Spooky free days out in Yorkshire this Halloween
13 October 2026 · 3 min read
Ruined abbeys, haunted castle mounds, a medieval guillotine and Dracula's steps: eerie Yorkshire days out that won't cost a penny this Halloween.
Yorkshire does spooky brilliantly. Centuries of history have left it scattered with ruined abbeys, crumbling castles and dark legends, and the best bit is that lots of them are free to explore. Here are our favourite eerie places for October half term, plus a few free Halloween events.
Tip: most of these are outdoors and get dark early in autumn, so go in the afternoon and take a torch if you're staying for sunset.
1. St Mary's Abbey, York
The skeletal arches of what was once one of the richest abbeys in the north rise out of York's Museum Gardens. On a misty autumn afternoon they're wonderfully atmospheric, and the gardens are free to wander.
2. Whitby 199 Steps
Climb the famous steps up to St Mary's Church and the clifftop where Bram Stoker set part of Dracula. The view back over the harbour at dusk is pure gothic. (The abbey at the top charges for entry, but the steps, the churchyard and the views are free.)
3. Halifax Gibbet
A full-size replica of the Halifax Gibbet, an early guillotine used to execute thieves in the town until the 1650s. It stands on the original site, and it's a grisly history lesson that older kids love.
4. Bolton Priory
The ruined priory church by the River Wharfe is one of the most photographed ruins in Yorkshire, and it has long been said to be haunted by a ghostly monk. Walking around the ruins is free (there's a charge to park on the estate).
5. Byland Abbey
Byland's great broken rose window frames the sky like something from a ghost story. Medieval monks here wrote down tales of local ghosts, which makes it the perfect place to share a few of your own.
6. Easby Abbey
Riverside ruins just outside Richmond, reached on a lovely walk along the Swale. It's quiet, free and very atmospheric as the light fades.
7. Sandal Castle
The earthworks and ruins of the castle above Wakefield where Richard, Duke of York, set out to his death at the Battle of Wakefield in 1460. Climb the motte for wide views and a shiver of history.
8. Gisborough Priory
The towering east end of this ruined priory stands alone against the sky in Guisborough, looking like a stage set for a horror film.
9. Brimham Rocks
Huge, strangely shaped rocks on the moor above Nidderdale. Wind and rain have carved them into weird twisted shapes that look even stranger in autumn mist. Free to explore (parking charges apply).
10. Hole of Horcum
A vast hollow in the North York Moors that local legend says was scooped out by the giant Wade in a temper. Walk the rim on a moody day and it's easy to believe.
Free Halloween events
- The Little York Ghost Hunt, York, 26 to 28 October: hunt for hundreds of little hidden ghosts in the streets around the Minster after dark.
- Ghosts in the Gardens Sculpture Trail, York, until 1 November: wire "ghost" figures of people from York's past, in gardens and streets around the city.
- Mummies in the Museum Trail, Barnsley: a free family museum trail.
- Light Night Leeds, 28 and 29 October: free light art across the city centre, perfect for a half-term evening.
See all free events this half term and find more free castles and abbeys on our map.
Everything here was free to visit when we wrote this, but opening times, parking charges and access can change, so please check before you travel. Spotted something that's changed? Use "Suggest an edit" on the place's page.
Cover photo: St Mary's Abbey by Kaly99 · CC BY-SA 3.0 · via Wikimedia Commons.
