Hauntings: A Book of Ghosts and Where to Find Them Across 25 Eerie British Locations

by Neil Oliver

' Haunted is a wonderful part history, part rumination on life, and, of course a haunting book about ghosts .... beautifully written, fascinating, deeply moving and thought-provoking.' - James Holland

'A proper page-turner .... A fascinating tangle of witches and mermaids, drowned fishers and dead warriors, ghostly planes and spectral horses .' - Christopher Somerville, author of Ships of Heaven

'One of the most enjoyable books on the paranormal I've read. Neil Oliver creates a bucket list of places to visit, perfect for both paranormal investigators and history buffs alike.' - Nick Tyler, author of Haunted Yorkshire
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For longer than recorded history there have been tales of spirits and of places where our hackles rise and our skin turns cold.

Bestselling historian Neil Oliver travels the British Isles on a deliciously spine-chilling tour that spans several centuries and explores more than 20 sites - castles, vicarages and towers, lonely shorelines and forgotten battlefields - to unpick their stories..

Oliver invokes his family's history alongside that of kings and queens past as he probes why our emotions and senses are heightened in certain locations where the separation between dimensions seems gossamer thin. Our landscape is riven with these places, creaking from the weight of the secrets they hold, the echoes of tragedy and dark deeds . From Inverness to Devon, Co Dublin to Norfolk, Hauntings casts an enjoyably eerie glow with stories that, told generation after generation, are inextricable from place - and considers why they matter.
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'Oliver is an evocative storyteller, vividly bringing his tales to life' BBC History Magazine

Genres: Nonfiction, History, Horror, Paranormal, Audiobook, Ghosts, British Literature

367 pages, Kindle Edition

Published October 12, 2023

About the author

Neil Oliver is a Scottish archaeologist, historian, broadcaster and writer who has become widely known as the presenter of BBC television's series A History of Scotland and Coast.

His first fiction novel, Master of Shadows, is published by Orion in September 2015.

He lives in Stirling with his wife and three children.

Reviews

[Vikki · Rating 2 out of 5]

For a book about ghosts, there are not many ghosts involved.
He also complains about people using antidepressants multiple times, which is just bullshit. You don't get to decide what helps people. Get off your high horse and have some empathy.

[Kirsty · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another offering from Neil Oliver and his magpie brilliant mind. It’s a little light on ghosts but heavy on hauntings, grief, and deep cultural memory; all with his added personal touch.

[Fionnuala · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'm never entirely sure what I'm getting with books like these, and I have to admit that reading some of the reviews made me apprehensive -- though thankfully unnecessarily. This book is a blend of history, memoir, musing, and ghost stories. It's always risky, blending memoir with another (let's be real, for most people probably more exciting) topic; it can come across as clunky or self-centred, or it just doesn't hold up to the rest of the content. And I will admit that some of Oliver's memoir parts did seem rather isolated, tacked on to the beginning or ends of a chapter and a little out of place. That's not to say they weren't interesting -- they were, and often very touching -- but I did think it was quite clear that the inspiration for these additions happened during the course of creating this book. Oliver's father passed away early in the process, and Oliver openly admits that this influenced the direction of the book and changed it totally from what he originally had planned. To be honest, I'd be more surprised if it didn't -- writing about ghosts and hauntings, and then losing somebody so close to you... of course it's going to influence how one interacts with the subject. I don't think the occasional clunkiness was overly detrimental, but I can see how it may have irked those who came here strictly for ghosts.

But that's the thing. I saw a lot of criticism about this -- how people felt as though Oliver duped them, promising a book of spooky hauntings and then giving them a lot of history and personal stuff. And yes, the book's cover does make it out to be a more straightforward, spooky house kind of deal. But this book is absolutely full of hauntings, and not just in terms of the many different ways a person can be haunted. There's a lot of paranormal content in here. I was worried when I saw other people complaining about how the paranormal content was just a paragraph here and there and the rest was "boring" history but I found there to be about as much as I would expect. (The history is actually quite fascinating, and any paranormal enthusiast should take an interest in the history of the place -- if not, there are plenty of YouTube channels full of red circles and spooky ambient music for you to watch instead.) (No shade; I love those videos myself. But if lighter, straight-forward scares are all you're here for, then maybe that's more up your street than this book.)

At first I wasn't sure where people were getting this impression from, but then I think I worked it out. A lot of people have a certain idea about hauntings -- that they're all The Conjuring-style demonic terror, walls bleeding, creepy ladies scuttling around the ceiling, all that good stuff. As someone who has lived in more haunted houses than I can count, goes urban exploring, and is often plagued by Beings and Visions, I can tell you this: 99.9% of hauntings are lowkey and non-threatening. They're wisps in the corner of your eye, or things being moved when you come back to a room. They're odd sensations, the feeling of being watched, a tickle on the back of your arm. They're a sense of uncanny, an unexplained grief or peace or anger. They are mostly imprints. I've been having paranormal experiences since I was a toddler, and I have only ever seen one full-body apparition; all it did was cross the hallway in front of me and vanish through a wall. They're rare.

(I have seen two part-body apparitions, for the record. One of them stood and watched me for a few moments before fading; I was borrowing the flat for one single night and I think he was just making sure I was behaving myself. Admittedly the other one was the source of the most horrific haunting I've ever experienced, a genuine Conjuring-level adventure, but that has happened once and I rarely meet others with something to match. The majority of ghosts are harmless, and not even sentient -- they're just energy recordings.)

There are many ways to be haunted, and this book explores different aspects of this fact. There are plenty of paranormal-aligned stories, but there are also stories of loss and absence and grief. Oliver looks at why we're so fascinated by ghosts, and what each person brings to their hauntings. He looks at the people and places and things and times that can haunt us, and threads it in to his own experience after the loss of his father, as well as experiences told to him by others. The book can be solemn, but also enthusiastic and interesting; while he does occasionally fall into the trap of overly flowery philosophising, for the most part the book is well-written and easy to read. There's no doubt of the love that is behind the book: for its subject, for the questions Oliver is asking, and for his father.

I remain genuinely confused by the people who were disappointed by the lack of paranormal content, as again, ghost stories and related topics take up the majority of the book. If you're looking for an anthology of creepy stories that just delivers the scares, then this isn't for you. But if you want creepy stories within their context, and a look at what it means to haunt and be haunted, you'll enjoy this one. It has its occasional flaws, but in my opinion they're not nearly so pronounced as some of the reviews would have you believe.

[Rob Crypt · Rating 1 out of 5]

dnf at 12% (audiobook). i'm sure as a travel or history book this would be more interesting, but coming into this hoping for some spookiness or at least tales of ghostly experiences, it is severely lacking. each chapter i listened to is 90% historic detail (and even in those instances it is neither thorough enough nor interesting enough to feel fully engaging) and a footnote of the spirits said to reside in those areas. thought i'd give it a go because it looked interesting but i can't allow myself to carry on with it, and my physical copy is going onto ebay soon.

[Andy Weston · Rating 2 out of 5]

Not what I was hoping; light on supernatural details, and heavy on historical fact.

[Jen · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.25⭐️
I really don't get on with audio books, but I had some free credits with Audible and thought I would give this seasonally appropriate book a try. It was a joy to listen to. Intriguing, informative, and with a touching sense of contemplation when talking about his father's death, Neil Oliver makes this book come alive.

[Jane · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book was an impulse buy. The attractive cover was what first got my attention and when I read the title, I was even more intrigued, as I do like anything supernatural.

It said: ‘Hauntings, A book of ghosts and where to find them’. It also said ‘A History of more than 25 eerie places across the British Isles’. Therefore, reading that I took it to mean this was going to be a book about the history of various places around the UK, the legends that surround them which would also include ghost stories attached to them. That is what I was expecting. What I wasn’t expecting was the mass of self-indulgent references to his own family which just seemed to be totally out of place and completely unnecessary. Admittedly, we were warned that it was ‘part rumination on life’ in a printed review on the cover, but upon reading that I assumed it would simply be something to give a level of context to the history behind the ghost stories - but it wasn’t. I have since discovered that his father died while he was writing this book, and while I can completely understand and sympathise with that and see why this book turned out far differently to what was initially planned. However, in my opinion it would’ve been better if he either set it aside while he was grieving his loss so that he could return to it when he was ready and follow the original brief for the book, or change the marketing to reflect the alteration of content because as it stands it doesn’t entirely deliver on what it promises. As it stands the title of the book – Hauntings, A book of Ghosts and where to find them, is misleading as the only ghost who played a really prominent role in this book was the ghost of his deceased father.

I have given this book a very generous 2 stars that is purely for the historical content, that was interesting to read about, the actual ghost content was sparse to say the least, the first couple of chapters were reasonable but that is all. However, what there was, was also interesting. What wasn’t good was the seemingly endless references to his family which I found myself skimming over, as it just didn’t interest me. It has been deleted from my Kindle as I can't see me reading it again.

[Stephen J. Golds · Rating 4 out of 5]

Not so much a book about ghosts as it is a book of hauntings. The history that haunts us all and the events in the past that create the present.

Love the way Oliver discusses history in such a personable way and links it to current events.

Although this is more a history book than it is a spooky ghost book, I wasn’t disappointed. When you read an Oliver book it’s like having a great teacher at school. One of the good ones, who knew how to speak to you on a human level with compassion and heart teach you things that spark your imagination and interests alike.

Another good one from Oliver.

[Zak · Rating 2 out of 5]

A real slog in places. Some cool insights. It's mostly little to do with hauntings and more to do with geography and a few lines at the end of the exhausting chapters pertaining to a haunting or phantom or two. The reflections on fatherhood and death feel copy and pasted every other hundred pages or so. It had real potential to be an extremely elevated piece that doesn't match the cover nor title/subtitle, and it just wastes time in locations and pointless repetitions of information. Pass on this one.

[Michael · Rating 1 out of 5]

Never judge a book by its cover!

[Luna · Rating 3 out of 5]

I don’t normally feel moved to write a review - if I like the book I finish it and if I don’t I don’t finish it. In a review I find it difficult to say much more than I liked the book.

However, I feel moved to review this one. I’ve given this book three stars because although I enjoyed it well enough, in my opinion it would have been much improved if there was much less in it about Neil Oliver’s personal life, and by much less I mean nothing at all. I wasn’t expecting to read about his personal life and found it surprising and distracting as well as wholly unnecessary. He wrote about his parents, childhood, childhood home, friends he used to have, where he filmed and for what programme, siblings, wife and children. Why?

A second star was knocked off for the amount of similes Neil insisted on using. He did, I will grant, come up with some very good ones but did he really need that many? I think not.

Other than that it was an informative and fairly interesting book, once I got past Neil himself.

I really think that there should be a warning about his personal life being included to quite that extent, had I known I would not have bought it.

[Jo · Rating 3 out of 5]

This wasn't what I thought it was going to be. I was expecting a book about ghosts and the people who've seen them. It was more of a kind of memoir and about the many ways people can be haunted. Slightly disappointing.

[Holly · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars

[Abi McManigan · Rating 3 out of 5]

2.5 stars
I think this book lies in the telling of the subject matter. There's VERY little in this book about ghosts and it's mainly a history book. Luckily I love history so it got another half star but I still couldn't rate it any higher as the different bunches of history facts couldn't really hold my attention towards the end. Also there is a considerable amount of text dedicated to the author's personal life, mostly his dad that I felt had no place and the author's penchant for Christian content certainly wasn't

[Bertie · Rating 2 out of 5]

DNF

[Andrew McAuley · Rating 3 out of 5]

Hauntings is a very well written book with many thought provoking musings and theories throughout on a variety of subjects related to, but not limited to, the supernatural. What lets this book down, for me, is that it doesn't do what it says on the cover: it's not really about ghosts, where to find them, nor is it particularly eerie.

This is at least the third Neil Oliver book I've read; I've noticed his style (when writing history), is often to place himself within the pages and give the reader little stories from his own experience which makes it seem somewhat less like an academic relating facts and more like an acquaintance relating his view on things. This method takes a whole new level in 'Hauntings' to the point that it is very nearly autobiographical.

The death of Neil Oliver's father in the early stages of writing the book has certainly overtaken the entire narrative and structure of the text and, I imagine, completely changed it from what it set out to be - that's not to say the changes are negative. For me, this is a book about loss, and feeling haunted by loss, rather than about ghosts and haunted places throughout the UK. Had it been apparent that this was what I was picking up, I might've given it an extra star, but I felt slightly cheated, even if most of what I read was interesting, intelligent and thought-provoking.

The ghosts are very few and far between in these twenty-eight chapters. There are several chapters which don't really include any details of hauntings whatsoever. I was particularly interested to read the chapter on Wistman's Wood, as it is a place near where I live which I have visited many times (although not recently as they now try to discourage visitors due to damage), however what I found was the well-known brief local legend that the Devil's hunt rides out of Wistman's wood. This legend, which isn't really even a story, was dragged out to a chapter's length and tied in with the nearby Lich Way, which I was initially impressed was included - but then felt it was a bit grasping to connect as the Lich Way goes across the middle of about half of Dartmoor and you might easily incorperate it into other legends - such as that of the Hairy Hand - which has its origins in Powder Mills which the Lich Way runs directly past. These sites are not connected, and I felt there was a lot of filler. My sought-after chapter ended up being my most disappointing.

The stories of these haunted places are, for the most part, easily google-able and quite well known. Oliver's personal accounts (not including any direct ghostly experiences, mind) make up the bulk of what is interesting in the book, but at some points it does become quite irritating: there are a lot of literary quotations which I often felt were clumsily welded in to show how clever or well-read Oliver is.

The geography of the stories was not well dispersed: perhaps this wasn't a factor for the author, but there are only two in Wales (I've had three 'ghostly' encounters in my life, and two of them were in Wales!), two in the South-West of England and but one in the whole of Ireland. It makes sense that the bulk are in Scotland, but the mentioned regions I felt were somewhat under represented: Kilmainham Gaol, Bodmin Gaol and Berry Pomeroy Castle would have all made great inclusions.

For me, the best chapter was the final location, in Dorset, and the theory of the 'living ghost' suggesting that spirits are emotional imprints. I found this quite intruiging, and it nicely tied into an earlier chapter.

I wouldn't recommend this book to those who want to experience spooky stories, but it might be a handy companion for those dealing with recent bereavement and I suspect they might find some comfort, or at least comraderie with the author, within the pages and for such people it would surely be a five-star read.

[Emma Murch · Rating 3 out of 5]

📚 Book Review 📚

This was not the book that I thought it would be. I was expecting a book about ghosts and hauntings but, for a books about ghosts, there were not many ghosts at all.

This is more of a historical and cultural memoir; a book about the history of the British Isles and the folklore and tales attached to certain areas. It is also something of a memoir for the author, who talks a lot about the huge loss of his dad and reminisces about his childhood and the relationship he had with his parents. I didn’t realise until I was almost finished that the author, Neil Oliver, is the presenter of the programme Coast, which I watched and loved, and if I’d have realised this before reading, I think my expectations would have been altered.

For me, this is a really interesting book although, for me, not a book about ghosts and hauntings which is disappointing. As a historical and cultural book though, this is really good book and one to refer back to.

⭐️⭐️⭐️

[Susan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Author Neil Oliver admits that, all his life, he has wanted to see a ghost. As he takes us on a tour of locations famous, or infamous, for tales of ghosts and supernatural happenings, he muses on what ghosts mean and there is much about his father, who had died and whose presence is obviously uppermost in the author's mind and in the pages of the book.

From vicarages, through battlefields, castles, towers and woods, we travel around Britain, while Oliver tells tales of history and possible ghosts. There are famous locations, such as Borley Rectory, 50 Berkeley Square, the Tower of London and Windsor Castle. Also, there are lesser known places and a surprising number of more rural locations. A great starting point for those wanting to explore a few of many spooky locations around the country.

[Podge · Rating 4 out of 5]

I have not read any Neil Oliver books before but thought this was beautifully written and a fitting tribute to his recently deceased father Having recently lost my mum I appreciated his sentiments and his tender words of love for the past. I enjoyed the historical element as always and have started watching his you tube videos on the chapters in the book but not in the right order!!
The loss of a parent makes you wonder even more about ghosts and hauntings and the book satisfied my interest. It is beautifully written but not heavy as Neil elegantly describes the hauntings from everywhere in the British Isles. The final chapter with the women who haunt themselves with shots of anguish from the past was pretty bizarre and scary.
Recommend to others

[Holly · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is part history, part biography, part travel with lashings of interesting recounted stories, quotes and opinions. Hauntings happen in more of a metaphorical sense, haunted by thoughts, by the past and present, by people and place, rather than ghouls and ghosts that clank and rattle in the dark. With that said, it is still a bloody good read. Having lost my dad around the same time, I felt the sensation of being more aware of him whilst reading Oliver's tales of his own father, a haunting in a sense. A great read for a wet and miserable February, definitely a great book for cold, grey days.

[Jeff Jones · Rating 3 out of 5]

Yep - going to agree with the majority of the other reviews on here - doesn't really do what it says on the tin (cover). Was hoping for a lot of spooky tales about haunted places (the fantastic artwork on the hardback book cover would suggest this) but in actual fact you get very little of that. There's a lot of contemplative reflection and personal anecdotes which are interesting and the book is heavy in historical facts. It's not a bad book by any means, it just isn't what I was looking/hoping for, leaving me somewhat disappointed.

[Chiara · Rating 5 out of 5]

Before I review this book I have to say I don’t follow Neil Oliver’s politics or conspiracy theories. But I do love a good ghost story and local Uk history.
I have to say, this is a brilliant book so well written. Oliver is a good orator and story teller. I think the success of the book was in weaving in the story of the death of his father, I thought these moments were tender and said a lot about a good side of Oliver that I do like.
That said not many ghosts, but lots of haunting stories. I learnt a lot and thoroughly recommend it!
It’s great for reading aloud to family.

[Kevin Timm · Rating 5 out of 5]

I first discovered Neil Oliver looking for something to watch on Prime. I love interesting documentaries, and his wonderful Scottish brogue grabbed me by the ears and pulled me straight in. As a professor of archeology he has a vast storehouse of knowledge, which he puts to use in amazing ways, tying one story to another, and leading me down one green lined path to another, stepping over bodies from clan battles or tilled ground growing crops. As a descendent of Scottish and English forebears, I'm completely taken by his almost mystical use of language.

[Louise Mullins · Rating 2 out of 5]

Not as expected from the description. I was hoping for ghost stories but got a lot of historical facts about the areas and the figures who lived there, and perhaps a sentence or two if lucky about someone's experience of feeling as if the were being watched or a spirit was nearby. It's certainly not what I was expecting. Though the subject matter was interesting, it should have been marketed as a history/geography textbook, not a book about hauntings. I felt cheated.

[Sharon · Rating 5 out of 5]

If you are looking for the usual type of book of ghost stories and hauntings this is not it. Rather it is something of an autobiographical account of grief interspersed.woth the many ways emotions and our own pasta haunt us. I found it a lovely and soothing read as someone who has spent the past few years working through my own grief over the loss of family members but it will likely not be everyone's cup of tea.

[Helen Ashforth-Foster · Rating 2 out of 5]

This could do with more ghosts. The exploration of the history of places of the UK is good and the links between places with similar hauntings is interesting. However it's just not spooky enough. The ghost stories are brief often barely a paragraph and don't really give a sense as to what activity have people experienced. Oliver keeps going back to explore his father's death so this book feels more like an exploration in grief than ghosts.

[Paul Kerr · Rating 4 out of 5]

A few reviews have complained about the lack of ghosts in this Hauntings book but I think that misses the point. Not all haunted people or places need someone jumping out in a ghostly white sheet as this book ably shows. Combining history, personal familial reflections and the odd spectral tale, this book provides plenty of insight into various unsettling places in the UK, some haunted by no more than memories and the living. Superb.

[J.D. BROWN · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book wasn’t the ghostly horror I expected. It’s much more rooted in history than hauntings. That said, I still enjoyed it. Neil Oliver’s storytelling is rich and personal, especially in the Tower of London chapter and the reflections on his own family. As someone living in the Highlands, I loved seeing familiar places mentioned. Recommended for history buffs, but not ideal if you're after true horror. 3.5☆

[Kate · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a non fiction about grief, history and the human-ness behind the ghost story, not actually about ghosts. (many people have got very het up about this on Good Reads).

I was looking for stories about ghosts, however I am also really interested in history and creepy stuff so I still enjoyed this book. I liked some chapters more than others (the chapter about the wee black car gave me the shivers!), some of them were a bit dry.

4 stars.

[Michael John Paul McManus · Rating 5 out of 5]

As a former paranormal investigator I bought this book on the basis that Neil Oliver presents excellent programmes on tv. All I can say is that this book is excellent as well. Started and finished in 6 days. It was honest and warmly written, and a book that anyone with an interest in haunted buildings around the British Isles should buy. Interesting facts and plenty of history about the locations as well as the numerous sightings of ghosts. Brilliant. 10/10.