Watching the progress of the Crossrail construction project was fascinating in terms of what was unearthed. The Charterhouse Plague Pit was one such buried secret, first uncovered in March 2013. Charterhouse lies between Clerkenwell and Smithfield, just north of the City of London. The area is allegedly rife with plague pits, although if you believe […]
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Elizabeth Bathory: Blood Countess or Framed Aristocrat?
When you say the name ‘Elizabeth Bathory’, a few things probably spring to mind. After all, she’s widely known as the Blood Countess, so you probably imagine a woman in a bath of blood. Indeed, while researching this post, I encountered a plethora of articles that described Bathory as “the infamous blood countess”, “the self-made […]
Explore 3 strange legends of the Newcastle Castle
The Newcastle Castle occupies a strange position in the city centre. So strange that some people can’t believe we have a castle in town at all! Buildings have stood on the site for centuries, dating back to the Romans and their Pons Aelius fort. But the Newcastle Castle was originally founded in 1080 by Robert […]
Are Ouija boards really evil doorways to hell?
Ouija boards hold a particularly sinister reputation, even among people who might otherwise consider themselves rational or scientific. They’ll happily use an EMF meter, or bust out the cameras and voice recorders, on a ghost hunt. But show them a Ouija board and you can’t see them for dust. If you believe horror movies, the […]
Who or what is the Vampire Rabbit of Newcastle upon Tyne?
Newcastle sometimes gets a raw deal here in the UK. Nearly all talk of the so-called ‘Northern Powerhouse’ forgets there’s still a whole swathe of England north of Manchester. People form their opinion of its inhabitants based on photos of scantily-clad clubbers tottering through the snow in 6-inch heels. It completely ignores our Roman history, […]
What is the dark secret beneath Newcastle’s Black Gate?
Walk south along St Nicholas’ Street in Newcastle and you’ll spot a medieval building on your left. Surrounded by the behemoth of Milburn House and the engineering of the railway arches, it seems out of place. But the Black Gate once stood as the entrance to the formidable Castle Keep. This 13th-century barbican repelled invaders […]
