The pioneering locomotive engineer George Stephenson was born in 1781 in a humble cottage in Wylam, Northumberland that was owned by Christopher Blackett. He had Wylam Colliery where George’s father worked as a fireman.
The family moved to Killingworth when George was around eight and many families have lived there since. It’s said that at one time each of its’ four rooms were occupied by a different family so no one knows who the resident ghost is.
Owned by the National Trust, one volunteer has seen the ghost nicknamed Mabel. She was coming out of what is now the sitting room and appeared to be wearing clothes from the Victorian era. She wore a long black dress with a white apron over the top.
A bedroom appears to be the focus of paranormal activity. When a recent custodian moved in a spare room emitted a disgusting smell for months. Plumbers and builders couldn’t find any problems and it wasn’t until one plumber joked that '‘there must be a poltergeist" did the stench disappear, never to return. The custodian’s dog would never enter the room though and was given to howling inexplicably.
Mabel appears to be most active when there have been lots of visitors and busy Bank Holidays seem to be her favourite time with power surges and blown fuses. Electrical equipment is also interfered with, especially a microwave.
A particularly active time was experienced when a group of visitors chorused, “Goodbye Mabel!” as they left the house after hearing the story from one of the guides.
