Seaton Delaval Hall Mausoleum and White/Grey Lady


I thought I would talk about an experience I had a few years ago, by a few I mean about 15 years back.
Like most teenagers my friends and I were looking for advernture all of the time, and doing typical teenage things, going to the beach, camping and the normal stuff.
We all enjoyed looking around old buildings and we had heard of several tales surrounding Seaton Delaval Hall, which is located just north of Whitley Bay, in Tyne and Wear.
On one of our many bike rides we decided to visit Seaton Delaval Hall, after visiting it with the school and being told the tales of how a young women was suppossed to be seen at one of the upstairs windows, after dying waiting for her lover to return from battle. As you can guess he never returned and she died of heart ache. Sounds strange but this is just the start of it.
Whilst on the same school trip we were told about a Delaval family mausoleum or crypt that was suppossed to be located somewhere within the grounds of the hall, but it was not open for public viewing.
Well as you can guess we had to find out, so we visited Seaton Delaval hall and intended to find this mausoleum, after dark.
On the day we cycled to Seaton Delaval Hall it was a clear crisp night and we got to the hall gates to find them locked, so we were standing around chatting about where the mausoleum could be, and to my shock we all looked at the hall and in one of the upstairs windows we all say what looked like a women, kind of greyish white, and then she just looked like she turned away. She looked weird. Ghost or not?
So whether or not it was the supposessed ghost that haunts the hall I don't know, what I do know is that it set us on edge and we were all really ready to continue our journey.
We cycled along the road, and we spotted the Seaton Delaval Hall Mausoleum in the trees just of the road up to Seaton Delaval, well not just off the road its a bit of a struggle through bushes and nettles, after all it is not open to the public.
We got there and the structure itself is quite scary, after it is a real mausoleum and looks and feels like that.
At this point I will point out that the picture at the top of this post is the actual mausoleum, and a HUGE thanks to Steve Ellwood for this picture, take a look at his pictures of the mausoleum The building itself does not look all that scary, especially in the sun.But if you imagine this at night it is quite scary.
Now when we got to the building and went into the structure that is above ground, we had heard that there was some weird rituals that took place at this location, and that it is possible to go underneath the building into the crypt.
We found a way to get under the structure, and climbed down into a small chamber, and not only was it dark but the walls are all designed to hold coffins or bodies, so there are shelve type things where there are meant to be, if you picture a morgue, its kinda like that buy without the doors on the places for the bodies.
On the flloor and one of the walls we say what looked and pentagram, which is said to be the sign of the devil and used in rituals for devil worship. When we say this we all got really terrified and decided it would be a good idea to leave. So we all climbed back up to ground level.
When we were all back in the building, but above ground, we heard noises coming from the chamber. Its sounded like movement, even though we were all there and none of us were in the underground chamber. We got really scared and got out bikes and headed home.
Now this is where things really got weird, when we were a safe distant away from the building, we looked back, and I swear I could see a figure in the window, it looked like a thin looking man. I saw this in the window you can see in the picture at the top of this post.
So the questions I have are simple. How come we all say what looked like a ghost in the window of the Hall? Was it a ghost or something worse that we heard moving in the mausoleum? Who was the figure standing in the windows of the mausoleum? I guess I will never know. But if anyone else has had any experiences here let me know.

27 comments:

Unknown said...

We lived at Delaval Old Vicarage for the best part of a year in 1995/96 and the mausoleum was within spitting distance and we never heard or saw anything untoward. I have to say that we never lost a minutes sleep. You probably disturbed some old tramp in the chamber. The ghost at the window of the hall was probably Lady Hastings doing the dusting

Sean J Connolly said...

Thanks for the comment Millie, its always nice to hear from local people about their experiences.

Anonymous said...

Plan on venturing up tomorrow with the lads, should be a laugh, pics incoming

Sean J Connolly said...

Cant wait for your pics, looking forward to it

Anonymous said...

hello guys,i have to say, i think there is more than the grey lady that is supposed to haunt the place.

I wouldnt advise anyone to head down that way to the mausoleum, as its regualarly patrolled now, day and night as alot of staff live on site, and the game keeper. alot of people have been there damaging the place and making it into a worse condition just for there one night of 'ghost hunting

Security has just been really stepped up in a major way, and i no the mausoleum has been included in this, there is plans to eventually get this back up to visiting standard but as you can imagine there is alot of work needed to be done first to the place, it wont ever go back to how it was.

I dont no if you no, but there used to be a game keeper that used to live there when the dome was still intact, before the scrap men moved in and stole all of the lead from the roof! ... since then it was just left. alot of people have had funny experiences there, ive seen pictures with men in, a monkey in one of the windows that really is odd, you can see the hair and the face, the body everything, very weird!! ... they used to keep things like that as pets in those days and there has been things said about a worker owning one.

As for looking for ghosts round the estate... the night time really doesnt give away much! its the day time most things happen! people pick up alot in the building, so i think it would be easier for you guys to just come and visit and take pictures yourself on a day.

But saying that, i think the ghosts love people being around, people see the children alot.

Monks, men and woman have also been heard seen and made themselves known.

ghost hunts at the hall will be happening soon, so just save yourselves for that.

But guys... please dont try and have a wonder on a night time, the way secuirty is now, the police will more than likely be there before you even reliesed you have set security off... there taking it really seriously at the moment and there is so many staff living on site around the whole estate now.

what ever you choose to do, have fun, but you really are best off finding out what happens on a daily basis!

Sean J Connolly said...

Huge thanks for the tips about the security on the estate, such a shame due to people being unsocial and damaging this place.

We need to realise that this is all part of our history and ghost hunting or not, there is not excuse for vandalism.

I do think that as this place is now National Trust, people should either join the National Trust or just pay to go in an like you said take some shots and see what you get.

It would be great if the National Trust let us arrange a proper ghost hunt at the Hall, be great to find more entities and I think it would definately put the Hall back on the map.

So if anyone working at the Hall is reading, please get in touch and we can arrange a proper organised hunt instead of random people trying to go where they shouldn't.

Thanks again for the comment.

Anonymous said...

Hi guys, Just reading your comments with interest. I'm part of the National Trust team setting up Seaton Delaval Hall. It's early days yet and, as such, the Mausoleum is NOT open to the public. It's part of our longer-term plan but for the moment we are concentrating on the main buildings. So please bear with us until we can allow you to explore! We have held a paranormal event at the Hall recently and plan to do so again if interest is there. We're always open to ideas and suggestions. If you'd like to get in touch, email the Community Engagement Officer Mark.Warr@nationaltrust.org.uk
Many thanks!

becccca xx said...

i believe in the ghost. but there again iv grew up with the story and also the story of the ghost and witches who roams the dene behind it too. i live a mile away from the hall(i can see it from my bedroom window) and when i passed it a few years ago with my family we so a ghostly figure in the top circular window but when we went there last year for a christmas celebration, there was no floor for anyone to stand on :P

Anonymous said...

My family all live within 30 minuets of the hall and mausoleum. My dad has lived in Seaton sluice all of his life and he told me that when he was a younger him and his friends once camped in the woodland area next to the mausoleum. When they had all gone to bed my dad got up to have a wee when he got up out of the tent he turned to face the mausoleum as he could hear voices coming from the inside area of the mausoleum so my dad got one of his friends up to go have a look inside to see if anyone was their, they came around the back of the building as it would be the only way they could have gotten out unless they jumped and as my dad and his friend approached they could still hear the voices. When they turned the corner that they saw two men talking to another but the talk was more like an argument but when they saw my dad and his friend they disappeared. This left my dad shaken as he did not talk to anyone about it for about 2 months eventually he told his dad who later on told me. My dad is not a believer in all that stuff and he still refuses to believe in it but when you ask him about the story about the mausoleum he dose not like talking about it as he as only ever told me once about what happened.
Personally I haven not experienced anything like this when I have been their, however when I have been their with my friends I feel as if I am being watched by something lots of people I know feel the same.

Bit creepy but i still go, i would love to see somthing happen haha.

Anonymous said...

I remember about 20 few years ago me and a few of my friends went to the mausoleum just before dark but we got scared when we saw human figures wearing dark capes in the top of trees bordering deleval hall ,don't know if they were some kind of cult devil worshippers but the were high up dangerously standing silent near the top of the tall trees before we ran off.

Anonymous said...

I really want to visit this place so bad! I love exploring abandoned & scary places, such a rush. To be honest I would of not stopped at the pentagram and just kept walking. I learned on my adventures that pentagrams always lead to something very interesting. I want to explore now but I Have pretty much explored all the scary places in my area : /

A little story for you: I was in an abandoned asylum close to my neighborhood. I have explored all of the floors accept the horrifying basement. One day I decide to explore it. I get into the main room in the basement to see garbage everywhere. I shine my light around the the room, to my surprise i see a big, detailed pentagram with a raccoon corpse in the middle. I let out a gasp of surprise,bu then I hear rustling in the room beside me. I flash my light in side the room and i swear to god i saw a Grey blob run past the door. I go absolutely quiet, then i hear what seemed to me like an asthmatic breathing (I know what i sounds like since i have asthma my self). I ran my ass off and never came back.

Sean J Connolly said...

Huge thank you to everyone for posting your own tales, this is what this blog is all about.

And HUGE thanks to Mark for getting in touch about events at Seaton Delaval Hall. Please email Mark is you would be interested in attending paranormal events at the hall.

His email is Mark.Warr@nationaltrust.org.uk

Thank again for supporting this blog, keep your comments coming.

Anonymous said...

I have found all these posts really interesting!! I live 5 miles from Delaval hall and visited it for the first time this weekend....I am usually a sceptic, but when we were in the cellar , a sign floated down landing right next to me...at the same time my left arm went really really hot, like someone was hugging it !! As anybody who has visited the cellar it is a very cold place!! I knew nothing about the white/grey lady but really believe Someody was in that cellar with me??

Unknown said...

I have a photo from the
Seaton Delaval Hall Mausoleum which clearly shows a grey woman in the background, i do not care if people believe me or not.. if anyone is interested please email me

phil_r2004@hotmail.com

Anonymous said...

Hi phil. It's tom

Unknown said...

We had a class time there i went 3 or 4 times with a bunch of friends no real stories to tell. Was a bugger to climb the wall didnt realise there was a walk way.
Good pictures and was fun scaring the otheres who had never came with me before.
Planning on going again some time this week was talking about it in the pub lastnight posably tonight or sunday.

Sean J Connolly said...

Phil: would love to see the photos you have of the hall.

Gordy: yep even when you dont find anything ghostly you can still scare the sh*t out of your friends.

Michael G said...

Just been up there tonight with my friend. I had been as a teen but decided to go back now with the camera. We went at night. At the back of the mausoleum there is a tunnel leading under it. This is where I am presuming they kept the bodies. We took some pics but one pic is all foggy and weird. I am going to get a better camera and go back.

Unknown said...

I went about four years ago, my dad lives in Delaval and I'd heard from one of his friends about the mausoleum. We went during the day (and didn't find the walkway either, we climbed!), according to tales, they never kept bodies in there.

Sean J Connolly said...

Michael / Craig I think it would be great to see some more records of this place, as it was meant for the family bodies before they were buried in the cemetery, be great to see anything that lets us know if any bodies were in there or not.

Anonymous said...

They call the woman who stands at the window at the hall ( the white lady).

Anonymous said...

The crypt entrance is now blocked with a metal gate. Can anyone pick mortice locks? ��

Kirsty Ryder said...

I know this thread is very old but I am a masters student currently working on a report about Seaton Delaval Hall and stumbled across these comments and couldn't help but reply.

I feel it is necessary to point out the mausoleum was built by Sir John Hussey Delaval for his son ( I am sure we have all heard the rather amusing tale of how he died ) but it was in fact never actually used.

In 1900 restoration work began to restore the mausoleum as a house but this was never completed and as such it became an attractive structure for vandals. The term 'mausoleum' lends its self to ghost stories and spooky tales but as it was never used as such it is just a name. The house itself is far far more likely to be haunted than the mausoleum and I do in fact believe that it is!

P.s. Though the pentagram is commonly confused as being a satanic symbol it actually has many different speculated meanings non of which pertain to the devil. In fact it is more likely to be used as a symbol to ward against evil.

Kirsty Ryder said...

I know this thread is very old but I am a masters student currently working on a report about Seaton Delaval Hall and stumbled across these comments and couldn't help but reply.

I feel it is necessary to point out the mausoleum was built by Sir John Hussey Delaval for his son ( I am sure we have all heard the rather amusing tale of how he died ) but it was in fact never actually used.

In 1900 restoration work began to restore the mausoleum as a house but this was never completed and as such it became an attractive structure for vandals. The term 'mausoleum' lends its self to ghost stories and spooky tales but as it was never used as such it is just a name. The house itself is far far more likely to be haunted than the mausoleum and I do in fact believe that it is!

P.s. Though the pentagram is commonly confused as being a satanic symbol it actually has many different speculated meanings non of which pertain to the devil. In fact it is more likely to be used as a symbol to ward against evil.

Unknown said...

I've got some great quality images of the mausoleum summer time, also a pic showing the enterence to the crypt, free free to email me if you want to see them,

Bradhood97@gmail.com

Unknown said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Anonymous said...

Went there today there was no one around for ages