The Blind Beggar

The Blind Beggar pub in Whitechapel became forever infamous on March 9, 1966, when Ronnie Kray walked into the bar and shot rival gangster George Cornell dead in front of witnesses, an act that would eventually lead to the downfall of the notorious Kray twins. The spot where Cornell fell, sitting on a bar stool as the Walker Brothers’ “The Sun Ain’t Gonna Shine Anymore” played on the jukebox, is now one of London’s most haunted locations. Witnesses have reported seeing the apparition of a man matching Cornell’s description sitting at the bar, his face frozen in shock and fear, before he clutches his head and collapses out of sight. The ghostly sound of a gunshot sometimes echoes through the pub late at night, followed by screams and the commotion of people fleeing in panic, though investigation reveals nothing amiss.

The pub’s haunted reputation extends beyond the Cornell murder to encompass the broader criminal history of the East End. Staff have reported seeing shadowy figures in 1960s-style suits lurking in corners and watching the bar with cold, calculating eyes before vanishing. There are accounts of glasses being knocked off tables by invisible hands, particularly near the location of the shooting, and of an oppressive atmosphere of menace that descends over certain areas of the pub without warning. Some witnesses have reported feeling suddenly terrified and needing to leave the building, experiencing the same fear Cornell’s final moments would have contained. The jukebox has been known to malfunction, sometimes playing “The Sun Ain’t Gonna Shine Anymore” on its own despite being unplugged or turned off.

Beyond the gangster ghosts, The Blind Beggar’s history stretches back to the 17th century, and the building has witnessed countless acts of violence and tragedy over the centuries. The pub stands in the heart of the area where Jack the Ripper stalked his victims, and some believe the dark energy from those murders still permeates the location. Staff working alone have reported hearing footsteps following them through empty rooms, doors locking and unlocking on their own, and the sensation of being watched by hostile, invisible presences. The combination of the Kray legend, Victorian violence, and centuries of East End hardship creates a supernatural atmosphere so thick that even skeptics report feeling uneasy while inside this notorious establishment.