London boat company offers spooky tour with paranormal expert this Halloween

Looking for something a bit different to celebrate this spooky season?

A London based boat rental company is offering guests a chance to discover the most haunted spots of the city’s canals and waterways.

GoBoat London has teamed up with a paranormal expert to discover the mysteries that lurk on the waterways.

Ghost hunter extraordinaire Dr Ciaran O’Keeffe has listed some of the spookiest spots around Paddington, Kingston and Canary Wharf.

If you take a trip from Paddington, you’ll stop by Little Venice where the ghost of the famous 18th century actress Sarah Siddons is thought to have roamed.

There have been reports of her ghost, wearing a blue dress and hat, simply standing rigidly still and mannequin-like on the riverside

You may also see the spirit of an engineer who worked at London Zoo’s aquarium during the 20th century if you pass by.

Named “The Whistler” he  has been seen, and heard, by several eyewitnesses.

Anyone travelling from Kingston you will pass by Hampton Court Palace.

Frequently described as ‘one of the most haunted places in England’, the palace is thought to be home to the ghost of Catherine Howard, the 5th wife of Henry VIII.

Legend suggests that upon hearing the news that she was to be executed, Catherine Howard ran to the King to plead for her life but was dragged back along a section of the Palace now known as ‘The Haunted Gallery’.

Visitors have reported visions of a “woman in white” as well as a strong sense of presence, a feeling of dizziness and sudden changes in temperature.

Meanwhile those who set off from Canary Wharf will visit the area’s tube station.

On December 28 2007, a black and white figure appeared in a colour photo taken at the station.

The figure, that of a young man, was not spotted when the photo was taken, even though he was captured looking directly at the camera.

There are plenty of other haunted spots to discover on the ghostly tour.

Dr O’Keeffe said: "London is a city with no shortage of history and with it no shortage of hauntings... wherever people have lived and died, you will find their spirits.

“Wherever there has been a tragedy, the ghostly reminders haunt us.

"As locations go, for the ghost hunter and myself as a parapsychologist, the River Thames delivers hauntings.

“You only need to sail down it to see the spooky side.

“I was fortunate to be part of a team who conducted scientific investigations into the haunted areas of Hampton Court Palace back in 2000.

“I “lived” there for 2 weeks and soaked up its amazing atmosphere and its haunted legacy.

"It’s not surprising John Burns said the River Thames was “liquid history”.

“And as part of the spooky spots that GoBoat has located on its routes this Halloween, I expect to hear ghostly accounts with wonderful descriptions of individuals from various historical periods.

“It is one of the world’s busiest waterways, so I encourage people everywhere to jump onboard, take a peek into its haunted history and experience the vast array of haunted locations."

You can book your spooky GoBoat tour from Paddington, Kingston or Canary Wharf.

More information about the cruises can be found on the company’s website at https://goboat.co.uk/