Rob Kirkup – författare

From reports of haunted castles, hotels, battlefields, chapels and churchyards, to heart-stopping accounts of apparitions, poltergeists and related supernatural phenomena, Ghostly Northumberland investigates twenty of the most haunted locations in Northumberland today. Drawing on historical and contemporary sources, this selection includes a piano-playing ghost at Bamburgh Castle, the White Lady of Cresswell Tower, a mischievous poltergeist at the Schooner Hotel, as well as sightings of torturer Jogn Sage, who continues to stalk the dungeons at Chillingham Castle - widely regarded to be one of the most haunted places in Britain.Illustrated with over fifty photographs, together with visitor information and access details for each location, this book is sure to appeal all those interested in finding out more about the county's haunted heritage.

From reports of haunted castles, hotels, public houses, and even a prisoner of war camp, to heart-stopping accounts of apparitions, poltergeists and related supernatural phenomena, Ghostly County Durham investigates over twenty of the most haunted locations in the area today. Drawing on historical and contemporary sources, this selection includes a club-footed monk at Finchdale Priory, the Singing Lady Cauldron Snout, as well as a collection of spectres that call Durham Castle home — including a shadowy figure which haunts the Black Staircase. Illustrated with sixty photographs, together with access details for each location, this book is sure to appeal all those interested in finding out more about the area's haunted heritage.

From reports of haunted castles, stately halls, hotels, public houses, Roman forts, stone circles and even England’s deepest lake, to heart-stopping accounts of apparitions, poltergeists and related supernatural phenomena, Ghostly Cumbria investigates twenty of the most haunted locations to be found in the area today. Drawing on historical and contemporary sources, this selection includes a phantom friar said to walk the lanes near Grey Friars Lodge Hotel in Clappersgate; the ghost of Mary, Queen of Scots at Carlisle Castle; a cavalier at Moresby Hall in Whitehaven; and several ghosts at the Kirkstone Pass Inn at Ambleside, including a young boy killed by a coach outside the building, a young woman who died whilst travelling along the road during a snow storm, and a seventeenth-century coachman who lurks around the bar. Illustrated with sixty photographs, together with access details for each location, this book will appeal to all those interested in finding out more about Cumbria’s haunted heritage.

Wallsend has a rich heritage, which is uniquely reflected in this delightful, full-colour compilation. Contrasting a selection of forty-five archive images alongside modern photographs taken from the same location, this new book reveals the changing faces, buildings and streets of Wallsend during the last century. Comparing the workers of yesteryear with today’s tradespeople, along with some famous landmarks and little-known street scenes, this is a wide-ranging look at the area’s absorbing history. Wallsend Then & Now will awaken nostalgic memories for those who live in or know the town, whilst providing visitors with a glimpse of how the town used to be.

Contrasting a selection of 45 archive images alongside full-colour modern photographs, this stunning book traces some of the changes and developments that have taken place in Gateshead during the last century. Accompanied by detailed and informative captions, these intriguing photographs reveal changing modes of fashion and transportation, shops and businesses, houses and public buildings, and, of course, some of the local people who once lived and worked in the city. Gateshead Then & Now will delight local historians and reawaken nostalgic memories for all who know and love the town.

The north-east of England – Durham, Northumberland, Tyne and Wear, and Teesside – has witnessed many grisly and tragic events over the centuries and it is no surprise that it is one of the most haunted parts of the country. In Ghosts of the North East paranormal investigator Rob Kirkup examines some of the region’s most interesting ghostly stories. Newcastle’s Norman Castle Keep has many such tales, the best known of which is of the ‘Poppy Girl’ who haunts a condemned cell. Durham Castle has many ghostly legends and further afield in Northumberland, Chillingham Castle is infamous as the haunt of the torturer John Sage, who would maim, torture and kill Scottish prisoners within the twelfth-century fortress. These tales of hauntings and other paranormal experiences in the North East are accompanied by illustrations of places featured in the text. They will fascinate all those interested in the story of ghosts in this region of England as well as those who wish to know more about its history.

Gateshead has often been portrayed as the ‘poor relative’ of its larger and more glamorous Tyneside neighbour Newcastle. But Gateshead has a long and proud industrial and social history, much of which has sadly gone, but in recent years there has been a revival in Gateshead's social and cultural infrastructure, which has placed it firmly on the tourist map. This extraordinary history is embodied in the rich Victorian architecture that has shaped the town.Gateshead in 50 Buildings explores the town's history through a selection of its greatest architectural treasures. From the fairy-tale Saltwell Tower to the stunning new Millennium Bridge and Baltic Arts Centre, this unique study celebrates Gateshead's architectural heritage in a new and accessible way. Local author Rob Kirkup guides the reader on a tour of the town's historic buildings and modern architectural marvels.

Northumberland is England’s most northerly county and one of its most beautiful, with its spectacular countryside and coastline. Its location on the Anglo-Scottish border brings a wealth of history and culture, which, together with the stunning scenery, attracts many visitors who want to discover more of the county’s delights.In this illustrated book, local author Rob Kirkup brings us a selection of fantastical and mythical tales from Northumberland. It is unsurprising that the county, which has the most castles in the UK, also has a wonderful selection of myths and legends including one from the dramatic ruins of Dunstanburgh Castle, which on one stormy night was where a warlock commanding a skeletal army prevented Sir Guy the Seeker from rescuing a maiden in distress. Could Sewingshield Crags be the resting place of King Arthur and his Knights of the Round Table, who lie beneath the Northumberland countryside in an eternal slumber, awaiting the time when they are to rise once again in England’s hour of need?Some of the tales featured are based on factual events, while others have mystical roots, but all are nonetheless fascinating.

With a history as rich, yet bloody, as Northumberland has, it comes as little surprise that the county is widely regarded as being one of the most haunted in Britain.In Paranormal Northumberland, local author Rob Kirkup draws on contemporary and historical sources to investigate some of the famous and lesser-known haunted locations in the county. This compilation includes ghostly monks that walk the grounds of Blanchland Abbey after being killed by bandits, and the Pink Lady of Bamburgh Castle who is seen eternally falling from the castle to the rocks below. He also explores Chillingham Castle, regarded as one of the scariest places in the country, if not the world, where the torturer John Sage is said to lurk in its ancient dungeons to this day.Illustrated throughout, this book will be of interest to anyone who wants to discover more about the county’s haunted and hidden heritage.

Regarded by many as the most haunted city in the world; York has over 500 individual spirits and is therefore the perfect destination for five paranormal investigators from Newcastle gathering evidence to answer a question as old as time: Do ghosts actually exist? Allow Rob Kirkup to be your guide on an epic ghost hunting adventure; a year-long quest which will see ten of York's most active venues investigated. Nothing could prepare the team for what they would encounter. From a very unwelcoming phantom at one of the city's premier tourist attractions who literally pushes the team out of 'its' lair, and an angry toilet-dwelling ghost at one of the country's top museums, to the tragic shade of a young girl who speaks to our team at the former site of York's gallows, where many hundreds were executed, including the infamous highwayman Dick Turpin. It's guaranteed to be one hell of an adventure, so utterly terrifying in fact that not all of the team will stay the distance. Illustrated with over 60 photographs, this book is the ultimate ghostly guide to the scariest city on earth.