Belsay Hall

This unique estate comprises a medieval castle, a Jacobean manor, and a magnificent Greek Revival mansion, creating layers of history and hauntings spanning over 600 years. The tragic White Lady is the most famous of several ghosts that walk these grounds.

The White Lady

The most frequently seen apparition at Belsay:

Manifestations:

• A woman in flowing white dress or shroud
• Seen in all three buildings on the estate
• Most often in the medieval castle
• Also appears in the Hall and gardens
• Glides rather than walks
• Brings intense cold
• Most active on moonlit nights

Possible Identities: The White Lady may be:

• A bride who died on her wedding day
• A Middleton family member who died in childbirth
• A woman who threw herself from the castle during a siege
• The legends vary, but her presence is consistent

The Castle Ghosts

Belsay Castle (14th-17th century) has the most intense activity:

Medieval Soldiers:

• Figures in armor on the battlements
• The sound of swords clashing
• Shouts and cries of battle
• Connected to Scottish border raids
• Most active during storms

The Lady in the Tower:

• A woman imprisoned in the tower room
• Weeping heard
• Scratching sounds on stone walls
• May be the White Lady’s origin story

Sir Arthur Middleton’s Presence

Sir Arthur Middleton built the neoclassical Hall (1807-1817):

• His scholarly spirit in the library
• A presence examining Greek architectural elements
• The scent of pipe tobacco
• Footsteps in the Pillar Hall
• Most active in rooms he designed

He traveled to Greece and was inspired to build this remarkable house. His attachment to his creation seems to persist.

The Quarry Garden Spirits

The atmospheric quarry garden has its own phenomena:

• Figures seen among the exotic plantings
• Particularly in the deep shade
• Victorian-era clothing
• May be family members who created the gardens
• A peaceful but watchful presence
• Most seen at twilight

The Jacobean Manor House

The middle building in Belsay’s timeline:

• Footsteps in empty rooms
• Doors opening by themselves
• The scent of wood fires
• A 17th-century female figure
• Cold spots throughout

The Haunted Stables

The old stable block:

• Phantom horses heard
• Hoofbeats on cobblestones
• The sound of coaches arriving
• Figures in groom’s livery
• Most active at dawn

The Border Reiver Ghosts

Northumberland’s violent border history haunts Belsay:

• Rough men in 16th-century dress
• Armed and threatening
• Seen riding through the grounds
• Connected to cattle raids and feuds
• Most active on stormy nights
• The sound of horses and shouts

The Pillar Hall

The magnificent central hall of the mansion:

• Echoing footsteps when empty
• Figures seen between the columns
• A sense of grand occasions still occurring
• Temperature drops
• Most atmospheric at night

Additional Phenomena

English Heritage staff report:

• Objects moved in closed buildings
• Unexplained sounds throughout the estate
• The feeling of being watched
• Cold spots in various locations
• Doors that won’t stay closed
• Shadows that don’t match any source

Three Buildings, Many Ghosts

The unique nature of Belsay - three distinct buildings from different eras - has created a layered haunting:

• Medieval Castle: Violent border history
• Jacobean Manor: Family domestic life
• Neoclassical Hall: Georgian scholarly pursuits

Each building has its own character and its own ghosts, making Belsay one of Northumberland’s most historically complex haunted sites.

The White Lady moves between all three, suggesting she transcends any single era and may represent the spirit of the place itself.