And with history come ghost stories. Here we look at some the spectres said to walk the walls of our region’s historic buildings.
5. The Old George, Newcastle
Situated in Newcastle’s popular Cloth Market, the Old George is a public house which dates back to the 17th century, once being a former coaching inn. It was visited numerous times by King Charles I 1646 and the chair he sat in whilst drinking at the Old George remains to this very day in the ‘Charles I Room’, with many visitors having claimed to see the outline of a ghostly figure sat in the very same chair. Footsteps have also been heard in the bar by staff when the bar has been closed and nobody else was around, these footsteps getting closer and closer and then coming to a sudden halt. Other ghostly sightings include a man with a dog who has been seen several times standing at the bar, and staff have also reported feeling both nauseous and like they are being watched when in the main function room, some refusing to go into this room alone. Photo: Google Streetview
6. Crook Hall, County Durham
This 14th Century Grade I-listed manor house, located in Durham, is said to be haunted by the renowned ‘White Lady’. One of County Durham’s best known ghosts, the White Lady of Crook Hall has frequently been seen gliding down a disused wooden staircase in the oldest part of the hall, alongside reported sightings of a beautiful woman dressed in white seen in other areas of the building. There are also rumours of secret passageways which were lost during the hall’s many years of rebuilding and restructuring, providing a mysterious aura to the already haunted house. Photo: Picture by David Allan
7. Chillingham Castle, Northumberland
Located in the heart of Northumberland, Chillingham Castle is known as one of Britain’s most haunted historic castles. This 13th century castle has a rich history of bloody battles, many of which continue to haunt its premises. From children walled up whilst still alive, to a vast array of tortured souls, many spirits are said to haunt the halls of this ancient castle. The most well-known ghosts of Chillingham Castle include the ‘Blue Boy’ who haunts the Pink Room of the castle, Lady Mary Berkeley who wanders the halls searching for her husband, and John Sage who is known as the castle’s torturer. Photo: Paul Larkin
8. Marsden Grotto, South Shields
Located on the coast at Marsden in South Shields, this pub is one of the very few 'cave bars' in Europe. Many tales of ghosts and ghouls at this grotto relate to a smuggler named John the Jibber, who was gruesomely murdered by fellow criminals after selling information to HM Customs. It is believed that he was hung in a barrel in a cave close to the present lift shaft where he slowly died. A previous landlord of this pub used to leave out a special tankard of ale each night after closing and by the morning the tankard would be empty, this being drank by the ghost of Jibber. The original tankard was unfortunately lost during refurbishment After local DJ and TV presenter Alan Robson drank from the tankard during one of his live Metro Radio shows, this reportedly started a sequence of supernatural occurrences, including flying ashtrays and flooding in the cellar after all the beer taps were mysteriously turned on. This pub was also part of a UKTV ghost investigation in 2001, where paranormal researchers said they had found at least seven different spirits, which would tie in with the previous reports of banging, whispering, screaming and sightings of fully formed apparitions. Photo: AN