It’s October which means one thing – Halloween. As the nation prepares for the ghostly goings-on this year, digital PR agency, Tank has revealed the best hidden haunts around the UK. 

The agency analysed hundreds of supposedly haunted locations including pubs, theatres and hotels, ranking them based on reviews and number of tagged Instagram posts.

To create the list, the locations with the fewest Instagram tags were cross referenced with the number of visitor reviews on TripAdvisor and Google which achieved five-star ratings.

Top of the list was Langham Hotel in London with 1,000 Instagram tags and 80% of its reviews achieved five-stars. The remaining nine locations achieved over 74% of five-star reviews and were tagged between 0 to 5000 times on Instagram.

The top 10 hidden haunts to visit for Halloween are:

1. Langham Hotel, City of Westminster, London

2. Llancaiach Fawr, Caerphilly County Borough, Wales

3. Arundel Castle, West Sussex

4. Brookside Theatre, Havering, London

5. Stag Inn, Hastings

6. Raynham Hall, East Raynham, Norfolk

7. Theatre Royal, Drury Lane, London

8. Royal Court Theatre, Liverpool

9. Springhill House, Northern Ireland

10. Black Horse, Pluckley Village, Kent

Halloween, also known as Hallowe’en and Hallows’ Eve, is celebrated on October 31 in many countries. It dates back 2,000 years to the ancient Celtic festival of Samhain where believers would celebrate a break down in the barrier between the physical and spiritual worlds. People dressed as ghosts or monsters so they wouldn’t get tricked by supernatural creatures – a tradition which carries on today but not for the same reason.

The sites date back centuries with great historical significance. Many are now open to visitors including Llancaiach Fawr in Wales, a 16th century Tudor manor house now operating as a historic attraction and museum. Visitors can go on ghost tours with the main season being in October, November and December.

Tank’s founder and director Trevor Palmer said:

“We’re known to indulge in the odd ghost story and, being based in Nottingham’s historic Lace Market, we are surrounded by tales of the supernatural. There are plenty of other locations around the UK that pique our curiosity, so with Halloween around the corner, our list of hidden haunts should help you get in the spirit.”