Coffee in the Crypt: Ghosts & Graves of St. Paul’s Cathedral

Episode 51

In this eerie season finale of The Grim, we're opening the gate and descending into one of the most iconic and haunted sites located in London England - the crypt beneath St. Paul’s Cathedral. Spanning 30,000 square feet, it is the largest cathedral crypt in Europe and a resting place for Britain’s greatest legends—and, some say, its most restless spirits.

We uncover the story of Admiral Lord Nelson, whose body lies in a black marble tomb originally carved for Cardinal Wolsey, the disgraced advisor to Henry VIII. Wolsey dreamed of sainthood, but died in exile. His tomb lay unused for centuries—until Nelson’s shattered body was brought home from Trafalgar and laid to rest where ambition had failed.

We revisit Winston Churchill’s state funeral, where Queen Elizabeth II broke royal tradition to attend and bowed her head—just once—as his coffin passed beneath the dome. And we walk the stone corridors where visitors report phantom footsteps, sudden chills, and an overwhelming sense of being watched.

And then… just a few steps from these centuries-old tombs… a café. Reopened in 2025, the Crypt Café serves lattes and pastries atop the bones of an empire.

This episode blends dark British history, true ghost stories, St. Paul’s Cathedral trivia, and haunted London travel all in one unforgettable journey below the city.

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Grave Grinds:

https://www.stpauls.co.uk/crypt

https://www.stpauls.co.uk/news-article/crypt-cafe-reopens-to-public-following-full-refurbishment 

https://www.paul-uk.com/find-a-paul/french-bakery-cafe-london/st-pauls 

https://www.clubquartershotels.com/london/st-pauls/the-counter

https://www.thewrencoffee.com/ (located inside St Nicholas Cole Abbey also rebuilt by Sir Christopher Wren in the 1670s)

https://www.hostcafelondon.com/ (located in the gothic St Mary Aldermary Church)

https://mayas-stores.co.uk/

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Bones in Bloom