Cross Bones Christmas Ghost Walk

I signed up for a Christmas ghost walk to explore Southwark, run by poet John Constable who wrote The Southwark Mysteries. The walk began near Borough Station and ended at Cross Bones Graveyard.

There was a Dickensian element to much of the walk: it began at the St George the Martyr Church, where Little Dorrit once fell asleep in Dickens’ novel of the same name.

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St George the Martyr

Nearby was the site of the Marshalsea prison, in which Little Dorrit’s father lived: Dickens’ own father was imprisoned here for debt when Dickens was a child. The wall used to be the original wall from the prison, but it has been rebuilt recently.

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Wall of the Marshalsea prison

We were shown a pub nearby that is supposedly haunted by the ghost of a woman murdered by her husband. The ghost of a crying baby has also been heard there, although no one is quite sure what connection the baby has to events.

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Haunted pub

On the same street that Dickens lived when he was a young boy and his father was in prison, we saw the National Trust houses established by Octavia Hill.

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National Trust houses

Travelling towards London Bridge, we passed the location of the inn at which Chaucer’s pilgrims set off on their travels.

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Chaucer plaque

We then popped into the George Inn, London’s only surviving galleried inn, and heard a few more ghost stories.

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The George Inn

We stopped off by Southwark Cathedral after walking through Borough Market.

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Southwark Cathedral

By the Golden Hind, we heard a story about the land surrounding Southwark.

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The Golden Hind

We stopped to admire the remains of Winchester Palace.

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Winchester Palace

The walk ended at Cross Bones Graveyard.

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Cross Bones Graveyard