The Black Lion
Historic Kilburn pub haunted by phantom horse-drawn coaches and spectral figures from its coaching inn past.
The Black Lion in Kilburn has been the site of paranormal encounters dating back to its days as a major coaching inn on the route to northern England. Staff and patrons have reported the sound of phantom horse-drawn coaches arriving in the courtyard, complete with the clip-clop of hooves and the creaking of wooden wheels, despite the modern street outside.
The pub’s most distinctive haunting involves apparitions of travelers from the coaching era, still waiting for their journeys to continue. Witnesses describe seeing figures in Victorian-era clothing appearing in the bars and corridors, only to vanish when approached. Cold spots and the smell of horses have been reported in areas that once served as stables.
The phantom coaches are said to be heard most frequently during the early hours of the morning, echoing the pub’s history as a stopping point for mail coaches and travelers. Some witnesses have reported seeing a full spectral coach materialize briefly in the pub’s vicinity before fading away. The activity has been consistent enough that the Black Lion has become known among paranormal investigators as one of London’s most actively haunted coaching inns.