Durham’s haunted pubs

It isn’t just castles and stately homes that boast their own ghosts. Many pubs and inns in the north of England have their own supernatural inhabitants.
Of course, there are many more pubs than castles so let’s start with four in Durham.
Regulars and staff alike have reported eerie and inexplicable events.
The Shakespeare on Saddler Street in Durham City is said to be one of the most haunted pubs in the area. Built in 1190, customers and staff have reported strange happenings for many years.
They feel their shirts being tugged. There will suddenly be loud, unexplained screams. Footsteps are heard running up and down the stairs. Dark figures appear and as suddenly as they come, they disappear. Cold gusts of wind sweep through the rooms when there is no open window. There is even an old sewing machine which is said to spring into operation with no-one in sight. It is always heralded by a distinctive squeaking.
The Dun Cow on Old Elvet is said to be host to many ghosts, some of whom are apparently those of long dead hangmen, who stayed at the inn both before and after executions. The most famous of its ghostly inhabitants is Mary Ann Cotton, a one time resident of West Auckland who in the 1800s murdered some 15 people, including children. Objects are said to move of their own accord. The beer pumps are interfered with and footsteps are heard in the corridor with no-one around while at the bar, many regulars have reported apparitions. This is one of the pubs investigated by Spectre Detectors. Footage was captured of a doll falling from the bar’s counter. Was it an accident or did an unseen hand push it?
The Forester’s Arms in Coatham Mandeville, Darlington boasts many spooky tales and unexplained events. In 2008, the landlady reported being mysteriously locked in the cellar. She was there all night before being released by her boyfriend the next morning. She also reported that her dog would whimper when coming down the stairs. Other landlords believed ghosts were those of nuns; it is apparently the site of a nunnery from centuries ago.
The Merry Monk on George Street in Bishop Auckland also has its fair share of unseen visitors. Temperatures are said to plummet in the cellar and an eerie feeling of being watched is reported. Again, Spectre Detectors investigated and reported a variety of paranormal experiences. At the outset of the investigation a crucifix flew across the room. One team member picked up the image of a monk, who is said to have been flogged. Later, red marks appeared on her back. A photo taken by Elaine Kelly, believed to be of a monk, can be seen staring from the darkness. She also captured the image of a dog, all the more eerie because howling and barking can be heard from the cellar.
Unfortunately I couldn’t find images without copyright but Spectre Detectors can be found on Facebook or why not visit for a ghost tour at the Shakespeare or a quiet tipple at one of the other pubs mentioned? Who knows, you might be one of the lucky punters to experience your own ghostly experience?

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