Greenwich ghost walks look at darker side of town

By Tom Derbyshire on February 21, 2008 12:05 PM |

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WITH its royal connections, rich maritime heritage and role at the heart of time, Greenwich has a fascinating history.

And with such a background it goes without saying that the area is also said to be populated by some
pretty remarkable ghosts.

But if you don’t have time to stake out the Old Royal Naval College until the ghost of Admiral Byng makes an appearance there is another way to get acquainted with the dark and eerie tales of Greenwich past.

Greenwich Tour Guides Association (GTGA) has teamed up with Greenwich Theatre to conduct a series of special pre-theatre walks exploring the darker side of the World Heritage Site.

Linked to forthcoming productions of the chilling Henry James story The Turn of the Screw, Mary Shelley’s classic horror Frankenstein and urban ghost story Shining City, the walks are designed to be the perfect
accompaniment to a spine-tingling evening at the Crooms Hill theatre.

Whether it’s the bloody machinations of the Tudor court that interest you or the apparitions said to haunt some of the area’s most famous buildings, Greenwich has a wealth of tales to keep history guides Gill Cooper and Margaret O’Malley very busy. And the pair, who have been leading guided walks for some 12 years, often have a very demanding audience.

“We have had one person who came on a ghost walk who had actually seen a ghost,” said Margaret.
And while they can’t guarantee a close encounter with the spirit world the guides do stick to stories that have some credence.

“We are history guides so we only deal in ghosts that are recorded or documented in some way,” Gill, who is chairman of GTGA, explained.

The ghost of Tom Potter, a young sailor who grew up in Greenwich in Dickensian times, is among those recognised by The Ghost Society, which dates back more than 150 years, while one of the best documented photos supposedly of a ghost was captured at Queen’s House.

The fact that it was taken by a man of the cloth made it hard to dispute, said Gill.

Many of the royal family met their fate in Greenwich during the reign of Henry VIII including his second wife Anne Boleyn.

“She was marched away from Greenwich Palace and taken to the Tower of London for her execution,” Margaret said.
“There was a rumour she was a witch because she had five fingers on one hand.”

It is also said the disgraced Queen’s lips were still moving in prayer as the executioner held up her severed head for all to see.

The walks start and finish at the theatre, a former music hall, and come as part of a package which includes lunch or dinner and a ticket.

And what better place to start an eerie outing – the theatre boasts its very own ghost in the shape of a white lady thought to be an actress who lived in the early 1900s.

Walk packages are available on February 27 and 29, April 3 and 5, and April 26.
To book call 020 8858 7755 or visit www.greenwichtheatre.org.uk.

GTGA lead two daily history walks from the Tourist Information Centre in Cutty Sark Gardens.
For further information visit www.greenwichtours.co.uk.

Story written by Lucy Walters
lucy.walters@wharf.co.uk