Cockpit Steps — the Headless Lady

London · United Kingdom · Alley

In 1804 a Coldstream Guardsman was hospitalised with shock — he had seen a headless woman in a red dress rise out of the ground before him.

The narrow stone steps between Birdcage Walk and St James's Park are haunted by London's best-attested headless ghost. Legend says a Coldstream Guards sergeant murdered his wife in the 1780s, cut off her head and was sinking her body in the park lake when he was caught. On 3 January 1804 Lieutenant George Jones and a sentry reported a headless female figure in a red-and-white striped gown rising from the earth in front of them — one of the few ghost sightings ever entered into a British regimental record. One soldier was hospitalised by the shock. As late as 1972 a motorist was acquitted of dangerous driving after swearing he had swerved to avoid a headless woman in a red striped dress.

FAQ

Where is Cockpit Steps — the Headless Lady located?

Cockpit Steps — the Headless Lady is in London, United Kingdom.

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Accounts are drawn from local folklore and visitor reports.

Image: Paul the Archivist · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Wikimedia Commons