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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

What places in the UK have weirded you out - part two

273 replies

Yachtinggwoman · 15/04/2025 05:23

I have started another thread, as the topic is so interesting.

West Bay felt very weird to me. We went after watching Broadchurch. I think it’s partly the strange mix of architecture. The cliff falls are also creepy. There are signs on the beach warning you to stay away from the cliffs.

OP posts:
JackieDaytonaLuckyBrews · 15/04/2025 18:14

DH and I went to Wales years ago for our first holiday as a couple and stayed in a tiny one bed cottage somewhere near Conwy (I know as we went to the castle).
The cottage was lovely looking inside and out. Bright, sunny, nicely decorated. It was also in the middle of nowhere and right next to a graveyard surrounded by 8ft chain and barbed wire fencing. It was bizarre. It also had the weirdest feeling- a bad feeling. I'd grown up living next to a churchyard and it never felt remotely spooky but this was odd.
I couldn't sleep with my back to the door. It wasn't a ghosty, spooky feeling- just uncomfortable and off. We never spoke about it and I ended up asking if we could leave a few days early. As we drove away, DH said "that place felt really bad didn't it?". He was so glad I wanted to leave.
I've tried to find the place again but I can't and it drives me mad! It was when we were 18 (now 44) so a LONG time ago and I've not got any of the original booking paperwork or photos of the cottage. I wish I could find it. I've even gone through churchyard photos. Feels like it was a fever dream.

TheChippendenSpook · 15/04/2025 18:20

PeacocksandSquirrels · 15/04/2025 16:58

I haven't seen the original post about recurring dreams, but your post just gave me the shivers. A nightmare I used to have a lot was of a house, different houses sometimes, with secret rooms. Those rooms were utterly terrifying, just the most oppressive haunted feelings came from them. So much so that I don't really like being alone in houses now!
I have no idea why the dreams started, haven't had one in a while.

You've just described a recurring dream I have too and I feel the same about empty houses. I haven't had it for a long time but I feel uneasy for a day or two afterwards.

Allseeingallknowing · 15/04/2025 18:20

A little village in Hertfordshire where I was born.( not naming it) I returned to visit after many years and I had visions of a procession, with villagers wearing animal masks, flowers, dancing and weaving around to the accompaniment of pan pipes and earthy singing, leading to a Wicker man type feature! The rest of my family , some who had never been before, felt the same.The church was creepy too.

MalcolmTuckersBollockingface · 15/04/2025 18:22

I think Brighton has acquired an odd, seedy vibe. It seemed to have become quite grotty since the last time I visited. I also had some lentil-weaving type forcibly push me out of the way when I was perusing sunscreen. After announcing my displeasure, I was 'offered outside'. Very surreal interaction.

Although, I find Whitby fairly quaint, I have always found the air quite oppressive.

I'm visiting Somerset later in the year. I'm dreading a visit to Glastonbury in case I find it mega-creepy.

There are several rooms in Chillingham Castle that are known for being a bit creepy/haunted but I really enjoyed the visit.

Parts of the Fens genuinely terrify me: the landscape looks quite mundane but there are definite vibe shifts in certain areas.

Moonlightdust · 15/04/2025 18:23

user1471516498 · 15/04/2025 16:33

God yes. I had to drive that road daily for a year and got a really weird feeling from it too.

I think it’s also to do with the high accident rate on that road, so many deaths. It is a depressing road to travel along.

RedOnyx · 15/04/2025 18:32

Someone mentioned Aldershot on the previous thread. I spent large parts of my childhood there (the army posted us there twice). It wasn't the greatest place even then, but since the army moved out it's been completely soulless. I haven't been back in nearly 20 years now. My mum initially bought a house there when my stepdad got out of the army but she's since sold it and moved back up north where she's from.

UnctuousUnicorns · 15/04/2025 18:36

Got to say, I'm either native to, have lived in, or holidayed/weekended in many of the places mentioned on both this and the first thread, and never found a problem with them. I think maybe only Llangollen gave the feeling of otherworldliness. A friend of my mum's once remarked, "I always feel like it's not really <there>", as if one day you might try return to it but not be able to find it again. I think I know what she meant.

unsevered67 · 15/04/2025 18:39

Catrionablocke · 15/04/2025 16:52

I don't get these feelings very often and can't remember bad ones but I did have a really lovely one in 2019.
I was on the isle of Iona and went into St.Oran's chapel on my own. It was so quiet in there and as I stood there I was overwhelmed with a good feeling. I felt like someone who loved me was with me and was looking after me. It was such a profound feeling that I didn't want to leave. I don't know who it was, but someone was with me.
I am interested in church architecture and have been in many churches and cathedrals but never felt like that. Maybe it was God or a friendly monk or one of my dead relatives.

I am not religious in any sense but the Island of Iona does have a very calming atmosphere and it really feels like a good place. I was suprised by how atmospheric it was.
We once had a family holiday in a cottage in a small village near Polperro in Cornwall. I can’t remember the name of the place. There was one of the upstairs bedrooms in that cottage that I couldn’t bear to go in. It had such an evil vibe.
I agree that the lower platforms in Central Station in Glasgow have a creepy feel about them

iwentjasonwaterfalls · 15/04/2025 18:41

I love these threads! So interesting to see lots of north Wales places mentioned; I grew up in Gwynedd and see most of these places as just totally normal 😅 a few exceptions though:

  • Blaenau Ffestiniog. What a miserable place, just a constant dreary feeling there. Not sure I've ever seen the sun there.
  • Trawsfynydd has lots of strange vibes.
  • Rhyl honestly just feels sad and forgotten and lonely.
WorriedRelative · 15/04/2025 18:41

AlmanbyRoadtrip · 15/04/2025 17:34

Apparently the original Royston Vasey was Alston, in Cumbria. I’ve been there many times and I love it, but I can totally see how it provide the inspiration Grin
There’s even a Local Shop type building on the way up Hartside.

However the filming location was Hadfield in Derbyshire.

Sagedragon · 15/04/2025 18:44

Went to Portmeirion as a child with my parents and brother. It's a really strange village but was made even more weird because we didn't see another person in the few hours that we were there.

SunsetCocktails · 15/04/2025 18:48

MissMarplesNiece · 15/04/2025 17:50

My DM lived near Barmouth, she would never go into Machynlleth. She couldn't put her finger on what it was about the town that she disliked so much. We'd go to all the surrounding places, just not Machynlleth.

Holidayed in Barmouth a couple of times and would get the train around the coast to various little towns but never ever stopped in Machynlleth. Every time we passed it made me feel sad as this wasn’t long after the murder of the little girl.

Skirridfawr · 15/04/2025 18:53

Monmouth
Boscombe - had a very edgy, unfriendly atmosphere
I lived in Bristol and half my family are from there, but the different parts of the city feel very disconnected

Lived in Cardiff for years and loved it!

Berlinlover · 15/04/2025 18:55

PrincessHoneysuckle · 15/04/2025 15:05

Bolton.
Manchester centre
Dublin.

Edited

Dublin isn’t part of the UK.

Shovealoadon · 15/04/2025 18:56

PeacocksandSquirrels · 15/04/2025 16:58

I haven't seen the original post about recurring dreams, but your post just gave me the shivers. A nightmare I used to have a lot was of a house, different houses sometimes, with secret rooms. Those rooms were utterly terrifying, just the most oppressive haunted feelings came from them. So much so that I don't really like being alone in houses now!
I have no idea why the dreams started, haven't had one in a while.

Interesting this dream about the secret / disused rooms seems to happen to a few of us! I wonder if there is some psychological relevance? Like it represents negative emotional stuff thats a bit buried? Sometimes in the dream I can deal with the stuff in the hidden rooms and other times not.

I also don’t like being in houses by myself, the experiences in that Devonshire house and others shaped that. I am better than I was and feel more safe when the house is empty.

If anyone is interested, as it is still on topic as ‘weirdness’ of places, part 2 of the weirdness I experienced in East Devon continued with the next place my now DH and I moved to. It was closer to Exeter city where we worked. Nice vibe and populated with houses, a few shops etc and much better than the rural place but we still had a lot of night disturbances and we prayed daily to keep things at bay. I battled one particularly nasty ‘visitor’ that I won’t describe, as don’t want to scare pp or give it the satisfaction(!!) but it got me literally up out of bed in a full sweat and heart racing a few times a month. It was always the middle of the night and my DH never saw it, only me. I started to wonder if it was just a recurring nightmare and that I was just waking from and seeing it half asleep. Until one time when I woke up, saw it and leapt out of bed frightened but instead of running into the hall and down the stairs like I usually did, I made myself stop in the doorway and look back. It blew my mind (still does) that it was STILL there, in the room exactly where it had been when I woke and bolted. I was fully awake, heart pounding and seeing it with my waking eyes, only the viewing angle had changed to an upright side-on one. I could not dismiss it as a nightmare after that and unfortunately the bl’dy thing followed me to the next two properties in another county, hours away. In the second property we moved to after Devon, I again did the turning back in the doorway another time to look back and again saw it in full view, I was fully awake. After a few minutes to calm down in the hallway or downstairs I would come back to bed (DH usually still fast asleep 😂) it would be visibly gone, but I would wake DH up and we would pray against it in Jesus name. The oppressive dark always lifted and the warmth and comfort of the Holy Spirit came in and I was able to peacefully go back to sleep.

I have only told a couple of people IRL, only my DH, parents and one friend. It is actually quite therapeutic writing it all down.

I don’t know if this is of interest to anyone, but I did get to the bottom of what it was eventually and broke the power of the curse that fuelled its attack. It was a targeted attack and I needed revelation to expose it and cut it off at the root. There is power in the name of Jesus and thankfully his power won the day. It has been over 10 years now and it has not been back. If it did, I have the spiritual tools and maturity now to kick it royally back to the abyss. Also some peri rage I think I could put to good use! 😂

Sorry if this is a bit off topic! It does feel good to write it all down. I will add that thankfully the good far FAR outweighs the bad! 😁

StripyHorse · 15/04/2025 19:04

I have the opposite feeling of weirded out when I go to York / Yorkshire - like I have come home (despite having never lived there). I thought Masham was lovely - we didn't plan to go there and DH teases me about it because I had planned the route so badly.

I don't feel comfortable in Manchester, but I can't put my finger on why. It's not a city thing as such, I really like Liverpool.

I am going against the grain and love Portmeirion (especially when everyone has gone home). It is very fake feeling though, a bit like an outdoor Trafford centre.

YYURYYUCICYYUR4ME · 15/04/2025 19:09

Tate Modern Bankside. I actually felt sick and disorientated, had to get out quickly and was immediately fine. Never experienced anything like it before or since.

PurpleFlower1983 · 15/04/2025 19:09

Milton Keynes, the Forest of Dean and Gloucester. Area surrounding Pendle Hill is weird too but obviously that’s the subconscious kicking in.

Picle · 15/04/2025 19:12

Nunney, near Frome - pretty and traditional English village but feels a bit odd and dark, even on sunny days and I can't quite put my finger on it. Have been a few times and each time I feel uncomfortable. The church is creepy too.

Butteredtoast55 · 15/04/2025 19:20

@Moonlightdust
I don't want to be outing but, in a nutshell, numerous sightings of dark figures, seemingly as solid as you or I, going through walls or gradually fading away to nothing. Seen by more than one person at the same time (guests, cleaning teams for example). Lots of noises like someone running down a deserted corridor, or a sound like something crashing to the ground in an empty room (nothing out of place though). Several sightings of a 'grey lady'. The freakiest bit was when she spoke about seeing someone she thought was a guest in costume in a staff only area so spoke to her and she turned round and had no face as such, just a featureless face (although she said she weirdly felt afterwards that she did have a face but couldn't remember it). I actually know this person quite well and she's very down to earth usually.

Coombe Abbey is notoriously said to be haunted , plays up to the image a bit and it's definitely quite gothic in its style. I can't say I've ever experienced anything weird there myself.....but I wouldn't fancy staying the night!

Mrspepperminttea · 15/04/2025 19:24

Wastwater in the Lake District (which I otherwise love), there is something about the 'lighting' of that lake, the way sounds.....well, sound.... the stillness of it....I feel a really heavy feeling there and always refuse to get out of the car 😁

Purplebunnie · 15/04/2025 19:25

I've stayed at Coombe Abbey and no woo or weird goings on thankfully, well not when I stayed there anyway @Butteredtoast55

Edited to add The staff are an absolute hoot and stay in medieval character, well the one showing me to my room did

despairdespair · 15/04/2025 19:34

A21 between Tonbridge and Sevenoaks. I cannot drive on it without having a panic attack. So many accidents ,many fatal , along there for no obvious reason.

ResumedDeliveryBets · 15/04/2025 19:43

Struggling of think of a whole place that I’ve found odd - the one which caught us all was the historic prison in Beaumaris, Anglesey. Me, DH and small child couldn't get out of there fast enough. Really oppressive place, really strange feeling. I came away with a lingering headache and heavy head.

Do like Beaumaris still though!

Champere · 15/04/2025 19:51

Cheddar gorge and wookey hole. I’m ashamed to say I completely freaked out as a grown adult with DH and two DC with me when we visited. It just made me desperately sad and awful thoughts flew into my mind. All completely lifted when we got back in the car.

Also Crawley in Sussex. Just felt dead inside passing through!