The ghost of Grace Darling, the Victorian heroine, is said to still watch over the seas from Longstone Lighthouse in Northumberland
Far out among the windswept Farne Islands in Northumberland stands Longstone Lighthouse, one of the loneliest lights in England.
Built in 1826 to guide ships through treacherous waters, it became world-famous in 1838 thanks to one young woman: Grace Darling.
Her daring rescue of shipwrecked sailors made her a Victorian heroine, celebrated in song and story.
Yet some say Grace never truly left Longstone.
Keepers and visitors alike have spoken of hearing her footsteps and sensing her presence in the tower long after her death.
History of Longstone Lighthouse
The lighthouse was built on Longstone Rock, one of the most dangerous outcrops in the Farne Islands.
It was here that Grace Darling, the daughter of the keeper, spotted the wreck of the SS Forfarshire in September 1838.
With her father William, she rowed out in heavy seas to save nine survivors – an act of bravery that brought her national fame.
Grace’s life was tragically short.
She died of tuberculosis in 1842, aged just 26.
Her story became legend, and her name forever tied to Longstone Lighthouse.
Grace Darling’s Ghost
More than a century after her death, keepers at Longstone began reporting strange occurrences.
In the 1970s, men stationed on the island swore they heard light, quick footsteps moving up and down the spiral staircase at night, even though they were the only ones there.
One described hearing knocks at the door when no visitor could possibly have reached the isolated island.
Tools and objects were found moved from their places, as if an unseen hand had been tidying up.
In 1976, a keeper told of hearing “the footsteps of a woman” pacing in the engine room, though no one else was present.
Locals believe it is Grace herself, still tending to the lighthouse where she became a legend.
Some even claim to see a faint lantern light flickering in the tower during storms – a ghostly Grace still keeping watch over sailors in peril.
Visiting Longstone Lighthouse
Today, Longstone is automated and unmanned, but boat trips run from Seahouses to the Farne Islands.
Some tours land at Longstone itself.
Visitors can walk the island, view the lighthouse from outside, and feel the isolation that shaped Grace’s story.
In nearby Bamburgh, Grace Darling is buried at St Aidan’s Church, where her memorial is a site of pilgrimage for those who admire her bravery.
Grace Darling became a symbol of courage and sacrifice, but her story has a ghostly afterlife.
The footsteps and lights said to haunt Longstone suggest she may still be watching over the waters she once braved.
So if you ever stand on the cliffs of Bamburgh and look towards the Farne Islands, remember this:
Out there on a lonely rock, the spirit of England’s most famous lighthouse heroine may still walk the stairs of Longstone.
Do you believe Grace Darling still keeps watch over the seas? Share your thoughts in the comments below!
