EditorSwansea ranked among UK’s most haunted cities in new Halloween study
The research, by unoccupied home insurance specialists Alan Boswell Group, analysed paranormal reports, cemeteries, memorials, vacant properties and historic housing stock to calculate a “spooky score” for 15 UK cities.
Swansea in the top five
Swansea comes in fourth place nationally, with a spooky score of 7.6 out of 10. The city’s long history plays a big part in that ranking. Swansea is home to 287 memorials and a high proportion of older housing, with 141 properties built before 1918 for every 10,000 people. Combined with 6.8 vacant properties per 10,000 residents, it creates the kind of backdrop where ghost stories thrive.
While Swansea records fewer paranormal reports than York or Exeter, its historic buildings and cemeteries still contribute to its reputation as one of the UK’s most haunted places.
The cities most likely to be living with a ghost
RankCityPer 10,000 peopleSpooky score/10Paranormal reportsCemeteriesMemorialsVacant propertiesHouses built before 1918=1Aberdeen0.110.1423341.11188.25=1Bradford0.050.163476.61608.253York0.330.33496.21227.854Swansea0.020.312876.81417.605Edinburgh0.110.1316320.8947.556Exeter0.550.12835.81207.407Dundee0.060.0928118.1917.208Peterborough0.210.171414.8857.059Plymouth0.090.061313.31346.6510Bristol0.030.064943.41316.5511Liverpool0.040.042476.61206.4512Norwich0.120.141273.3996.3513Kingston upon Hull0.040.06755.91066.1014Oxford0.110.18802.3835.9015Ipswich0.160.13282.51125.80Local legends add to the chill
As Swansea Bay News has previously reported, the city and surrounding area are rich in ghostly folklore. Oystermouth Castle is said to be haunted by a “White Lady” who drifts through its medieval halls. The Dylan Thomas Theatre has long been linked with unexplained footsteps and flickering lights, while the Palace Theatre — now undergoing restoration — has its own share of eerie tales, with staff and visitors over the years reporting strange noises and shadowy figures.
Beyond the city, the Gower Peninsula has its own haunted reputation, from apparitions on windswept cliffs to inns where chilling tales have been passed down for generations. Together, these stories give Swansea’s 7.6 “spooky score” a distinctly local flavour.
National picture
Aberdeen and Bradford share the top spot in the index, each scoring 8.25, while York — often dubbed the “City of 1,000 Ghosts” — ranks third. Swansea is the only Welsh city to make the top five.
Why it matters
The study also highlights the link between vacant properties and risk. Across the UK there are more than 760,000 empty homes, with insurers warning that standard home insurance may not cover long‑term unoccupied properties.
Heath Alexander‑Bew of Alan Boswell Group said:
“If your property is empty for long periods of time, you will need unoccupied property insurance as standard home insurance policies are unlikely to cover the property — for some insurers this can be as little as 30 days.”
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