Spookiest UK Street Names: A Real-Life Nightmare on Elm Street

The nights are pulling in, pumpkins are appearing in windows, and everything’s getting that little bit spooky.

Yes, Halloween is upon us, giving adults everywhere a socially acceptable excuse to dress up (and marketers a tenuous way of shoehorning their industry into a public holiday).

So, in keeping with the spirit of the season, we’ve found the spookiest street names in Britain.

Elm Street

A classic of horror cinema, A Nightmare on Elm Street still sends a shiver down the spine 40 years on. But there may be a few nightmares this Halloween on one of the 70 real-life Elm Streets in Britain.

It seems that the influence of the 1984 film – featuring Freddy Kruger, the clawed villain who kills his victims in their dreams – has worked its way into house prices. Due to the association with the film, houses on Elm Street can be worth nearly 60% less than others in the postcode.

That truly is a nightmare on Elm Street! (Unless you're a fearless First Time Buyer)

Ghost House Lane

Ghost House Lane, in Beeston, Nottinghamshire, is perhaps the most on the nose entry on this list.

The road is said to have got its name from an old cottage that some 200 years ago was believed to be haunted and potentially the scene of a murder. Now that really is enough to keep you up at night!

Broomstick Lane

Broomstick Lane is an evocatively named street, if ever there was one. If you don’t see witches and black cats on this street, where else would you?

Located in leafy Chesham, in the Home Counties, homes here go for a pretty penny regardless – or perhaps because of – the intriguing and creepy name.

Headless Cross Drive

Headless Cross Drive in the Worcestershire town of Redditch conjures up plenty of spooky images. But if you come looking for the supernatural, you might be disappointed.

Boasting a pub, a dental practice, and a Co-Op, Headless Cross Drive is a pleasant residential street that’s about as spooky as a litter of puppies. But who knows what Halloween might bring?

Witches Walk

Keep your wits about you on this bewitchingly named street in Somerset.

Found in the charming historic market town of Bridgwater, Witches Walk is a tiny, family-friendly residential street with an average house price of £160,000.

You aren’t likely to hear the words ‘double, double, toil and trouble’. But you may want to look twice if you see a black cat!

Black Cat Drive

Speaking of black cats, you might want to steer clear of Black Cat Drive in Northampton if you associate the felines with the occult.

Buyers aren’t being put off though, despite the spooky name. According to Rightmove, properties in Black Cat Drive had an overall average price of £281,000 over the last year - 5% up on the 2018 peak of £267,500.

Dead Lane

Dead Lane is as macabre name you could hope to find. However, there are several Dead Lanes in the UK, including three in Essex and one in Yorkshire and the Humber.

In the Essex village of Ardleigh, on the outskirts of Colchester, Dead Lane remains popular among buyers despite its unfortunate name, with a 2-bed detached generally fetching over £320,000.

Stakesby Road - Whitby 

The charming Yorkshire seaside town of Whitby is most famous for inspiring Bram Stoker’s classic Gothic novel Dracula. But despite these vampiric links, its eerie atmosphere (especially at night) and rumours that many of its buildings are haunted, the town itself isn’t home to many creepy street names.

The closest it comes to evoking some Stoker-esque chills is Stakesby Road. But that’s a pretty poor showing for the most vampiric town in England.

These are just some of the many spooky street names to be found across the UK – places that can feel that little bit spookier on October 31.

Now, where did we put that garlic?