Lumley Castle, located in Chester-le-Street and owned by the Earl of Scarbrough, dates back to the 14th century and has a storied past.
Originally a manor house, it was converted into a castle by Sir Ralph Lumley in 1389 after returning from military campaigns in Scotland.
Following his involvement in a plot against Henry IV, Sir Ralph was executed, and his lands were seized, though they were later returned to his grandson, Thomas Lumley, in 1421.
Lumley Castle is set to host a two day music festival in September. (Image: LUMLEY CASTLE)
King James I of England was among its most notable visitors, staying there briefly in 1603 on his journey from Edinburgh to London to claim the English throne.
The castle later became the residence of the Bishop of Durham in the 19th century after Bishop Van Mildert donated Durham Castle to the newly established University of Durham.
Lumley Castle served as a hall of residence for University College, Durham, with first-year students—known as Castlemen—living there before moving to Durham Castle for the remainder of their studies.
The castle was eventually sold in the 1960s by University College, with proceeds used to build new student accommodation closer to the university’s main site.
In the 1970s, Lumley Castle was transformed into a hotel, now boasting more than 70 rooms, and with a reputation as one of the most haunted sites in County Durham.
One legend claims the castle is haunted by a 14th-century lady of the manor who was thrown into a well for refusing to convert to Catholicism.
Reports of paranormal activity gained international attention in 2005 when the Australian cricket team stayed at the castle during the Ashes test.
The castle hosted Australia during the 2005 Ashes. (Image: LUMLEY CASTLE)
Belinda Dennett, Australia’s media officer at the time, told The Sun: “I saw ghosts.
“I swear I’m telling the truth.
“Several of the players were uneasy, although a lot of them in the morning said they were fine but maybe they were just trying to be brave.
“I looked out of the window and saw a procession of white people walking past.
“It was amazing, very scary.
“Then I returned to bed and the blind went up again—and there was someone looking in through the window.
“I know I wasn’t dreaming because I wrote down the message from my phone and the time.
“Certainly, when I started to tell my story, a lot of them didn’t want to know the details.”
Australian cricketer Shane Watson was reportedly so frightened he slept on teammate Brett Lee’s floor – England player Darren Gough later mocked him on the field by pretending to be a ghost and sneaking up on him.
Darren Gough mocked Australian cricketer Shane Watson by pretending to be a ghost. (Image: PA)
This is not the first time visiting sports teams have been unnerved; in 2000, three members of the West Indies squad reportedly also left the castle early after hearing unexplained noises during the night.
Lumley Castle will soon add another chapter to its history as it prepares to host Opulence, its first-ever music festival, on September 4 and 5.
Daz Flatman, operations manager at ATA Events, said: “We didn’t want to do something that was just another show in a field, we wanted a spectacular location where we could stage something unique.”