10 Horrifying Ghost Stories That Happened In Newcastle-Upon-Tyne

6. Touch The Dirty Bottles At Your Own Peril

In the front window of the Ye Olde Crosse public house in Alnwick - better known as "The Dirty Bottles" - there is a somewhat peculiar display that will greet anyone brave enough to peer inside - a collection of seemingly harmless dirty old bottles from which the pub derives its nickname. But why are the bottles so universally feared by the Alnwick locals? Well, the last man that touched them dropped down dead in that very spot. Legend has it that, around two centuries ago, the landlord dared to interfere with the bottles and immediately suffered a fatal heart attack. His widow subsequently declared the bottles to be cursed and that anyone who touched them would suffer the same fate as her husband, setting into motion a superstition that has endured for over 200 years. Ever since, the "Dirty Bottles" have been encased behind two windows and have lain untouched ever since. There have also been stories of chairs that were stacked on tables before closing being scattered around the room the next morning, while unstacked chairs would be arranged into a tall pile.