Swansea has been named one of the spookiest cities in the UK

Swansea has been named one of the spookiest cities in the UK and the spookiest in the whole of Wales.

In a recent study analysing UK cities for their likelihood of supernatural activity, Swansea was named the fourth most haunted city in the UK.

According to unoccupied homes insurance experts, the Alan Boswell Group, the study scores cities based on various “spooky” factors. It gave Swansea a “spooky score” of 7.6 out of 10, placing it just behind Aberdeen, Bradford and York. 

The studies combined elements that might contribute to a ghostly reputation such as the number of paranormal reports, cemeteries in the area, memorials and vacant properties, plus any houses built before 1918. 

Swansea has relatively few recorded paranormal reports with only 0.02 reported supernatural sightings per 10,000 people. A low score compared to cities like Exeter, which topped the list in this category with a score of 0.55.

However, it has a moderate number of cemeteries, with a rate of 0.31 cemeteries per 10,000 people, which is among the higher rates in the UK. The city also has a high number of memorials, totalling 287 per 10,000 residents. This number factored heavily in contributing to the city’s spooky rating.

There are also a notable number of vacant properties in Swansea, with a score of 6.8 leaving room for some new paranormal patrons to move into the area.

The final aspect that was considered in terms of spookiness scores was the number of houses built before 1918 and it was found that Swansea has 141 houses that exceed this 106-year gap. This high proportion of historical properties can contribute to the city’s eerie feel, as older structures often are thought to be considerably more haunted.

Heath Alexander-Bew of the Alan Boswell Group said: “Data reveals that there are 760,821 vacant properties in England, Scotland and Wales. Many are holiday homes or second homes but some are derelict properties decaying by the day.

“If your property is empty for long periods of time, you will need unoccupied property insurance as standard home insurance policies are unlikely to cover the property… Otherwise, you may not be covered for accidental or malicious damage, theft and other risks far worse than a ghost tenant.”

Though Swansea ranks fourth overall, its high number of memorials and historical properties set it apart from many other cities. While not leading in paranormal reports or vacant property counts, the combination of historic structures and memorials push Swansea up the ranks, making it one of the UK’s most likely cities to have a ghost neighbour or even have a paranormal encounter. 

So keep an eye out in Swansea this Halloween because not every ghostly figure may be someone wearing a costume!

Feature image credit: YouTube

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