With today (Friday, October 31) being Halloween, we’ve put together a list of some of the ‘most haunted’ South Tyneside pubs.
The borough is blessed with a large number of historic pubs, some of which have been serving customers for centuries, so it is unsurprising that quite a few of them come with a ghostly tale.
With stories of a giggling Irish prostitute occupying an ale house or a ghostly toddler on the steps of a beer cellar, there is plenty of spooky secrets at venues across South Tyneside.
Whether you believe in ghosts or not, these pubs in the borough are definitely a must try this Halloween.
1. South Tyneside's most haunted pubs
These are some of South Tyneside's most haunted drinking spots. | Google Maps
2. The Lord Nelson, Monkton Lane, Jarrow
The 1920s pub is home to one of South Tyneside’s more modern ghosts, it seems, with a snazzy spectre wearing modern clothing with an open neck shirt and light-coloured trousers. He has been sighted walking behind the bar, from one end of it to the other. But he seems to be rather more groovy than scary. | Google Maps
3. The Grotto, Coast Road, Marsden
The Grotto’s most famous ghost relates to a smuggler named John the Jibber, said to have been murdered by his fellow criminals by being hung in a barrel in a cave close to the present lift shaft and left to starve. Among other ghosts said to make their home in the old tavern include the original owner, Blaster Jack, another smuggler, a black-and-white cat, the daughter of another owner and a poltergeist who haunts the toilets. | Google Maps
4. The Steamboat, Mill Dam, South Shields
A classic riverside pub sat on a cobbled street, a visit to The Steamboat feels like stepping into South Shields past. And, legend has it, spirits of the past linger there still. An old sailor who fell down the cellar hatch, and the ghost of a murdered Tyne pilot are both said to be behind the hauntings. | Google Maps