Rob Kirkup's Ghosts of the North East

Visited 21 September 2004

After our investigation at Edlingham Castle four nights previous, we just had to return. There was so much activity here that I couldn't wait to go back and see what would happen this time. It was obvious that we weren't welcome a few short days ago, but that wasn't going to put us off.

The team was slightly different this time, Harry Dalton and I were joined by Tom Kirkup, with Ryan Elwell unable to come tonight. Harry and I briefed Tom fully on what happened and what to expect when we arrived after our short 45 minute journey to the castle. Tonight was a lot colder and a lot darker than our initial visit.

We arrived in the car park at about 9:30pm, climbed out of the car and listened for the 'dragon noise', sure enough it was still there. We had a look into the field to see if we could see where it was coming from, still no luck. I'll have to come here during daylight to try and find out what lives in the field.

We slowly made our way past the 11th century church's graveyard and past the fields towards the castle which absolutely terrified Harry on Friday night. "Why the f**k am I here again?" mumbled Harry over and over as we neared the castle. We gathered in amongst the ruined area in front of the main part of the castle that still remains and looked around. We felt fine but Harry and I knew that we wouldn't when we neared the area where so much happened last time. A few short minutes later we slowly walked towards the main part of the castle, we pointed out to Thomas the different places where we saw and felt things. We decided to walk around the building as the last time we never walked around the back of it. We headed to our left and walked to the small room which can still be entered but is mainly a ruin. We noticed for the first time that the two windows high up, markings on the wall and then the fireplace at the bottom looked like a face and was very spooky in the dark.

We walked around the whole building, the rear of the building is very ruined and you can see where English Heritage have wired parts of the building together to stop it collapsing completely. We got back to the front of the castle and Harry said that he felt a strong male presence watching us. This intrigued me, maybe Harry is more in tune with 'the other side' that he realises. We've never taken a medium along on a vigil, there are a couple of reasons for this: firstly, there are a lot of fakers out there, I believe there are genuine ones but how do you tell them apart? Secondly, a lot of paranormal groups tend to be a group who get together and they'll give each other jobs to do. One will be appointed the medium, even if they've no natural ability, they believe it is a skill that can be learnt, I disagree. I only want to print the truth here so I don't want to take any risks. I may take mediums on future hunts but only if I know they are the real thing.

We spotted a bright light behind us near a bridge, at first we thought it was a car headlights but it wasn’t moving and there was only one light, a house’s security light perhaps? It went off shortly afterwards. I decided to attempt to climb the tower as I did the other day when I was scared out of my wits and virtually chased out. I carefully climbed up to the doorway and looked up in the tower, there is a huge temperature drop in there and this place is where we can feel ourselves being watched from. I was just about to put my foot on the first step when I heard a loud, heavy breathing coming from above me. I didn’t run out like I felt I probably should, but I looked up to see if I could see anything. I didn’t see anything but felt an overwhelming hostile feeling and knew I shouldn’t go any further. I slowly left carefully climbing down the steps that I threw myself down the other day, realising just how easily I could have seriously hurt myself.

Tom decided to go in the tower to see what he could see or hear. He carefully entered and took a look around, he didn’t climb any steps just stood silently trying to feel or hear anything. He came out and told us that he felt freezing cold and could hear what he could only describe as a noise like an air raid siren coming from the top of the tower, outside we heard nothing.

We decided to turn our torches off now and let our eyes adjust to the darkness, we stood about five meters away from the castle to the front and slightly to the right. After five minutes or so our eyes got used to the dark and we could easily make out the dark castle against the equally dark sky, we watched, hopeful or something happening, the atmosphere here is such that you expect to see ghosts. “Can you see that?” whispered Harry, I instantly knew what he was talking about and I could clearly see it too, there was a white figure standing in front of the castle entrance. Tom could also see it and I couldn’t believe my eyes. The figure started moving! It seemed to be woman shaped, not sure why I say that but that’s instantly what I thought at the time. It seemed to be moving very slowly down the steps in front of the main entrance of the castle. We watched awestruck for a few minutes then the figure seemed to fade away. When it vanished Harry turned on his torch and shone it over to where we’d seen the figure but there was nothing there. Tom, always the sceptic, tried to explain what we’d seen away but didn’t have much luck.

We stood where we were for another few minutes then agreed to walk around the back of the castle and ending up in front of the castle where we’d just seen the white figure. We slowly walked around without hearing or seeing anything, I was leading the way and as I rounded the corner to the front of the castle I stopped dead in my tracks. Behind a brick wall right in front of the castle I saw what looked like the head of a dark figure walk towards the castle entrance then into it. I told Harry and Tom what I seen and we walked over to see if anyone was there, no one was there. By now we knew for certain or at least I did, that we weren’t alone. “Hello, we know that you are here” I shouted “Can you appear again, make a sign, make a noise?” We waited, nothing happened, except Harry’s shoulder went numb.

We walked around the castle for about 45 minutes more but experienced nothing except the constant feeling of being watched and not being welcome that seemed to follow us everywhere we went.

We decided to call it a night and go back to the car. As we went to leave a loud growling noise came from near the pathway that we had to take to go back to the car. We couldn’t see anything there and there were only sheep in the fields around us which don’t make a noise like we heard, it might have been the plastic bars on the fencing vibrating but we weren’t sure. We got in the car and headed home after a fantastic evening once again at Edlingham Castle.

Well I think I possibly saw two ghosts tonight, that’s the only explanation for it. Once again Edlingham Castle produced the goods, there is definitely something at this castle, and it’s something very dark and something that certainly didn’t like us on either of our visits here. I’ve no doubt that I’ll plan another visit her, maybe I’ll try and get a night vision video camera to bring, or perhaps bring a medium to see who or what it is that haunts the castle, and why they didn’t like us being here.