Alone In The Dark Entertainment, Ghost Hunting Events and Ghost Walking Tours in Newcastle, Sunderland, North East, North West England

Tucked away in a corner of Newcastle’s centre is the Black Gate, one of the city’s hidden gems. Originally a gateway to the nearby Castle Keep, the Grade I listed building and scheduled ancient monument was built in 1247 by Henry III. Strangely enough, many years ago, Newcastle and Northumberland were separate entities, meaning that passing through the gateway took you from Newcastle onto Northumberland soil – leaving criminals free to escape the jurisdiction of Newcastle’s judicial system for the sake of a few metres. Northumberland didn’t get a police service until 1910, leaving the Castle Garth area beyond the Black Gate as a lawless den of violence and vice. Has this sordid past contributed to the Black Gate's dark reputation, earned over the course of 764 blood-soaked years?

 The Black Gate didn’t take its current form back in the thirteenth century, as the upper storeys weren’t built until the seventeenth century. By the late nineteenth century, the building was a dilapidated wreck, composed of cramped tenements. With so much human activity over the years, it’s hardly surprising that the Black Gate is considered to be one of the most haunted buildings in Newcastle. But who among us could stand to be left alone in the dark at the Black Gate of Newcastle?

Many of the ghost walks lead the sceptical and curious alike through the Black Gate, and a range of paranormal attacks have been reported. Some of the victims have been the likes of teachers, doctors and council officials – not the sort of people who'd normally be prone to such tall tales. Indeed, the building was rescued in 1883 by the Society of Antiquaries, who made the Black Gate the home of its library. The library room is believed to be haunted by the spirits once attached to the objects kept there.

 During a ouija session in the library room, the team contacted a German lady named Doris. She told us she was 64, and that she’d lived at the Black Gate in 1750. A disconnected telephone had been ringing in the room, while the bookcases were creaking without any pressure being exerted on them. We asked Doris if there were any other spirits present, to which she answered there were eight. Further questions revealed that the dark presence in the corner was one “Daniel Fenie”, a notorious killer who murdered five women and three children in the 1880s. We asked Doris if Daniel wanted to hurt anyone, and she told us he wanted to hurt “alle damen” – all women. Doris didn't know the names of any of his victims but she did say "knife neck" when we asked how he killed them – Fenie was known to cut the throats of his victims. It must be noted that up until this point, none of the team on the board were aware of Fenie or his crimes.

Fenie isn’t the only dubious character associated with the Black Gate. Thomas Heron, a notorious Sherriff of Northumberland, once lived here. The pit below the outside walkway is known as the Heron Pit, and the area includes an oubliette where unfortunate prisoners were thrown and, as the name suggests, forgotten. Many gruesome crimes have been ascribed to Thomas, including the practice of dissecting criminals after they were hung. The pit has seen much activity over the years, with stones, old coins no longer in circulation and even needles being thrown at investigators, while black shapes have been seen, and deep growling has been heard.

 During our investigation, we had plenty of localised EMF activity, along with phantom footsteps heard on the walkway above, although it was confirmed that no one was on the walkway at the time. One of the investigators reported feeling something touch her shoulder, although thankfully the more volatile spirits normally found in the pit decided to make themselves scarce. A ouija session managed to contact a 27-year-old woman who’d died of cholera in 1749.

Phantom footsteps are also heard inside the building, as well as on the walkway. The sound of people running up and down the stairs, as well as doors banging, were heard. Indeed, one team was inside a first floor room and heard a lot of activity in the stairwell, despite the fact the other team were in the top floor flat at the time.

This first floor room features a pair of wooden pillars that initially look like little more than structural supports. However, closer inspection reveals a plethora of messages scrawled on or scratched into the wood. Soldiers lived in the Black Gate in the 1930s, and wished to leave something behind. If our ouija session is anything to go by, they left something more than graffiti. We managed to contact a particular gentleman who was born in Cork in 1898. He told us he’d been strangled on the Quayside in 1956, and while he named his killer, he also told us his killer had never been brought to justice. The names have been omitted while we investigate this claim. However, we did wonder why an Irish soldier who’d died on the Quayside would be at the Black Gate. According to the spirit, he had been a steward in the army, and lived at the Black Gate in 1935. This same spirit told us there were three other spirits present, although none of them wished us harm.

Naturally, a building such as the Black Gate requires a lot of upkeep, and up until the 1970s, a caretaker lived on site. The top floor of the building was added by the Society of Antiquities, providing a flat. The caretaker had been reporting a lot of activity until he was sadly found dead in the flat. He is believed to haunt the top floor, although one investigator was told by a woman to “get out” while doing a vigil in the bathroom. A presence was sensed on the stairs, and we contacted a man named David, who prescribed lavender tea for one of the flu-stricken investigators, because “flu not nice” – which just goes to dispel the myth that ouija boards are a portal to the damned! During the session, we heard a lot of tapping and banging in the flat, along with a feeling the distinct sensation of being watched. This presence was not the helpful sort, and when the temperature plummeted, we decided to leave the flat behind.

So is the Black Gate haunted? I think it’s fairly safe to say that plenty of spirits both dark and light haunt its empty rooms and stairways. Quite what they’ll make of the building being turned into a heritage centre is as yet unknown. If you’re willing to spend the night alone in the dark at the Black Gate, then why not book a place at our next investigation there? Check the dates on our website. 

Icy Sedgwick