As Halloween and Guy Fawkes' night approach, Heather Barron digs deep into the most haunted countryside locations in the North

Dunstanburgh Castle

As befits its ancient status, Dunstanburgh Castle is home to more than one ghost. Thomas, Earl of Lancaster, was executed for treason in 1322 by King Edward II. The incompetent executioner took 11 strokes to finally cut off his head, during which even hardened warriors fainted during this bloody farce.

The Earls' ghost has been spotted walking the castle grounds carrying his mangled head, with a face that still expresses the pain and horror he suffered before the final blow finally took his life.

The castle’s most famous resident is the ghost of Sir Guy the Seeker. One dark and stormy night, the knight stumbled upon Dunstanburgh Castle whilst on his search for the Holy Grail. As he approached, a warlock appeared and told him that a beautiful young lady was held captive in the castle in need of rescue.

The brave knight rushed into the castle grounds to save her but found himself surrounded by more than a hundred knights with no skin on their bones. This was the Army of the Dead, hollow eyes staring at him from every angle.

Before him on the ground lay the beautiful prisoner, a look of sheer terror on her face and her body paralysed with fear.

Two eight-feet-tall skeletal knights stood before Sir Guy - one carried a horn, the other a huge sword. Guy was told to choose the horn or the sword to save the maiden.

His instincts told him to choose the sword and take on the undead, but he chose the horn.

As the knights approached, Guy blew the magical horn, and all of a sudden everything disappeared and he was back outside the castle.

From that day, he desperately searched every corner of the castle for the maiden, but never found her and died a lonely and broken man.

His ghost can be seen still forever wandering outside the castle trying to find a way in to rescue the lady.

 

Chillingham Castle, Northumberland

Chillingham Castle is widely regarded as one of the most haunted places in the country with hundreds of paranormal events being recorded. Dating back over 800 years, this castle was built for one purpose and one purpose alone, killing.

In the heart of Northumberland, the castle was the first line of defence, preventing the Scots getting over the border to invade England back in the days of William Wallace when the castle was ruled over by King Edward I (Edward Long shanks).

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Picture: Glen Bowman / CC-by-2.0

A horrific torture chamber houses a selection of torture implements that are nearly all in working order today, and a dungeon that kept many prisoners locked away until their deaths. It’s said that if you look down through the grate covering the oubliette you can see the remains of a young girl looking back up at you - the last person to be killed here.

The resident torturer was a man called John Sage - a major celebrity in his day. Sage was a brutal man who he hated the Scots and revelled in the role, even devising some devices of his own. He tortured upwards of fifty people a week for the three years he held down this job, many of whom are still said to walk the halls and rooms of the castle.

Even the lake in the grounds is said to be haunted, containing the remains of thousands of Scots killed during the war with the English. The bodies would be bundled onto a cart and then thrown into the lake. Rumour has it that if you put your hand into the water the souls of the dead will pull you under.

Bamburgh Castle, Northumberland

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Picture: Michael Atkinson / Northern Echo Camera Club

Bamburgh Castle, dating back to the 11th century sits atop a massive rock on the north eastern coastline. There are numerous ghost stories surrounding the castle with the surrounding sand dunes said to be every bit as haunted as the castle itself. It has an amazing torture chamber and a fascinating armoury, and, rumour has it, it was once the home of Sir Lancelot.

Many visitors to the Castle have reported sensing something in the air or even feeling that they have been touched, then turning to discover no one there. Others have seen or heard furniture being moved around when there was no one in the room. An armour-clad knight is also often heard stomping about the castle, sometimes rattling his chains. Many witnesses have seen ghostly figures and report being touched by unseen hands near the staircase by the library.

The dunes themselves have a horrific and gruesome history. In the days when the castle was used for defence and killing, witches made their covens amongst the dunes, preying upon people, killing them and setting them on fire as a tribute to Satan. When goods were brought to the castle by ship, thieves would hide in the dunes and ambush people carrying supplies or treasure to the castle, hacking them to pieces then stealing whatever they were taking to the castle. There is also a series of secret tunnels underneath the castle leading out to the sand dunes.

The Schooner Hotel, Alnmouth

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The Schooner hotel has been designated the “most haunted hotel in the United Kingdom” on more than one occasion by The Poltergeist Society. Many ghost hunters and paranormal investigators have visited Schooner hotel and found evidence of the presence of paranormal activities.

There are at least 60 different spirits who make appearances to spook the minds of people residing in The Schooner Hotel, and, over the years, the approximate number of ghost sightings is around 3000!

The hotel is a Grade II listed, 17th century coaching inn and hotel in Alnmouth. As well as being a legitimate trading port, it was also a haven for smugglers and vagabonds.

In the 19th century the 32-room hotel had a considerable reputation and could boast a prestigious clientele of people such as Charles Dickens, John Wesley, Douglas Bader, Basil Rathbone, and King George III of England While the history of the hotel is not well documented, there are many stories of murders, suicides and massacres. There have even been reports of babies being thrown into fires!

There was supposed to have been a family murder connected to Room 28 and, that corridor, and screams are often heard within. Some staff have experienced the feelings of been watched in certain rooms and a sense of dread when they need to go into the “haunted” rooms.

Along the corridor near room 17, a young ghost boy is supposed to pedal along on his small tricycle and knock against the door. On all the doors along that corridor there are scratches which cannot be explained.

Whispering and screams have been heard, with knocks, clicking noises and raps in certain room as well - especially rooms 28,29 and 30. Dark shadows flit past, while visitors have experienced feeling uneasy, dizzy and sick in these rooms.

The presence of a soldier walking the corridors, and a maid who haunts the stairs have also been witnessed.

Lumley Castle, Chester-le-Street

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One of the most haunted places in County Durham, Lumley Castle’s corridors are said to be stalked by the 14th century lady of the manor herself, Lily Lumley. She was apparently thrown down the castle’s well by two priests for not following the Catholic faith. They left her there to die.

Many of the staff have had encounters with Lady Lumley as she wanders the castle late at night.

Originally a manor house, it was converted to a castle in 1839 by owner Sir Ralph Lumley. Now a Grade I listed building, it serves as a luxurious hotel, a cricket ball’s-throw away from Durham County Cricket Club. Many visiting players have stayed in the hotel and witnessed paranormal activity.

When the Australian cricket team came over in 2005, they had a lot of trouble sleeping due to the ghostly goings-on. If Lady Lumley doesn’t frighten you, then listen out for the sounds of phantom children playing on the top floor of the hotel.

And you might have an encounter with the mischievous Black Jack, who is known as a prankster – moving guests’ belongings and knocking their glasses off the table.

White Mare Cliff, Sutton Bank

Above Lake Gormire, near the Sutton Bank National Park Centre, is a steep cliff face called White Mare Cliff.

It was said the former Abbot of Rievaulx Abbey had a white mare which was famous for its beauty as well as its speed. However, a local knight, named Harry de Scriven, was jealous of the Abbot and wanted to ride the white mare. He had his own horse, called Nightwind, but he still longed to ride the Abbot’s fine horse.

One afternoon Sir Harry called in at an inn for food and drink, and there he spotted the Abbot in a corner near the fire. He joined the Abbot and they spent the rest of the afternoon drinking and eating way too much.

Then Sir Harry had an idea – he lied and told the Abbot that a local farmer was in desperate need to see him, but he’d forgotten to give him the message earlier. However, the Abbot was so drunk he didn’t think it was at all odd. Sir Harry suggested that the Abbot should take his horse, Nightwind, as a storm was brewing and the larger horse would be faster and stronger.

Sir Harry offered to ride part of the way with the Abbot on the white mare – to keep him company. However, as they set off into the storm the ride soon became a race. Sir Harry had never lost a race before, but as the Abbot passed him on Nightwind, he thrashed the poor white mare to try and keep up. Unfortunately, he hadn’t considered the terrain, and as the cliff edge drew nearer he heard the Abbot laughing nearby and saw that he had grown horns and a forked tail.

Sir Harry was so shocked he couldn’t stop his horse and she galloped over the edge of the cliff and they fell to their deaths. Meanwhile, the Abbot and Nightwind plunged into dark and bottomless Lake Gormire, sending up clouds of steam and leaving the water boiling and dark – as dark as it is today.

On wild and stormy nights, the spectre of the terrified white mare can be seen plunging over the White Mare Cliff onto the rocks below.

The Guy Fawkes Inn, York

Bonfire Night is just round the corner so we couldn't leave out the spooky local connections to notorious York-born plotter Guide Fawkes.

The Guy Fawkes Inn, in the shadow of York Minister, is reputed to be the birthplace of the man behind the Gunpowder Plot in 1605, although there are counter claims that it may have been nearby in Stonegate.

Nevertheless, the inn is a medieval pub with roaring fires, exposed timbers and gas lamps and is said to be the scene of extraordinary paranormal activity. The picture below shows Guy Fawkes' talking head at York Dungeon.

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