The Cittie of Yorke

The Cittie of Yorke in Holborn dates back to 1430, making it one of London’s oldest licensed premises, and its spectacular interior featuring enormous wine vats and medieval architecture creates an atmospheric setting for the numerous ghosts that haunt its halls. The most famous spirit is the Grey Lady, a mysterious female apparition dressed in grey robes who appears most frequently near the ancient cellars and vaults beneath the building. Witnesses describe her as gliding through the pub with purpose, as if heading to a specific destination, before walking directly through walls or descending into the floor where old staircases once stood. Her identity remains unknown, but some speculate she may be connected to a medieval tragedy or crime that took place on the site centuries ago, her spirit forever replaying her final journey.

The pub’s location in the heart of London’s legal district means it has served generations of lawyers, barristers, and judges from the nearby Gray’s Inn and other Inns of Court. The ghosts of these legal professionals seem to linger in the building, with witnesses reporting hearing heated debates and legal arguments coming from empty sections of the pub, the voices speaking in archaic language and discussing cases from centuries past. Staff working late have reported seeing figures in legal robes and wigs sitting in the wooden booths that line the main bar, only to have them vanish when approached. The sound of quill pens scratching on parchment has been heard, and some have reported seeing phantom candles providing light in the booths before they flicker and disappear.

The extensive medieval cellars and vaults beneath The Cittie of Yorke are the epicenter of paranormal activity, with staff reporting intense feelings of being watched, sudden temperature drops, and the sensation of someone brushing past them in the narrow underground passages. The massive wine vats, some dating back centuries, seem to hold supernatural energy, and there have been reports of tapping sounds coming from inside the sealed vats as if someone is trying to get out. During renovations and archaeological work, workers have reported tools going missing and reappearing in impossible locations, the sound of medieval music echoing through the vaults, and apparitions of people in medieval dress going about unknown business in the underground spaces. The building’s immense age and its continuous service as a drinking establishment means that countless lives have passed through its doors, and many of those souls appear to have never truly departed.