The Haunting of Hylton Castle: The Tale of the Cauld Lad

Nestled in the north-west of Sunderland stands Hylton Castle, a weathered fifteenth-century tower house steeped in history—and haunted by a ghost story that has chilled locals for centuries. Among the many legends tied to this ancient fortress, none is quite as eerie as that of the Cauld Lad—a restless spirit whose mischievous and mournful presence still seems to linger within the castle’s cold stone walls.

The Cauld Lad was rarely seen, but his nightly antics were impossible to ignore. Servants who once worked in the castle’s great hall told stories of strange noises and unexplained disturbances after dark. If the kitchen was left spotless, they would hear the clatter of plates breaking, pewter flying through the air, and cupboards slammed shut by invisible hands. But oddly, if the kitchen was messy, the Cauld Lad would sneak in and tidy everything up perfectly, as if obsessed with keeping order.

The ghost’s name means “Cold Lad,” but it’s unclear whether this referred to a chilling presence, a boy kept imprisoned and neglected, or simply the boy’s shorn hair. What is certain is that the spirit was believed to be the restless ghost of a servant boy who was tragically killed centuries ago—thrown into a nearby pond and left forgotten. When the boy’s skeletal remains were discovered years later, the story gained grim weight.

Official records speak of a fatal accident involving a servant boy and one of the Hylton family, but local whispers turned this into a tale of murder and revenge. The Cauld Lad’s nightly appearances were said to be the restless soul’s way of seeking justice.

The castle’s inhabitants eventually tried an old folk remedy to rid themselves of the ghost: they left out a suit of clothes, knowing that a brownie or spirit would accept it and vanish. One midnight, the Cauld Lad appeared, slipped on the cloak and hood, danced joyfully, then vanished with a haunting farewell:

“Here’s a cloak, and here’s a hood,

The Cauld Lad of Hylton will do no more good.”

Yet even after this, his ghostly voice was heard echoing through the halls, and strange cold spots and eerie wails continued to haunt the castle—especially in the so-called Cauld Lad’s Room.

Some say the spirit isn’t fully gone—that he waits for the day when someone destined to free him is born. An old rhyme tells of this hope, with the ghost lamenting that the “acorn” who can finally lay him to rest has yet to fall from the tree.

Whether you believe in ghosts or not, Hylton Castle’s chilling tale of the Cauld Lad remains a fascinating piece of local folklore—one that continues to send shivers down the spine of anyone who dares to explore its haunted halls after dark.