Places you have visited with a strange vibe

The old port in Montreal. Creepy.

Hampton Court was one. Went there when I was 13 and it creeped me out! Loved the gardens, but I can recall the feeling I had even now, it was 1987!
And the other is piers in general, I find them scary, those wooden beams underneath. And then there is those swimming pools in Britain built on the seaside and filled with sea water, cant remember the name, just looking at the photos makes me want to run a mile...

Naseby. I've been to other battlefields, including Culloden, and felt nothing but at Naseby I had to leave and go and wait for my DH in the car. Really oppressive sense of being constantly in shadow even though it was a sunny day.

The only other place I've had an even vaguely similar feeling about is Pendle Hill. I'm aware of the witchcraft stories, but I drove past it on a grey day and it was glowering at me. It dominated the landscape in a really heavy, crushing way and my eyes kept being drawn to it for as long as it was in sight, including in my rear-view mirror, almost against my will.

I had a similar experience at Anne Frank's House to PPs, of everyone falling silent as we reached the attics, but it didn't feel stifling in that same way; it was more a sombre, reflective, respectful silence.

Otherwise there are loads of places that people are mentioning that I love(d), sometimes precisely because of the evocative feeling of the area - Hermitage is the one that springs to mind - and sometimes I've just found them really lovely places: York, Tintagel, Glastonbury, Cotswolds among others.

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That puts a different perspective on it - sounds horrible, I can well imagine that would cause an underlying sense of tension in the place.

Another weird place is the Fens - especially if you are driving through that area at dusk, when it's a bit misty - just miles of flat land, it would be so easy to get lost - and never found.

I have to say the HCP's looking after my Uncle in Townsville Hospital couldn't have been any kinder, and looked after him very well, and made up a bed for my aunt in his room for the last couple of weeks so she wouldn't have to keep trekking back and forth, despite lockdown complications.

So it must be the place not the people - Must say I am rather keen to see it now, I want to feel the atmosphere.

I have felt a heavy sense of history in certain places - Kilmainham Prison exercise yard, where prisoners were executed is one. I think it is the combination of extraordinary and momentous events happening in rather ordinary surroundings. Had a similar feeling when I visited the Banqueting House in London where Charles 1st was executed.

I think when you know the history of a place it will have atmosphere like Bergen-Belsen or the Kolyma highway in Siberia or the Jersey War Tunnels. It's more strange when it's an ordinary place like Cardiff and people get a weird vibe (though you know it has a rift in space and time where the Tardis used to refuel in Dr Who, so who knows :) )

Someone mentioned Totnes further up - not Totnes so much but Dartington shops - my DH thought there were ley lines there as he used to feel weird if we went there, but not so much in recent years.

Some places are just horrible and offputting eg I don't like the area around Wembley. But it's nothing eerie or mysterious, it's just a horrible run-down area.

I read that racial tensions are high. There is a relatively high level of crime and it has become a thing for white people to seek justice vigilante style ie by beating up Aboriginal and Torres Strait peoples. Sounds depressing as hell.

The Sacred Cenote at Chichen Itza in Mexico. All cenote's give me the wicked creeps due to the whole "portal to the underworld" connotations and the fact that human sacrifices to Chaac were made in many (but not all). The whole of Chichen Itza made the hairs on the back of my neck stand up, but I've never experienced such a visceral feeling of "RUN" in my life like I did visiting the Sacred Cenote.

A bit closer to home, but driving over Rishworth Moor (where Ian Brady & Myra Hindley were known to leave the remains of their victims) makes me feel physically sick at times. I've often had to drive down the little dirt tracks around the area in thick fog and heavy snow etc, and I just get this dark cloud that descends over me and makes me feel like I'll die up there. It's horrific, but I know that it's my subconscious thinking of all those victims rather than a visceral response.

St Margaret's Church, Wellow. V close to where I live and grew up.

Last time we went down that lane, there was a huge gypsy funeral on (they walk en mass to the church behind a horse-drawn hearse), so we had to leave.

Nearby was The Sounding Arch which I believe was just a structure like a Victorian railway bridge over a sunken country lane, just to allow access from one side of the road to the other, all part of the Embley estate (Florence Nightingale's family home).

That was supposedly haunted by a lone horseman! Used to give us kids the willies as we drove through there in the dark on our way home from shopping in Waitrose, Romsey on a Friday night!

Glastonbury is meant to be a 'thin place' where the veil between earth and heaven is very thin, and you can see beyond it.

When I was a child, Schull in County Cork, Ireland felt weird. Just felt empty and grey, maybe didn’t like the name as well.

Tyneham Village in Dorset which was completely abandoned with the military took the land over with the promise they could go back - they never did. It’s just trapped in time.

I live near Royal Victoria Country park and found it eerie that me and my children were walking around the same place my great, great grandfather walked when he was treated there. I don’t really know much about the treatments, will read up on it. The War graves there are nice and peaceful but feel cold but surely only a tiny handful of those who died there.

Oooh a lot of people mentioning Townsville in Australia. I was going to say the same thing. I live in a tiny place in NSW but we visited Queensland on holiday and loved Brisbane, the Gold Coast and so much of the coast line.... however, Townsville. Holy cow what a weird vibe. It was uncomfortable and I don’t know why.

Keswick always make me feel uneasy and on edge, even when it isn’t too busy. Love all the other Cumbrian towns and villages we visit.
Ravenglass, mentioned upthread, had a strange but attractive vibe. Just the way the street meanders down to the shore.

Kupari - the ruins of a former military holiday resort near Dubrovnik. It made me feel really shaky and tearful. You could go into some of the buildings - pic below is of the former ballroom, inside Hotel Goricina.

Culloden, couldn't hold back tears!
There were a few places on Guernsey and Jersey to do with the war that had a weird feeling about them but I was young and can't remember exactly what I found so strange about them.

A few people have mentioned York minster but it's one of my favourite places in the world! I find it peaceful and light! Spent many a Saturday there! (Before you had to pay!).

Used to use the taxi rank outside too after a night out and always used to feel reassured being in the shadow of the minster!

Always got a creepy vibe from the castle museum though-have had many a recurrent nightmare set there!!

Cliffords tower just makes me feel really sad.

My nanas old house in York used to creep my out...hated going upstairs!!

My mum grew up in Wellow. She always speaks fondly of it.

Saddleworth Moor is bloody horrible. I know it has recent history that's colouring my perception somewhat, but it's so big and empty and wind-blasted and oppressive. It would be so easy to get lost there and never be found.
Superficially it's quite similar to the area where I live, but it's a hundred times more creepy.

Spandau prison, which was in Berlin until it was demolished in 1987. The Nazis used it to torture and murder people. I've never felt such an appalling atmosphere of evil, misery and dread in my life.

I’ve been to Magnetic Island! It’s lovely. I went to Townsville in the 90s and it may have been spruced up since then. I was backpacking and stayed it the most fearful hostel with very creepy inhabitants, straight out of a slasher film.

One of the MAFS Australia contestants came from Townsville.it might be quite nice now but it gave me the creeps when I was there.

Mumsnet

Rockhampton on the other hand.... one can feel the presence of murderers

Stayed in a Rock House in Kinver. Didn't like it.
I love visiting them but I wouldn't want to sleep in a cave either!

@kitnkaboodleI have been to St Margaret's Church hundreds of times over the years both alone and with others and have yet to have a spooky experience so I think you will be ok! I was also married there - hence the namechange!

@contrary13 - the door is even older, I think it is medieval. It is always cool inside because the stone walls are so thick. I love it there. There is actually a "secret" passage from the church to a nearby manor house and I would love to go through it but it is private and (I think) bricked up.