The ruins of Hylton Castle (in Sunderland, Northern England) are reputed to be haunted by the ghost of a murdered stable boy Robert Skelton, known locally as the Cauld Lad of Hylton.[1] The events are said to have taken place in the 16th or 17th century and there are several legends concerning the ghost's origins.
One story states that the stable boy was caught courting Baron Hylton's daughter, and was killed.
Another version says that the baron ordered that his horse be prepared for an important journey, but Skelton had overslept. There are several versions of what happened next. The enraged baron was said to have either
He was then reported to have disposed of the body in a deep pond, or an unused well.
Several months later, the body was recovered. The baron was tried for Skelton's murder, but had an alibi. An old farm worker stated that the baron had ordered the boy to remove a tool from the top shelf in the barn, and the boy had fallen, seriously wounding himself in the process. The baron had tended to the wounds, but the boy had died. It is on record that Robert Hylton, 13th Baron Hylton was pardoned in 1609.
Soon afterwards, strange events began to occur in the castle. The kitchen would be tidied at night if left in a mess, or messed up if left tidy. An unseen person would take hot ashes from the fires, and lie on them, leaving an imprint of a body. Chamber pots were emptied on the floor.
After a while, a cook stayed up until midnight to see who was causing the mischief. He saw the ghost of a naked boy, and heard him crying "I'm cauld" ("I'm cold"). The cook and his wife left a warm cloak for the ghost, and the next night they heard, "Here's a cloak and here's a hood, the Cauld Lad of Hylton will do no more good." The ghost disappeared and the strange occurrences ceased, though even now people claim to have heard the ghostly cries of the Cauld Lad.[1]
The behaviour of the ghost suggests a poltergeist. Other versions of the tale describe the Cauld Lad as an elf, barghest [2] or brownie who is under a spell from which he can only be released by being given a gift. His mischief is intended to draw attention to himself in the hope that he will be saved. He sings the following song, which indicates how long he expects to be enchanted:
This song is included in the tales where he is laid by the gift of clothing; as a prediction, the song is inaccurate.[1]
According to Robert Surtees, a local antiquarian, as well as haunting the castle, the Cauld Lad also appeared as a ferryman on the North Hylton side of the River Wear and would take passengers halfway across before disappearing and leaving them stranded. Even as late as the 1970s, long after the ghost was supposed to have been laid, local people claimed to have seen mysterious lights high up in the castle. This is despite the fact the upper floors in the castle had gone.
Joseph Jacobs included this tale in English Fairy Tales; he noted that the ghost's behavior is similar to that of the elves in The Elves and the Shoemaker, collected by the Brothers Grimm.[3] There is a fairy tale titled The Cauld Lad of Hilton in the anthology Old Witch Boneyleg by Ruth Manning-Sanders. A play recounting the tale The Cauld Lad O'Hylton by James Roland MacLaren was performed in Sunderland in the 1870s.
A 36 pages Paperback book titled HYLTON CASTLE GHOST documenting an investigation in to the Cauld Lad haunting at Hylton Castle was published in 1999 by Island Light Publishing ISBN 978-1903151150. Written by the Paranormal Investigator Matthew P Hutton, the book is a firsthand account of an investigation conducted at the monument in 1989.
In July 2009 Mark McGann Mark McGann, John Baxter and Ed Thomas from Drama Direct produced the world premier of 'The Cauld Lad of Hylton Castle' by Colin Swash at Monkwearmouth School. The young actors produced the performance in just one week and featured live scenes interspersed with scenes filmed inside the ruin of Hylton Castle itself.