Newstead Abbey

 George Gordon Noel Byron, the English poet, was born in London in 1788. His mother, Catherine Gordon, was a descendant of James I. His father, Captain "Mad Jack" Byron, was a spendthrift. He threw all his wife's gold out a window and fled to France, leaving his wife and newborn son behind.

Catherine and her son lived a modest life after moving in with her family in Aberdeen. In 1791, George's father died (he was then three years old), followed by his uncle William in 1798, and at the age of ten, George became 6th Baron Byron and inherited the family home: Newstead Abbey.

The estate was originally a priory, built in the 12th century by Henry II as penance for the murder of Thomas Becket, Archbishop of Canterbury. In 1539, the priory, which was dissolved that same year, fell into the hands of Sir John Byron, who built a magnificent residence on the grounds.

Bad luck will haunt those who destroy or rebuild a religious building," so goes an old belief. This seemingly innocent superstition may explain the childlessness, poverty, and scandals that plagued Sir John's descendants.

The fifth lord, William, was also called "Devil Byron." He didn't speak to his sister because she was embroiled in several scandals. He didn't even change his mind when she lay on her deathbed begging for forgiveness. Today, a sad ghost haunts Newstead Abbey, whining, "Talk to me, my lord, talk to me

!"William is believed to have been a madman, and his efforts to bankrupt his descendants only confirm this. When ten-year-old George Byron inherited the house, it had already fallen into such disrepair that damp had engulfed virtually the entire building, leaving only the small kitchen area habitable. After completing his studies, Byron settled in Newstead. He was a prodigious womanizer, which became his main theme. He claimed that marrying Annabella Milbanke would lead him to encounter the property's most famous ghost, the "Black Monk."

A stone spiral staircase leads to a gloomy and dark room located next to Byron's bedroom. This is where the "Black Monk" is said to have made his home. This room, with its colorful walls, somber beams, and portrait of the monk, is the most terrifying place in Newstead Abbey. Even several guides have suddenly fallen ill upon entering this room.

Byron, however, was forced to sell the abbey, and in 1816 he left England (he died in 1824 of rheumatic fever). His body was buried in the family grave in the Church of Mary Magdalene in Hucknall Torkard.

Many ghosts are still seen at Newstead Abbey today. Significant drops in temperature herald the "White Lady," who leaves a sweet scent of roses as she dissolves into the air