If you're anything like me, you'll love visiting catacombs. I don't know what it is, we're supposed to be creeped out by them, but I guess some of us are just built differently.

Unfortunately, most Catacombs are located outside of the UK (obviously... the worlds a big place!). If you're looking to visit some right here on the mainland - worry not! I've got you covered...

01 | London Catacombs and Crypts

02 | Birmingham-Based Catacombs

• Warstone Lane Cemetery | The Catacombs here contain 95 vaults, approximately 3,500 coffins and can be visited on a guided tour. 

• Key Hill Cemetery | If you are interested in the Birmingham Catacombs, the Warstone tours mostly cover the Key Hill Catacombs too.

03 | Other Notable Locations

• St James’ Cemetery, Liverpool | Closed for burials in 1936, St James' Cemetery allows for public access to the catacomb areas. There is also a series of tunnels, some of which are closed off. Tours are optional.

• Exeter (Higher Cemetery) | This was almost not featured, as you actually can't enter these catacombs. However, you can certainly view them through the iron fences.

• Edinburgh (Grange Cemetery) | Available to enter each Sunday in June from 2pm - 4pm.
  

Have you visited any of these? Let me know your thoughts in the comments!

If you find beauty in the macabre and the ancient, these five gothic towns provide the perfect backdrop for stepping into the pages of a classic Victorian ghost story. Whether you are a fan of Dracula, Harry Potter, or simply the paranormal - I can assure you'll find your perfect getaway from this list!

Whitby

Starting off with Whitby, arguably the most notable Gothic town in the UK (I probably should've featured this one last!). This seaside town is known for its pirate ships, magical streets, and most notably, St. Mary's Church, which some say Bram Stoker took inspiration for his book, Dracula!

The appropriately decorated Dracula Rooms is in the ideal spot for lovers of the folklore tale. If you're staying here, don't forget to find Dracula's bench too to complete your trip!

Bats and Broomsticks - If you stay here, you get instant access to the Dracula Experience! Complete with a beautiful gothic four-poster bed, this place has been decorated to a tasteful standard and the

La Rosa Hotel is a very unique place in Whitby. Each room has been uniquely decorated and a lot of thought has been placed into every detail. I'd love to pay a visit here and it will definitely be an option for my next stay... keep posted on here!

Where to eat? Whitby has lots of delicious eateries; specifically, their fish and chips. However, I can't say they're my absolute favourite, so I won't personally be recommending any. I will recommend 2 places though; Sanders Yard Bistro for some proper food, and Trillo's just on the pier, for a black ice cream!

Things to do? As mentioned at the beginning, something you simply cannot leave Whitby without doing is visiting St. Mary's Church. It's in all the books, on all the post cards, and it is quite honestly what Whitby is most famous for! This FREE activity is almost mandatory!

You could also pay a visit to Whitby Abbey. Although I've never been myself (because I'm a tight Yorkshire-woman), it's great from a distance too. You could be cheeky like me and stick your hand over the wall for a picture. 

Whitby Museum - PUT THIS ON YOUR LIST! I was absolutely gutted when I forgot to go last time, and I've just remembered it. They've got a mummified hand and everything!

*I also just remembered that I did a fully in depth blog post on my Travel Blog, A River of Roses; check it out here!

Haworth  

Yes... I know it's not a town, but I've got a soft spot for Haworth, so I had to put it in here. Haworth is blessed with lots of Air BnB's and hotels. Unfortunately, since I live down the road, I've not had the pleasure of staying in any of these places. However, I visit quite often, and I like to eavesdrop, so here are the most popular places I've heard of!

Starting at the top of the cobbles, the famous Black Bull is said to be the haunt of Branwell Bronte. I often like to say hello to him in the ladies toilets, as he apparently likes to spend some time here. If you're lucky enough, you may find yourself a booking in Emily's Room, this overlooks the graveyard, and we love graveyards around here! As a near-local who visits Haworth on occasion, I've only heard great things about The Old Registry, this is another spot to try!

For Air BnB's, I would highly vouch for Fairy Cottage; locals, Emma and Reese own this, they are a lovely couple who I've met quite a few times. Fairy Cottage has been very carefully and beautifully decorated to replicate different eras. 

Where to eat? Me my mum, and our late friend used to enjoy dining at Pave.

Things to do? Haworth is a fantastic place to go if you like walking. A great walk is to the Bronte waterfalls, and to Top Withens - both areas were frequented by the famous sisters in their day. If you aren't as active (don't worry, neither am I), Haworth is a lovely little spot for shopping. There's no high-street shops in Haworth (other than the coop/Spa), just independent ones; perfect to find something completely unique to remember your stay!

Cabinet of Curiosities is a great shop complete with potions, candles, and spell books. It was once the local pharmacy where Branwell used to get his fix from! If you can't tell, Branwell is my favourite.

Edinburgh

Edinburgh is one of my favourite weekend breaks in the whole of the UK. I wouldn't recommend where we stayed; the first one is long gone, and the other was too far away. However; if walls could talk, The Witchery could write novels! This luxury gothic escape is nestled at the beautiful gates of Edinburgh Castle, loved by many - including Margot Robbie who compared it to Harry Potter!

Some other stop over suggestions are The Castle Hub, The Butler's Basement, House of Gods and Crazy Bear. Please note, I'm visiting Edinburgh again in March, so I'll try my best to update this... if there's anything worth updating, after my trip!

Where to eat? It's been a while since I've been to Edinburgh so I've no idea if any of the restaurants are still there. Obviously, we will be going again so I'll be able to update this post when I come back. However, some spots I remember are a place I had Tacos at Wahaca, and we also went to an American restaurant at the beginning of the Royal Mile, it had a narrow entrance and it was down some steps!

Can't recommend Haggis - not a fan, sorry!

Things to do? Highly recommend paying a visit to all the local cemeteries in Edinburgh. Here are the ones I went to.

• Greyfriars
• Old Calton
• New Calton
• St. Cuthberts
• Canongate Kirkyard

Also, St. Mary's Close is a great one, and we also went on a Ghost Tour and a Harry Potter Tour - both in Greyfriars! It's good to go on one of these before you visit Greyfriars on your own because it gives you a fresh pair of eyes. 

Shrewsbury

Last year, I had an idea to visit Shrewsbury as my first solo getaway. Have I been? No. However, I've done a bit of research, so I thought I'd share it with you.

Darwin's Townhouse doesn't appear to have any connection with the notable Charles Darwin. However, it is a Grade II listed property that is meticulously decorated to a tasteful decor. Not 'Gothic', but quirky.

If you would like to stay in a traditional pub, then why not try, The Vaults? This affordable accommodation spot it a great place to meet the locals, find out about the historic Shrewsbury, and catch up on some live music!

If you're made of money, may I put a gentle request in that you stay at Hansa, a fairytale cottage, and make us all jealous after. The place looks beautiful but the price certainly ain't. Not that I'm intending to put anyone off.

Where to eat? The Walrus, and House of the Rising Sun were the best ones I found on the tinterweb.

Things to do? The main thing I want to do when I visit Shrewsbury is pay a visit to the famous (or infamous) Shrewsbury Prison, and participate in one of their ghost tours. I would love to do a daytime tour too - I think it would give a very different perspective.

York

Hocus Pocus seems to be the prime gothic hot spot in the City of York. When I envision this place, I see the cast of the notable Disney film all stood precariously stirring their cauldrons in the lobby.

Simply as an option, I would advise looking into the Impossible Hotel. It is located very well in the heart of York, and it is decorated beautifully. However, it does have mixed reviews with various sources stating that there are only shared bathrooms. Personally, this is something I have experienced before, and it wouldn't completely put me off, but read reviews before booking!

A third option is the charming, Churchill Hotel. This semi-regal spot is located in the heart of the city, and it will indeed make you feel like royalty. In 1898 it got its very own royal seal of approval when the Prince of Wales paid a visit and stayed himself!

Where to eat? I just deleted a sentence that said I can't remember eating anywhere in York, because I can... and it was really good! For either mine or my partner's birthday many years ago, we went to The Blue Barbakan, an authentic polish restaurant. That's as far as my memory goes. However, I have heard good things about Bill's!

Things to do? One good free thing to do in York is have a stroll along the castle walls, and envision what life would've been like in the medieval times. You can also wander over to The Shambles, and have a look in all the Harry Potter shops, and the ghost shop. On one of our visits, we spent a bit of time at 'Hole in the Wand', the famous Harry Potter-themed mini-golf! 

Please Note:

If you own a hotel, restaurant, or activity in any of these places, and you feel like your staycation deserves a rightful place on this list, please email thecryptchick@gmail.com and I will consider adding it to my blog! Alternatively, free stays/food/etc in return for a review are always welcome ;)

 

It's no secret that I love to visit dark tourism hot spots around the world; and I'm certainly no stranger to them either! However, there are still lots of places I have on my bucket list.

In this blog post, I'm going to highlight all the realistic places I'd love to visit. Yes, that's right, I won't be mentioning places like Salem just yet, that's more than likely a retirement plan!

Catacombs of Paris

Yes, it's true, one of the most famous dark tourism places in the world... and I've never been! 

The Paris Catacombs have been on many bucket lists since they first opened by appointment in 1809, but some believe they were visited long before them. These days, it's no secret that urban explorers sneak through to the other side, that isn't typically open to the public.

Père-Lachaise Cemetery 

Another Paris based spot; and it will be easy to hit two birds with one stone with this one! This is without a doubt one of the most notable cemeteries in the world. It's also one I plan to visit, but I've been holding off as my last trip to French capital wasn't the best of experiences. When I do end up there, it may be my last.

Druid's Temple - North Yorkshire

Believe me, I don't know why this is still on my bucket list either. Especially when it is only 41 miles from my house! I intend on ticking this one off this year, but then again, I said that last year too... and the year before that. Maybe one day! I think the thing that puts me off is the uncertainty of parking! I'm a bit of a wuss.

Scarborough Victorian Pet Cemetery

I don't know if this place is even open to the public, but it's on Google Maps. It has been on my list a long while; since before Australia, and at the time I'd never been to a pet cemetery. Of course, during my time down under I did pay a visit to a small handful of pet cemeteries, so that kind of healed my curiosity - but I'm still yet to visit one in the UK.

The Whitaker

This place is even closer to my home, but it hasn't been on the bucket list long. I actually found it when I was calculating the distance to Bacup, the filming spot of the series Brassic, which is absolutely unrelated to dark tourism... but I still recommend watching it!

The Whitaker is a museum that hosts many quirky, obscure and uncommon objects. That's another shop I want to visit, but I'll go there when I do my retirement trip to Salem. Thank you to Graveyard Girl for pointing that out on YouTube... many times!

Necropolis Bar

I visited the Czech Republic with my mum a couple of years ago, but unfortunately it wasn't the right time to visit Prague, although in hind sight we should've done! I won't get into that here.

This looks like a very intriguing bar, and one I would frequent if I spent a few days in the city. Prague is quite an affordable destination from the UK, and I still haven't been, so it remains a likely place to tick off my bucket list.

Scream and Shake Bar

Another bar that is a little closer to home is Scream and Shake. I saw this doing the rounds on TikTok a while ago, and instantly wanted to go. It's located in Blackpool and they have been offering an array of delicious looking horror-inspired shakes and drinks since 2024.

Rothwell Bone Crypt

This one is probably the furthest away on the list in the UK, but that doesn't make it any less of a desire to go! One of only two bone crypts in England, according to a review. This crypt holds over 2000 people and is located at Holy Trinity Church, Rothwell.

Eyam Plague Village

This infamous village has been on my list for a while. With thanks, of course to the many that have documented their visits online. 

A visit to Eyam might be sooner than I thought... here's me thinking it was down south!

Shrewsbury Prison

I've probably mentioned this on the site before. But, last year I was planning my first solo trip - I chose Shrewsbury for the simple fact that I checked the local news to find that it looked like quite a pleasant place to visit. In comparison to my hometown of Bradford, there were no drastic scary looking headlines - it looked pretty safe.

Once I'd settled on the spot, I looked at the maps to see what was close. Then, I discovered Shrewsbury Prison, and that's when I knew I'd made a good choice.

Alas, I am still yet to visit. But, if any readers live in Shrewsbury, and fancy having a wonder or being my tour guide, feel free to jump on my contact page!

Have you got any places in mind that you feel I should add to my bucket list? Drop a comment below!

The five "canonical" victims of Jack the Ripper are Mary Ann Nichols, Annie Chapman, Elizabeth Stride, Catherine Eddowes, and Mary Jane Kelly.

Everyone posts about the deaths of these ladies, but today I'm going to focus on their lives, or what we know of them. No focus on the suspect himself.

Mary Ann Nichols

Mary Ann Nichols was born Mary Ann Walker on August 26th 1845 in London to Edward and Caroline Walker (nee Webb). Her early years were spent around the Shoe Lane area of London.

She was affectionately named Polly by her friends. In 1864 she married William Nichols. Although their marriage unfortunately wouldn't last, the couple birthed 5 children; Edward, Percy, Alice, Eliza, and Henry. She tragically passed away on August 31st, 1888. She was just 43 years old. 

Annie Chapman

The second victim was Annie Chapman. Annie Eliza Smith was born September 25th, 1840 to George and Ruth Smith (also born Chapman). She had 5 siblings, Emily, Georgina, Mirium, and Fountain (lots of fancy names back then... bring 'em back!).

Aside from her career, Annie enjoyed crochet and selling flowers. She married John Chapman in 1869 in Knightsbridge and the pair later went on to have 3 children; Emily (b. 1870), Abbie (b.1873), and John (b. 1880). Emily Ruth died of meningitis in 1882. Her son John was born with health issues and was raised in a charitable institution.

Elizabeth Stride

Born Elizabeth Gustafsdotter in Stora Tumlehed, Sweden, on November 27th 1843 to Gustaf Ericsson and Beata Ericsson (nee Carlsdotter). In 1866, unmarried, Elizabeth moved to England, though the exact reason is unknown. It is said at the time that she was employed as a Coffee Shop Owner, Cleaning Lady, and Seamstress. 

Whilst in England, she adopted the nickname, Long Liz. I'm not an expert in height regulations back then, but sources say she was quite tall for her time. Although, she was only 5 foot 5 (no offence to anyone of that height).

On March 7th of 1869, she married John Stride. 4 years before her marriage to John, Elizabeth experienced a stillbirth whilst she was still in Sweden. The marriage lasted over 10 years and in 1881, they called it quits. Sadly, Elizabeth would only live 3 years more before her untimely and awful death. Though, in her final years, she enjoyed the company of her partner, Michael Kidney.

Catherine Eddowes

Catherine "Cattie" Eddowes wasn't from London, or Sweden. She was in fact born in Graiseley Green, Wolverhampton, on April 14th 1842 to George and Catherine Eddowes (nee Evans). As a child, she attended Dowgate Charity School and St. Johns Charity School. She was described by her friends as intelligent but also had a short temper. 

As years went by, Catherine later moved to 35 West Street, Surrey (in 1851). Some jobs she encountered during her time were Tinplate Stamper, Tray Polisher, Scourer, Laundress and Charwoman. 

Some records suggest Catherine was known as other names, such as; Kate Conway, and Kate Kelly. These were probably taken from her partners throughout her life, Thomas Conway and John Kelly, though no marriage confirmations were recorded/found.

Catherine had 4 children to Thomas; Catherine, Thomas, Alfred and George.

Mary Jane Kelly

Mary, or Marie was born in County Limerick on August 25th 1863 to John Kelly and Elizabeth 'Eliza' Davies (nee Shaw). She had 3 brothers; Richard, Michael, and Henry. 

Her first husband was John Davies, whom she married in 1879 and lived with in Wales, until his death in 1881. Following this, sour family affairs forced Mary to seek another life in London. It was here that she met Joseph Barnett. Their relationship was also short lived; being just 20 months, when the couple separated just 10 days before Mary's death. They were living at 24 New Street, Bishopsgate prior to this and Joseph went to live with his sister at 21 Portpool Lane.

Mary carried various occupations during her time, such as; Tobacconist Shop Assistant, Domestic Servant, Sex Worker.

Others:

The above victims were the only confirmed to have met their demise as the result of Jack the Ripper's actions. The following ladies are rumoured to have met the same fate.

Martha Tabram

Martha White was born on May 10th 1849 to Charles and Elizabeth White (nee Dowsett). Her first home was 17 Marshall Street in Southwark. This street is now no longer standing, but according to a participant in a 'rootschat' forum, it may have been located between London Street and St. George's Street.  

On Christmas Day of 1869, Martha married Henry Samuel Tabram, a Foreman Furniture Packer. The pair went on to have 2 sons, Fredrick and Charles. It was said that Martha's marriage to Henry was quite turbulent, and this was fuelled by Martha's struggle with alcoholism. The partnership eventually ended, but they never got divorced. In 1876 Martha met Henry Turner and pursued a relationship with him. This relationship eventually ended up being rocky and they called it quits around 3 weeks before Martha's tragic death. Martha passed away on the 7th August, and is the first unconfirmed victim of the Whitechapel murders in 1888.

Emma Smith

Some believe Emma was a victim of Jack the Ripper, though many believe her death wasn't connected. However, there is enough to justify her listing on this page. 

Emma Elizabeth Binmore was born on Christmas Day of 1843 to Thomas and Emma Binmore (nee. Walters) in Stoke Damerel, Devon. Her early years were spent in Portsmouth. In 1851 she was recorded living at 74 Queen Street, and in 1861 10 Sidney Street. The following June she married Butcher, Frederick Augustus Churcher Wells. Their marriage wouldn't last, and there isn't much recorded of that.

Years later, in 1868 she married John Smith (not the brewer, he was from Leeds). He was in the 35th Regiment. John died in 1878, and that was all she told of her life to her future friends. Emma then moved on to work on the streets of London, though at some point in her life she sold hats. She passed away on April 4th of 1888.

Annie Farmer

Little is known about this survivor of Jack the Ripper - only that she was believed to be an elderly lady, and some forums suggested that her name may have actually been Amelia Farmer, or Annie Palmer.

Rose Mylett

Lots of evidence suggests that Rose wasn't a victim of Jack the Ripper, specifically due to her death being typically categorised as 'not suspicious'.

Catherine Rose Mylett was born 5th December 1859 with her first home being situated at 13 Thomas Street, Whitechapel. She was the second daughter to Henry Mylett and Margaret Haley, her sister was Mary. She also had 2 brothers, William and John.

Rose sadly struggled with her mental health and was admitted on occasion to Bromley Sick Asylum. This was confirmed when a nurse, Elizabeth Usher recognised her body. Rose was the wife of Thomas Davis, and the pair had 2 children, Florence and Henry. 

Alice MacKenzie

Alice's death was different; she met her demise in July 1889, not in 1888, like the others. Little is known about Alice, though the person who identified her, identified himself as John McCormack, the person she lived with on and off, and at one point would describe her as his wife. However, he also described her as 'around the age of 40', so I don't think they were that close.

Pinchin Street Mystery & Whitehall Mystery

These cases refer to the discoveries of the remain of 2 torsos, they were unfortunately never identified.

Frances Coles

Frances Coles passed away February 13th 1891. This was well out of the time frame of the ripper murders - but nobody caught him, so what was stopping him?

Also known as Frances Coleman, or Frances Hawkins, she was born to James Coles and Mary Carney on September 17th 1859 and her first known address was 18 Crucifix Lane (my kinda street - and it still exists!), Bermonsey, Southwark. She was employed as a Chemist Label Applicator, and a Sex Worker. She had 2 sisters, Mary and Selina, and a brother called James.

Sailor, John Thomas Saddler was initially questioned over her murder, and was mobbed upon his release after his alibi was confirmed. He claimed to be in some kind of relationship with her at the time, and their landlord notified the police when he returned home covered in blood and learnt of her murder the next day.

Carrie Brown

There was speculation on whether or not Carrie Brown's death was connected to Jack the Ripper, as this one happened in New York, quite a distance away from Whitechapel. It also happened April 24th of 1891.

Carrie adopted the nickname 'Shakespeare', as she liked to quote his works when she'd had a couple of drinks. 

Ellen Caroline Montgomery was born in Liverpool, England in 1834. I couldn't find her parents, but in 1860 she was recorded living in Salem, Massachusetts, which is where she met her husband, Copenhagen-born Charles E. Brown. The couple went on to have 2 children; Mary and Charles. Charles Jr. sadly only lived 2 years. Charles, the father passed away in 1878 in Africa. 

Elizabeth Jackson

When I saw Elizabeth's name, I thought she was the first person to be interred into Highgate Cemetery, but that was Elizabeth Jackson who died in 1839. 

This Elizabeth 'Lizzie' Jackson was born on March 18th 1865 to Stonemason, John Jackson, and Catherine, her mother. Both her parents came from Ireland. At the time of her death she was living at 14 Turks Row, Chelsea (the street still exists today). 

Did you know?: The coroner of this case was Athelstan Braxton Hicks, who was the son of John Braxton Hicks; the person who the term Braxton Hicks is named after! Sorry, I know it's not relevant, but I thought I'd just throw that one in there.

Annie Millwood

Annie Perry was born around 1844 in St Giles, London. In 1872 she married Richard Millwood (Soldier), though their surnames were sometimes spelt Milward. In 1880 Annie had a son, George. Annie later became a widow when in 1879 Richard passed away. At the time of her death she was living at Spitalfields Chambers, 8 White Row. 

The reason she wasn't confirmed as a ripper victim was because she recovered from her injuries then passed 10 days later of natural causes. In the hospital she told doctors that she had been attacked by a man who was a stranger to her.

Where did I find this information?

All my sources come from various MyHeritage listings, and some information is filtered from Google. If you are looking at something specific, please contact me here.

Alternatively, if you feel like I have missed someone, please let me know by either contacting me directly or commenting below.

Note: These images are AI-generated artistic recreations for illustrative purposes. They are not authentic historical photographs of the individuals mentioned.

Finding a grave can be very tricky, especially when you live far away from the desired graveyard that you want to visit.

There have been many times that I have been unsuccessful at finding a grave. However, I've been frequenting cemeteries for quite some time, so I thought I'd put a little guide together on how to find a grave near you!

01 - Collect KEY Details 🔑

03 - Use Genealogy Sites

04 - In The Graveyard? Keep Your Eyes Peeled!

05 - Visit Your Local Library

06 - Ask The Cemetery (or Church)!

Different countries have different regulations. In the UK, most of our cemeteries are run by the council, but they will still have a list of where people are buried. In my case, I like to find the plot myself, so this isn't a step I've delved into. However, I have asked a former gravedigger friend for assistance on occasion!

If your grave is in a church, or if the person was religious - it might be worth contacting your local parish to see if they can help too.

I hope these tips are helpful to you. If you have any more, please leave a comment!