10 London Myths That Turned Out To Be True
They sounded like folklore… until the truth came out.
London is full of tall tales — haunted Tube stations, secret tunnels, royal drama, and ghost buses. But what if we told you that some of the city’s strangest stories are actually real?
Here are 10 London myths that sounded fake... until they were proven true.
1. There’s a Dead Elephant Buried in East London
Status: TRUE
It sounds absurd — but in the 1800s, a circus elephant died near Walthamstow and was buried in what’s now a housing estate.
The myth floated around for years until local construction work in the 1990s uncovered huge animal bones — now believed to be the remains of the elephant.
📍 Location: Wood Street, Walthamstow
2. There Are Secret Tube Stations You Can’t Use
Status: TRUE
You've probably passed them without even noticing. There are over 40 “ghost” Tube stations across London — abandoned, disused, or hidden underground.
Stations like Aldwych, Down Street, and Brompton Road once served real passengers but were later closed. Some now appear in films or house wartime secrets.
Some tours even let you explore them — spooky lights and all.
3. A Raven Prophecy Protects the Monarchy
Status: TRUE (according to tradition)
The myth says:
“If the ravens leave the Tower of London, the kingdom will fall.”
And yes — there are still seven ravens kept at the Tower at all times, just to be safe.
They’re cared for by the Ravenmaster, have names like Jubilee and Merlin, and are considered official soldiers of the Crown.
4. There’s a Mass Plague Grave Under Aldgate
Status: TRUE
During the Black Death, tens of thousands of Londoners died. In 2007, while building the Crossrail line, workers found hundreds of skeletons buried together near Aldgate Station — right where people long believed a “plague pit” existed.
Turns out the myth was right.
The bones date back to the 1348 outbreak, one of the deadliest in human history.
5. A Ghost Bus Roams West London at Night
Status: UNCONFIRMED, BUT WITNESSED
For decades, Londoners swore they’d seen a phantom double-decker at 1:15 AM near Cambridge Gardens in Ladbroke Grove — headlights blazing, but no driver.
It became such a problem in the 1930s that multiple car crashes were blamed on the “ghost bus.”
No one’s seen it recently… but the myth remains eerily detailed.
6. London Is Full of Secret Tunnels
Status: TRUE
It’s not just spy novels — London really does have a network of secret underground tunnels, used by everyone from Winston Churchill to Cold War spies.
You’ve got:
The Mail Rail beneath Clerkenwell
Hidden WWII bunkers near Whitehall
Abandoned Tube lines repurposed for secure communication
You can’t access most of them… but they’re real.
7. There Are Still Active WWII Bombs Under London
Status: TRUE
Thousands of bombs were dropped on London during the Blitz — and not all of them exploded.
To this day, unexploded bombs are occasionally discovered during construction work. In fact, London averages 1 or 2 bomb discoveries per year, even in central zones like Bermondsey and Shoreditch.
8. A Body Lies Beneath Platform 10 at King’s Cross
Status: TRUE
Workers laying tracks at King’s Cross in the 1800s found a woman’s body preserved in perfect condition — thought to be Anne Naylor, a murdered orphan whose killers were hanged in 1767.
They rebuilt the platform over her grave, and for decades, passengers reported strange noises and flickering lights around Platform 10.
9. There’s a Time Capsule Beneath Cleopatra’s Needle
Status: TRUE
On the Embankment stands Cleopatra’s Needle, an Egyptian obelisk gifted to Britain in 1819.
Beneath it is a Victorian time capsule, buried by Londoners in 1878. It contains:
Cigars
A razor
A copy of the Bible
Photographs of 12 “English beauties”
And even a set of children’s toys
No one’s opened it — yet.
10. A House on London’s Most Expensive Street Is Empty… on Purpose
Status: TRUE
At 28 Upper Grosvenor Street, near Hyde Park, sits a grand house with blacked-out windows, a dead garden, and no furniture. It looks abandoned — because it is.
Rumours claim it’s a decoy property used by a foreign government, possibly for diplomatic immunity or surveillance.
Locals call it “The Secret Embassy” — and it's been that way for decades.
Final Thoughts: London Loves a Good Myth — Especially When It’s Real
In a city this old, the lines between legend and truth blur more than you’d expect.
Some of these stories were passed around for generations before being proven. Others are still unfolding as we dig deeper (literally) into the city’s past.
So next time you hear a wild London rumour? Don’t be so quick to laugh it off — it might just be true.
What’s your favourite London myth?
Drop it in the comments on threads or tag @Londonyaar — we’ll fact-check it and maybe feature it in Part 2!