Newcastle Castle’s ghost tours draw on centuries of imprisonment, crime and local folklore. Among the best-known tales is that of the Poppy Girl, said to haunt the Keep.
After dark, visitors explore the Keep and hear about its former prisoners, reported encounters and hidden corners.
Becca Whittaker, the Castle’s programming and partnerships manager, spoke to Spooky Isles about those stories. She also described a staff member’s unexpected encounter while closing the Black Gate.
The Castle is operated by The Heart of the City Partnership. Its Halloween Ghost Tours give visitors an hour inside the Keep after normal opening hours.
The Poppy Girl and the Castle Keep: Becca Whittaker INTERVIEW
SPOOKY ISLES: What makes Newcastle Castle such a compelling setting for a ghost tour?
BECCA WHITTAKER: Newcastle Castle has been a part city’s story since long before Newcastle became a city itself. It has layers of history reaching all the way back to the Roman’s and continuing through the Anglo-Saxons, Normans, Victorians all the way through till today.
With an incredible history, comes even more incredible stories. Whilst many castles pride themselves on their stories of kings and queens, we revel in our darker history of criminals, murders, conspiracies and folklore.
The dark corridors, sweeping stairs and incredible nighttime views of the city make Newcastle Castle the most compelling setting for a ghost tour, but only for those brave enough to enter.
Which ghost story associated with the Castle do you find most memorable?
One of the most popular modern ghost stories connected with the Castle Keep is that of the Poppy Girl. This nameless spectre is said to be the ghost of a young girl who made a living selling flowers on the streets of the Castle Garth in the shadow of the Keep, which by that time was an imposing prison amid rowdy and chaotic slum housing.
Stories differ as to the “crime” she committed – some say a bee in one of her flowers stung an alderman, while more prosaic tales talk of her being accused of being a pickpocket. Either way, she was imprisoned in the gaol in the Castle Keep where she died.
Since then, her spirit has been heard, seen and smelled by many who remain in the Keep overnight. The earthy smell of poppies is said to herald her presence.
How does the Castle’s history influence the stories told on the tours?
The castle’s history and ghost stories we tell are one on the same. You cannot have one without the other.
With grim, gory and ghostly histories like ours, it impossible to escape without a few ghosts.
The galleries and a sighting in the Black Gate
Is there a room, staircase or other part of the building that visitors find particularly unsettling?
Whilst the Gaol might be the most obvious choice it is our galleries that our visitors find the most haunting. An eerie, elevated corridor winds around the Great Hall, its blind corners hiding what lurks beyond and narrow slit windows casting shifting shadows that seem to move of their own accord.
You can never be quite sure what — or who — might be waiting just out of sight.
Have staff, guides or visitors ever reported an experience they couldn’t readily explain?
We have regular reports of supernatural activity at the Castle and would even host numerous paranormal investigations, but one of our most recent incidents was not in the Castle Keep at all, but in the Black Gate. One night when locking up the building, a member of staff entered our Visitor Welcome to close up.
The lights had already been switched off and as she entered the space she saw a small, dark figure standing on the corner of the gift shop. On closer inspection it appeared to be a young victorian boy staring back at her.
She quickly exited the shop and retuned to the rest of the team as white as a sheet. “What’s wrong?”, we asked. “I have just seen a ghost”.
Newcastle’s witch trials and visiting after dark
Is there a lesser-known historical incident visitors are surprised to learn about?
Whilst many people have heard of the Salem Witch Trials or even the Pendle Witch Trials, Newcastle has its own dark history of witchcraft, much of which remains overlooked.
In 1649, the Newcastle Witch Trials began when a Scottish witchfinder was commissioned to root out witches within the community. Twenty-seven people were accused of witchcraft, and on 21 August 1650, fifteen people – fourteen women and one man – were taken to the Town Moor and executed by hanging.
This remains one of the largest mass executions for witchcraft in the country.
Among those executed was Jane Martin, who was held at Newcastle Castle before her death. Her story, along with those of the other men and women accused and executed, is often overlooked and remains largely unknown within the local community.
Our ghost tours offer more than an opportunity to experience spooky stories and local folklore. They also provide a chance to uncover forgotten histories, remember those whose stories have been lost, and bring the darker chapters of Newcastle’s past back to life.
Newcastle Castle’s Halloween Ghost Tours take place on 29, 30 and 31 October 2026, with sessions advertised at 5pm and 6pm. Find details and booking information on the Castle’s official Halloween page. The Keep has steep stairs, so contact the Castle about access before booking.
What can someone joining a ghost tour expect, without spoiling the experience?
Our ghost tours are an immersive storytelling experience full of history, folkore and the supernatural. It is an exclusive opportunity to visit Newcastle Castle after dark, hear its dark tales and enjoy the best nightime views of the city Newcastle has to offer.
Find out more about the Castle and its upcoming tours on the Newcastle Castle website.
For more places to explore nearby, see our guide to haunted Newcastle upon Tyne.
