The Seven Stars

Built in 1602 and surviving the Great Fire of London, The Seven Stars is one of the oldest pubs in London, nestled behind the Royal Courts of Justice in Holborn. This tiny establishment has long served the legal profession, and it appears some of its most dedicated patrons continue to visit from beyond the grave. The pub is haunted by multiple entities, including phantom barristers and a mischievous spectral cat.

The most frequently reported apparitions are those of wigged and gowned legal figures from the Georgian and Victorian eras, seen sitting in the corners of the pub reviewing papers or engaged in animated discussion. These ghostly barristers appear particularly solid and realistic, often causing confusion when they suddenly vanish. Some witnesses have reported hearing legal arguments being conducted in hushed tones when the pub is supposedly empty, complete with the rustling of papers and the tapping of gavels.

Perhaps the most unusual haunting involves a poltergeist cat that has never been fully explained. Patrons and staff report seeing a black cat darting between tables and under chairs, feeling its fur brush against their legs, only to discover no cat is present. Objects occasionally move on their own, glasses slide across tables, and there are unexplained scratching sounds coming from the walls. The landlady has reported seeing a distinguished gentleman in 18th-century legal attire standing at the bar, who nods politely before fading away. The pub’s ancient beams, narrow corridors, and proximity to the courts create an atmosphere where the past feels perpetually present.