The ghostly goings-on in County Durham have been documented and mapped - while some people have claimed to see ghosts and ghouls. 

Over the years, various paranormal groups have claimed to have seen spooky circumstances in landmarks, villages, and hotels around the region. 

The Northern Echo has summed up and mapped the most haunted places in County Durham, which you can see below: 

County Durham's most haunted and 'ghost-filled' locations

Langley Castle

J.K Rowling stayed at this location for inspiration when working on the renowned Harry Potter books.



Information sourced from Paranormal Database

The castle, which is now a hotel, has had spectral guests for centuries.

Among them is Maud De Lucy, widow of Sir Thomas who built the tower in 1350.

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Devastated by the news of her husband’s death in the battle of Shrewsbury, Maud jumped out of the highest window of the castle from which she had been keeping a watchful eye for her soulmate to return from war.

Guests have encountered Maud sobbing and muttering Sir Thomas’ name repeatedly, and then throwing herself again out of the same window while tears stream down her cheeks.

Blanchland

This Northumberland village has a poetic name but a chilling past, retraceable from the church’s graveyard where monks that were slaughtered in a bloody raid rest.

The story goes that as the Blanchland monks prepared to defend themselves from ferocious outlaws willing to ransack their abbey, a heavy fog blanketed the valley and disoriented the delinquents. Seeing this as a godly intervention, the monks started ringing their bells to celebrate the divine miracle. Sadly, the peal drew the raiders’ attention and helped them locate the abbey, where they eventually killed the monks.

From the day of the massacre, it is said that a funeral knell tolls in the distance and that the undefined silhouettes of the murdered friars eerily brim the cemetery.