained unsolved.
Jack the Ripper Museumis situated in the heart of Whitechapel, not far from the very spot where the Ripper’s third victim, Elizabeth Stride’s, body was found.
By exploring the museum, you will discover everything to know about the Ripper’s victims, the main suspects of the murders, the police investigation, and the details of each murder, including names, ages, locations, newspaper reports, and even illustrations of the crimes.
The museum offers guided tours to visit the crime scenes, museum-only tickets, and hybrid tickets.
Opening Times
7 days a week from 10am. Last entry 5:30pm
Tickets
Start from £10 for adults and £8 for children.
The Viktor Wynd Museum of Curiosities, Fine Art & UnNatural History
As its name suggests, The Museum of Curiositiesshowcases weird and wonderful artifacts and treasures collected from different corners the world. Creatures with extra head and limbs, African masks, conserved head in a jar, creepy dolls, occult cabinets, and other oddities to be seen. This museum is not for the faint-hearted.
The museum has an award winning Absinthe Parlour & Cocktail Bar where you have the opportunity to explore and taste the most extraordinary elixirs from the furthest corners of the world.
Opening Times
Thursday – Saturday 3pm – 11pm
Sunday 2pm – 11pm
Tickets
Adult: £10
Concessions: £6
Special offer: £5 / £2.50 Concession admission on Thursdays for walk-in customers
Locals living in a walking distance with proof of address can buy a ticket for £6 on the door
Dating back to 1144, The Clink Prison Museum is one of the oldest and most notorious prisons in England.
Ring the bell for jailer and step inside through the original entrance of the prison. The museum will guide through the cells where prisoners were living, explore different torture methods witches, pirates and other criminals were being hit by and you can even open a mysterious coffin and discover what’s inside at the end of the tour – if you dare.
Don’t forget to have your own free imprisoned photo taken before you leave.
Photo: Urban Adventurer
The Clink Prison Museum is undoubtedly one of the most hunted places in London. If you feel the brave in your heart, you can book a Ghost Hunt Experience to attempt to make connection with the spirits still living within the prison’s walls using Ouija Boards, Glass Divination and other methods.
Other guided tours, including fun educational tours are also available.
Opening Times
7 days a week, 10am – 6pm
Last admission is 30 minutes before closing.
Tickets
NOTE: The museum and the tours are suitable for children aged from 7
Pollock’s Toy Museum is the oldest toy museum in the UK. The museum has two buildings and 6 different atmospheric rooms to display their extensive collection of dolls, puppets, Teddy Bears, dolls houses, optical toys, and toy theatres of the past.
The museum hosts regular events and workshops. They have plenty of events and activities for all ages this October, such as Magic Lantern Workshop, Incy Wincy Spider Trail or Magic Lantern Storytelling Tours, just to name a few. Ticket prices for events are vary.
Opening Times
Monday – Saturday 10am – 5pm
Sunday CLOSED
Tickets
Adult: £9
3-15 Child: £8
Under 3: Free
Ready for your next adventure? Explore the Devil’s Tavern and the execution dock and other notorious execution sitesin London.
Calling all witches, vampires, ghosts, werewolves, zombies and fallen angels! Last year’s Halloween was not as it should be, so this year we all want it really fang-tactic, right? Here are some of the best shops in London to reach your ghouls this Halloween.
Zombie Fresh Mints, Werewolf Biscuit, Tinned Fear and Fairy Dust made from real fairies. Just name it and they serve it.
You can even buy your own Death Certificate here. Just specify the cause of death, such as bite to the neck, ancient curse or vexation, brains eaten by zombie….
Please note: you cannot have a Death Certificate if you’re merely undead!
FUN TIP: Their website has been automatically translated for humans. If you are a monster, please, click on the small menu on the top of the page, choose your monster type and watch the website being translated to your monster language.
The Catty, Batty, Deadly, Ghostly and Scary!
Mix Max
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Mix Max is specialised on fancy dress and accessories. Fake blood, makeup, scary masks, wigs, and decorations. They have everything for Halloween chills and thrills.
Hubble, bubble toil and trouble! Biscuiteers is definitely a choice when it comes to hand-iced biscuits for even the spookiest day of the year.
Give them a fright with spooky haunted house, bats, eyeballs, and black cat biscuits. Available online or visit their shop if you dare on Kensington Park Road or Northcote Road, alternatively visit Selfridges Food Hall and put your paw on their spooky collections.
Cutie and Spooky
Art Box
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Cuteness overloaded. If you love Halloween but want to keep it cute, Art Boxkawaii characters are for you.
Say hello to the Halloween-style Hello Kitty and the vampire Kuromi on your arrival to the shop. Don’t forget to take a pic of them and share it on Instagram for your chance to win a £30 voucher to spend in store. Don’t forget to follow them, tag them and use hashtag #spookyartboxuk. Good luck!
Too Cute to Spook!
Disney Store
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Disney Store hosts a not-so -spooky Halloween with friendly monsters. From customisable soft toys to costumes to Halloween decoration, you’ll find everything to organise a not-so-scary Halloween party for the little ones.
Visit their physical shop on Oxford Street to get the true Disney Halloween spirit.
The Boo-tiful and Woo-nderful!
Hamley’s
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Join the Halloween spook-fest at Hamley’s during this October. Dress up in your favourite costume and meet London’s friendliest witches, wizards, and vampires.
Ready for your next adventure? Discover the real Pet Cemetery in Hyde Park this October.
We all know Stephen King’s famous novel, ‘Pet Sematary’. Many of us spent nights reading the book full of dreadful mysteries about a cemetery dedicated to pets; and the soil bearing spiritual power to let the dead come back to life again.
Well, the pet cemetery does exist and it’s in Hyde Park.
Older Than You Think
The Pet Cemetery is at Victoria Lodge rare garden.
Photo: Urban Adventurer
Hyde Park secret Pet Cemetery was not opened by plan.
Let’s go back in time in 1881, when this little graveyard’s story started with Cherry, a Maltese terrier.
Cherry loved spending time in Hyde Park with their owners Mr and Mrs J. Lewis Barned. As they visited Hyde Park quite often, the husband and wife made a friendship with the park’s gatekeeper Mr Winbridge.
When Cherry passed away at an old age, their owner approached Mr Winbridge and asked if there was any chance to bury their beloved dog within the park, in Victoria Lodge’s back garden, as that had Cherry’s favourite place been.
They got the permission and Cherry’s tombstone is still there with its inscription, ‘Poor Cherry. Died April 28. 1881’
The Prince’s Dog
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The next pet to be buried here was Duke of Cambridge’s beloved dog, a Yorkshire terrier, named Prince. Prince had met his end under the wheel of a carriage in an unfortunate accident.
Soon, Hyde Park became wealthy Londoners’ beloved companions’ final resting place.
More Than a Thousand Graves
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The Pet Cemetery closed in 1903 as it was getting too cramped.
By the time the cemetery closed, 300 little souls had been laid to rest in the tiny back garden. The Victorian cemetery was the first public pet cemetery in Britain, and over 1,000 pets buried there.
Dogs are the Most Common Animals
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Mostly dogs are buried in the Pet Cemetery – many of them had a fatal encounter with carriages – but there are plenty of cats and birds and even a monkey.
Photo: Urban Adventurer
The headstones bear simple inscriptions addressed to faithful companions:
“In loving memory of my darling little Cirrie, Died March 14 1893”
“To the beloved memory of Orphie, Most faithful devoted friend who left us sorrowing, Died Aug 22 1897”
“In memory of my dearest little Susan”
There is even a victim of a murder, Balu.
“Balu, Son of Fritz, Poisoned by a cruel Swiss, 1899”
Photo: Urban Adventurer
How to Visit
The cemetery is not open to the public but at rare occasions The Royal Parks organise walking tours that include special viewing to the Pet Cemetery.
If you missed the special viewing, you can still contact with Hyde Park and arrange a one-hour private viewing.
Peek through the railings by Victoria Gate to catch a glimpse of the real Pet Cemetery.
Photo: Urban Adventurer
Alternatively, peek through the park’s railings by Victoria Gate and you can catch a glimpse of the tiny tombstones. Map
Ready for your next adventure? Visit London’s weirdest museum: Museum of Curiosities.
A great number of pubs in London are hundreds of years old and have witnessed the city being changed over the centuries. Some of the most hair-rising historical events happened or started within the walls of those pubs.
One of those pubs is The Ten Bells, which is often get connected with one of the most mysterious murderers, Jack the Ripper.
The Ten Bells
The Ten Bells Pub
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The Ten Bells is standing on the corner of Commercial Street and Fournier Street, and believe it or not, has not much changed since it opened in 1752.
Due to the pub’s supposed connection to Jack the Ripper, in 1976 the landlord changed its name to ‘The Jack the Ripper’, with the hope of increasing the pub’s popularity and profit. After 12 years, however, the pub got back its original name and been operating under the name of ‘The Ten Bells’ since then.
Jack the Ripper and The Ten Bells
One of the most notorious cases in London’s criminal history is Jack the Ripper’s. Although, the mystery around him has never been solved, he is believed to have waited for his drunken victims in The Ten Bells.
During the night on 9th November 1888, a 25-year-old attractive woman with fair complexion and light hair left the pub. Her name was Mary Kelly. The next morning her landlord sent his assistant, Thomas Bowyer to collect the rent overdue from Miss Kelly.
Bowyer banged the door but received no answer. There was no doubt, however, that Mary Kelly was in the room. Bowyer went around to investigate the room through one of the broken windows only to discover Miss Kelly’s mutilated body lying on the bed.
Mary Kelly is believed to have met her murderer, Jack the Ripper, at Christ Church Spitalfields, just one-minute walk from The Ten Bells.
Just one day before, on 8th November 1888, Annie Chapman’s lifeless body was found at 29 Hanbury Street, just behind The Ten Bells.
Hanbury Street Today
Photo: Urban Adventurer
Chapman was a 47-year-old, short, pump woman, with dark curly hair and blue eyes. She was Jack the Ripper’s second victim after Mary Ann Nichols.
Nichols’ severely mutilated body was discovered in Buck’s Row, a 14-minue walk from The Ten Bells.
Ghost Haunting
Jack the Ripper’s story was not the only eerie story happened within the walls of The Ten Bells over the centuries.
During the 1990s the staff living in the building, regularly witnessed the ghost of a Victorian-dressed man appearing and disappearing.
Even today, customers regularly report about seeing the above ghost in the pub. Annie Chapman’s ghost is also believed to haunt within the building. Gusts of winds and moving objects have been reported by the staff, customers and landlords.
Jack the Ripper Museum
Photo: Urban Adventurer
Jack the Ripper Museum is a 15-minute-walk from The Ten Bells, and is located at the exact location where the Ripper murdered his third victim, Elizabeth Stride.
Photo: Urban Adventurer
The six-floor museum recreates the crimes and the crime scenes.
On exploring the museum, you will learn everything we know about the crime scenes, the victims, the main suspects, the police investigation and the everyday life in the east end of London in 1888.
Tickets
You can either book your ticket online or purchase it at the door.
The museum offers guided walks to visit the real crime locations around Whitechapel.
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