Calling all followers of film, supporters of cinema, and habitués of horror 😱
Did you know the UK is full of fantastic film locations that you can go and visit? Spend this spooky season visiting some of our best horror film locations and recreating your favourite scenes from horror movie history.
We’ve put together our list of the 14 spookiest film locations in the UK that you can visit right now. Whether it’s a day out or a weekend away, take some time to satisfy your inner film buff and see one of these terrifying film locations.
1. The Woman in Black (2012) – Osea Island
From the West End stage to the big screen, The Woman in Black has been terrifying audiences since 1987. Now, go behind the scenes of this gothic classic’s 2012 movie adaptation starring Danial Radcliffe with a visit to Osea Island. Located in the estuary of the River Blackwater in Essex, Osea Island and the connecting causeway are seen throughout the film as Danial Radcliffe’s character makes his way to the fictional Eel Marsh House, cut off from the mainland. This film location also has a connection to the original novel. The setting is largely based in the Blackwater estuary area, making Osea Island a thematically appropriate choice.
Other film locations for the movie include Layer Marney Tower, where several interior scenes were filmed. Creep along the corridors and sneak amongst the shadows of the tallest Tudor gatehouse in the country. Keep your eyes peeled, though, you may just see the ghostly figure of Lord Marney, who is said to haunt the tower.
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2. 28 Days Later (2002) – Westminster Bridge
And back in 2002, a deserted London became one of the most iconic moments in cinematic history. In the 00s horror flick, 28 Days Later, Cillian Murphy’s character awakes to a post-outbreak London and walks the empty streets looking for signs of life. In order to achieve a real sense of isolation for the film, shooting started as early as 4am to ensure no one was around.
Other prominent London landmarks feature in this opening scene, including Piccadilly Circus, The Mall and Horse Guards Avenue & Whitehall. Would you fancy walking around London at 4am to recreate that 28 Days Later feeling?
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3. Dracula (1979) – St Michael’s Mount, Cornwall
Separated from the mainland by a causeway that is only accessible at low tide, St Michael’s Mount made for the perfect isolated lair of Dracula in the 1979 feature film starring Laurence Olivier. This iconic castle has been the backdrop for many feature films and has a history dating back to the Bronze Age. St Michael’s is surrounded by myth and legend, with tales of giants, mermaids, and miracles leaving their mark on the Mount. See what tales you take home with you from a trip to this breathtaking island.
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4. Witchfinder General (1968) – Lavenham, Suffolk
As well as being a stunning, picturesque location, Lavenham was used in the 1968 classic Witchfinder General because of its historical accuracy. Lavenham is one of the best preserved medieval towns in Britain, and its town square was the real site of witch burnings in the 1600s.
Clearly, Lavenham’s history has stood the test of time, as it’s still a common location for films of the occult, appearing as Godric’s Hollow in Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 1 and in Netflix’s The Strays.
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5. The Wicker Man (1973) – Culzean Castle, Ayrshire
If you have a fascination with the paranormal, then you’ll love a visit to Culzean Castle. The Castle grounds starred in the weirdly creepy 1973 adaptation of The Wicker Man as the elaborate home of Lord Summerisle. Culzean itself is rumoured to be haunted, and back in the early 2000s, the castle made an appearance on the scream-filled ghost-hunting television show, Most Haunted.
You can easily spend a whole day here visiting the castle and extensive grounds, which include 40 buildings and secret follies, beaches, a deer park, and an adventure playground. Keep your eyes peeled for the ghosts of a servant girl or piper that haunt this grand castle.
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6. The Witches (1990) – Headland Hotel, Newquay
The Roald Dahl book-turned-movie classic, The Witches, is a chilling tale where a convention of witches hatches a plan to turn children into mice. The aptly named Headland Hotel in Newquay took centre stage as the main location in the 1990 film starring Angelica Houston and Rowan Atkinson. With a beautiful beach nearby, this is a great location to visit with the family.
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7. Sleepy Hollow (1999) – Hambleden, Buckinghamshire
This quintessentially English village has played host to many a spooky scene over the years. Amongst the lengthy list of flicks filmed here is Tim Burton’s Sleepy Hollow, starring Johnny Depp. As well as offering the perfect location for a spine-tingling tale, this Buckinghamshire village is also a beautiful place to have a leisurely stroll. With its flint cottages and medieval church, it’s well worth a wander.
Hambledon was also the site of a U.S. military base in the build-up to D-Day and appropriately featured as a training ground for East Company in the Spielberg mini-series Band of Brothers.
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8. Dorian Gray (2009) – Highgate Cemetery, London
Highgate Cemetery is certainly one of the spookiest around, making it the perfect choice for a chilling movie scene. London’s creepiest cemetery gets plenty of screen time in the Colin Firth film, based on Oscar Wilde’s novel, Dorian Gray. With stunning architecture and wonderfully overgrown shrubs and trees, Highgate Cemetery can be a haven of tranquillity in busy London.
Make sure you’ve left here by nightfall, though, you wouldn’t want to get lost in the graveyard’s twists and turns. Other key London locations in the film include the Old Royal Naval College and the British Academy.
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9. Dark Shadows (2012) – Bourne Wood, Surrey
Bourne Wood is a small hilly woodland that’s become a popular hit with Hollywood filmmakers. With well-spaced Scots Pines and a large clearing, Bourne Wood has been central to creating some of the biggest films in recent history. In Tim Burton’s Dark Shadows, we see a vampiric mansion constructed in the woodland.
Other appearances on the silver screen include the opening battle in Gladiator, Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince, Captain America: The First Avenger and War Horse.
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10. Under The Skin (2013) – Tantallon Castle, Lothian
Critically acclaimed and completely creepy, Under The Skin stars Scarlett Johansson as an otherworldly woman who seduces young men to their demise. Many of the shots were filmed with hidden cameras, using non-actors to play the characters, giving an eerie sense of realism to the film. Under The Skin was shot in several locations around Scotland, including the haunting coastal fortress, Tantallon Castle in Lothian.
Having withstood several sieges, Tantallon Castle is an impressive ruin of a 14th-century castle with a 50-foot curtain wall, and is well worth a visit for history and film lovers alike.
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11. Ghost Stories (2017) – Saltaire Village, Yorkshire
Ghost Stories is a darkly comic film about a professor who tries to find logical explanations for stories of supernatural hauntings. Filmed in several locations around Yorkshire, Saltaire Village is certainly the most attractive spot you can visit, and it is a UNESCO World Heritage site. This fantastically preserved Victorian mill town really gives you the sense of life 200 years ago, and is an ever-popular film location, recently appearing in the gritty drama Peaky Blinders.
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