The Viaduct Tavern

The Viaduct Tavern first opened in 1869 as a gin palace and occupies the site of a former jail. There are still a number of cells visible in the cellar.

The tavern drew diverse crowds that included the working class, lawyers, government officials, and even criminals, due to nearby prisons and the proximity to The Old Bailey and Newgate Prison. Public executions were held near The Viaduct, and there was even a place across the street called Magpie & Stump which had viewing rooms for the paying public who wanted to see the executions up close.

There's said to be a ghost that steals people's drinks when they aren't looking, but a few of the other paranormal encounters described are a little scarier.

In the 1980s, a landlord was in the cellar when the lights suddenly went out, the cellar door slammed shut behind him, and he heard, "There's just us two down here now." Incidents like this are the reason the tavern's cellar is allegedly the most haunted part of the entire building.

In 1982, the landlord's daughter was reading a newspaper in the upstairs loft, when she reportedly heard footsteps coming quickly up the stairs. The door swung open, the newspaper was thrown from her hands, then the door shut, and she heard footsteps descending down the stairs. She searched the pub afterwards, but couldn't find anyone around.

In 1999, two electricians were workings upstairs. One claimed to feel a tap on his shoulder, though nobody else was present. A few minutes later, the two reportedly witnessed a roll of carpeting rise in the air, and fall back to the floor. This makes folks believe there's some sort of poltergeist in the loft above the tavern, and that it's responsible for these strange occurrences.