How spooky do you think York is, compared to other cities in the UK?

With Halloween just around the corner, the North Yorkshire hotspot has been named the second spookiest city, among the likes of Chester and Lincoln.

It comes as research commissioned by train company LNER, ranked 90 UK towns and cities based on three key factors including the number of ghost sightings, the number of haunted hotels and the yearly average of searches for spooky terms such as "ghost tours" and "haunted houses".

This data was then weighted against the population and calculated to give each city a “Spooky Score” out of 100. 

Why is York the UK’s second spookiest city?

Often regarded as one of the most haunted cities in the UK, York is home to the most haunted hotels (6), three times more than London, LNER reports.

York has the second-most ghost sightings in the UK per capita, standing at 42.4 per 100,000 people, another spooky statistic shows.

Additionally, residents of York generate nearly 90,000 spooky-related search queries per year, the analysis found.

UK's top 10 spookiest cities 

  1. Exeter (79.8/100)
  2. York (70.5/100)
  3. Chester (51.0/100)
  4. St Albans (47.2/100)
  5. Brighton (46.8/100)
  6. Hartlepool (46.0/100)
  7. Bath (44.0/100)
  8. Newcastle upon Tyne (39.4/100)
  9. Peterborough (37.7/100)
  10. Lincoln (37.3/100)

Elsewhere, boasting the highest number of haunted hotels (4.2) and ghost sightings (42.4) per 100,000 people, Exeter tops the chart as the spookiest city in the UK.

Although London didn’t make the chart, it reported the most ghost sightings, with a whopping total of 147.

However, Manchester, (ranking 13th) has the greatest fascination with all things haunted, generating over 50,000 queries a month for spooky-related terms.

Recommended reading:

David Flesher, commercial director at LNER, commented: "We’re proud to connect customers to some of the UK’s spookiest spots, making it easy to plan a Halloween weekend filled with thrills and chills.

“From pumpkin patches in the countryside, to haunted tours in historic cities, our trains take you there in comfort and style.

“Autumn is the perfect time for a family day out or weekend break. Whether it's a fun-filled adventure or a visit to a city brimming with seasonal events and fun frights, we look forward to welcoming customers onboard.”