The North East's Spookiest Ghost Stories to Tell This Halloween
Unlucky for some: we've found 13 ghost stories from across the North East to help get into the spooky spirit of Halloween
Sir Guy the Seeker at Dunstanburgh Castle
The now ruined Dunstanburgh Castle was once one of the largest fortifications in Northern England and still dominates this stunning stretch of the coastline. Some believe the ghost of a 16th-century knight haunts the castle ruins, and you can take a self-guided ghost walk to see if you can spot Sir Guy. He’s rumoured to have taken refuge in the ruins during a stormy night when a figure appeared and told him a woman needed help. He was led to her as she slept on a crystal plinth, where he had to choose between either a calling horn or a sword to rescue her. He chose the horn – wrong decision. His lack of bravery meant he never did save the damsel in distress. His ghost is said to wander the ruins in the hope of saving her, and you might just hear his cries on a stormy night.
Craster NE66 3TT
The Pink Lady at Bamburgh Castle
Bamburgh Castle has stood guard above the Northumberland coastline for more than 1,400 years, so it’s no surprise there’s a fair few ghost stories to be told here. Perhaps the most famous of them all is that of The Pink Lady, a Northumbrian princess who is rumoured to wander the castle’s corridors. Her father disapproved of the boy she was in love with so sent him overseas for seven years. This just made her long for him even more, so the King concocted a lie that he had married someone else. In an effort to cheer her up, she was given a dress in her favourite colour. Yes, you guessed it: pink. Wearing the dress, she climbed to the highest battlements and sadly died on the rocks below. It’s believed that every seven years, The Pink Lady wanders those same corridors and heads from the rocks to the beach and gazes out to sea.
Bamburgh NE69 7DF
Bob Crowther at Tyne Theatre & Opera House
Built in 1867 by Joseph Cowen, the Tyne Theatre & Opera House is a Grade I-listed theatre and is said to be haunted by a stagehand who tragically died in 1887 when a heavy canon ball prop came loose from the thunder run during a production of the opera Nordisa. Nowadays, he supposedly hangs out in the wings, has a favourite seat in the theatre (where audience members might feel a chill), and some claim to have experienced the unexplained smell of cigar smoke.
117 Westgate Road, Newcastle NE1 4AG
Jack the Jibber at Marsden Grotto
This legendary hotel, beach bar and seafood restaurant is surrounded by myths and legend. In 1782 Jack Bates and his wife Jessie used dynamite from a local quarry to blast a large cave into the side of the cliff at Marsden Bay to create a rent-free home on the beach. He allowed smugglers to hide contraband cargo in the caves and it’s this notorious history that leads to the legends and ghost stories. Take 18th-century smuggler Jack the Jibber for example. It’s believed he was murdered by fellow criminals after selling information to HM Customs, and was hung in a barrel close to the lift shaft. Some say the ghost of Jack can be heard on stormy days.
Coast Road, South Shields NE34 7BS
The Blue Boy at Chillingham Castle
Chillingham Castle claims to be Britain’s most haunted historic castle, and you can put that to the test with a ghost tour or hunt (or even by staying overnight) if you’re brave enough. Chillingham has sat steadfast for hundreds of years, bearing witness to countless sieges, executions and betrayals, and many say the ghosts of the castle’s violent history remain. The Blue Boy (sometimes referred to as the Radiant Boy), can apparently often be seen in the Pink Room. People reported hearing cries near where a passage was cut through a wall into the adjoining tower, and later renovation works revealed the bones of a child, surrounded by blue cloth, behind the wall. Following a Christian burial, the Radiant Boy wasn’t spotted… until guests stayed in the room. Some claimed to see a blue flash that shoots out of the wall at night, and electrical faults couldn’t explain it.
Chillingham NE66 5NJ
The Grey Lady at Newcastle Theatre Royal
Granted its Royal licence by King George III, Newcastle Theatre Royal opened on Drury Lane in 1788 before moving to its iconic Grey Street spot in 1837. Its stunning 1901 auditorium by theatre architect Frank Matcham came after the original interior had been destroyed by fire in 1899. The Grey Lady is said to haunt the upper galleries and hidden corners of the auditorium, and there are various versions of her story which has been passed down over many years. She was apparently a young woman in Victorian times who fell in love with an actor who was performing at the theatre. He promised her elopement, but when she arrived ready to leave with him, he changed his mind. Heartbroken, it’s said she fell from the upper tiers of the auditorium. Over the decades since, staff members have claimed to see a shadowy figure in grey and hear the sounds of crying.
100 Grey Street, Newcastle NE1 6BR
The Alnwick Vampire at Alnwick Castle
One of the largest inhabited castles in the UK, Alnwick Castle’s walls hold more than 900 years of stories. It was once a military outpost, teaching college, refuge for evacuees and has been home to the Duke of Northumberland’s family, the Percys, for more than 700 years. The tale of the Alnwick Vampire has been spooking people since the 12th century. In Historia rerum Anglicarum (History of English Affairs), William de Newburgh shares the legend of a man who served the lord of Alnwick Castle. Suspecting his wife of adultery, he climbed to the rooftop in the hope of catching her, but sadly fell to his death. Despite a Christian burial, he supposedly lingered around Alnwick, illness spread, livestock died and locals blamed him (or at least his ghost). Two men, armed with pitchforks, supposedly found his bloated body with the burial shroud torn to shreds, and came to the conclusion that he was feeding on the blood of the living. It was only when the body was burned on the outskirts of the town that the so-called ‘curse’ was lifted.
Alnwick NE66 1NQ
Sid James at Sunderland Empire
Sunderland’s iconic theatre opened in 1907 and Oscar-winning actress Helen Mirren made her stage debut here. Carry On actor Sid James suffered a heart attack during a performance of The Mating Season at the theatre in 1976 and sadly died on the way to hospital. It’s rumoured that his ghost now haunts Sunderland Empire… at least we can be sure it’s a friendly ghost, if a bit mischievous. It’s suggested he haunts the backstage area, and his former dressing room. It’s this supposed haunting that led comedian Les Dawson to refuse to play the venue again.
4–5 High Street West, Sunderland SR1 3EX
Lily of Lumley Castle
Chester-le-Street’s Grade I-listed, 14th-century castle is now a hotel and has a ghost story so famous, guests can take part in an escape room inspired by it (the only one of its kind in the UK). Lumley Castle’s halls and passageways are said to have been haunted by Lily Of Lumley for centuries. Lady of the manor Lily secretly married Ralph Lumley, the creator of the castle, before he married Eleanor Neville. Lily was apparently murdered by two priests after she refused to follow the Catholic faith and it’s said she was thrown down a well on the castle grounds. Some have reported seeing her wander the corridors and rooms, and she seems to have a soft spot for scaring cricket teams. In 2000 the West Indian cricket team checked out of the hotel early because they were so scared, and in 2005 some of the Australian cricket team reported strange activity in the castle’s rooms.
Ropery Lane, Chester-le-Street DH3 4NX
The Old Hell Cat of Raby
This 14th-century castle holds many stories and legends. In the early 18th century Christopher Vane, 1st Baron Barnard of Raby Castle, married Lady Elizabeth Holles, the eldest daughter of Gilbert Holles, Earl of Clare. In 1714, their eldest son Gilbert wanted to marry Mary, the daughter of Guildford MP Morgan Randyll who was not a titled aristocrat. Christopher and Elizabeth were so furious they destroyed Gilbert’s inheritance at Raby Castle. The castle was stripped bare and many of the iconic Raby deer were slaughtered. Gilbert and Mary married anyway – but Elizabeth’s fury meant she apparently continued to torment them and became known locally as ‘The Old Hell Cat’. She is believed to haunt the battlements of Raby Castle knitting with red-hot needles. You can take a ghost walk tour at Raby this autumn.
Staindrop, Darlington DL2 3AH
Laundry Maid Lucy at Ormesby Hall
Home to the Pennyman family for more than 400 years and packed with stories from ‘wicked’ Sir James to Colonel Pennyman, survivor of the First World War, Ormesby Hall is Middlesbrough’s 18th-century mansion. The hall is believed to be haunted by a young laundry maid. It’s said she was in a relationship with a Pennyman in the 1700s, and that they would secretly meet in the washroom. It’s believed she fell pregnant, he attacked her, and she sadly died. Ormesby Hall say her spirit has been detected when they’ve hosted paranormal events at the hall.
Ladgate Lane, Middlesbrough TS3 0SR
The Grey Lady at Durham Castle
Durham Castle’s construction began in 1072 under the orders of William the Conqueror, and then came under the control of the Bishop of Durham. Students now call it home during term time, and some have reported strange goings-on. As you climb the castle’s black staircase (perhaps on a guided tour of the castle) beware The Grey Lady, believed to be the wife of a 19th-century Bishop of Durham, who fell to her death down the stairs.
Durham DH1 3RW
Signor Rino Pepi at Darlington Hippodrome
This Edwardian theatre in Darlington originally opened in 1907 and the building has many ghost stories to share. Audience members have often seen unusual and inexplicable figures in photos taken in the auditorium. Dressing Room 12 is known to be haunted and has been used to conduct seances and Ouija boards. Perhaps the most well-known ghost story is that of Signor Rino Pepi, who was one of the most renowned quick-change artists in Europe, and set up a chain of theatres across the region (including founding this one). It’s said that Pepi’s ghost haunts the site of his apartment in the theatre, and sometimes enjoys a show from the royal box wearing a top hat.
Parkgate, Darlington DL1 1RR
