castle was handed over to No Ordinary Hotels, which had the castle turned into the 73-bedroomed hotel it is today, but it is still in the possession of the present Lord Scarbrough. It is also a picturesque backdrop for Durham County Cricket Club's Riverside Ground, which was first used in 1995, and often houses visiting cricket teams. In 2019 the castle teamed up with Escape Rooms Durham to offer a live Escape Game housed inside the castle's old beer cellar. It tells the story of Lily of Lumley and opened on St Valentine's Day 2019. Hauntings The castle is believed to be one of the most haunted places in County Durham, which includes a story about a woman named Lily Lumley who married Ralph Lumley. In reality, the said Ralph Lumley, 1st Baron Lumley (c. 1360 – January 1400) was married to Eleanor Neville. But in a tale called The Lily of Lumley he has a previous wife. She was supposedly thrown down a well in the castle grounds by two priests for rejecting the Catholic faith, who then told Baron Lumley she had left him to become a nun. Her ghost is said to float up from the well and haunt the castle. A contemporary romance of medieval times, the tale was based on a legend of a lady of Lumley who was murdered. This woman is not identified in family pedigrees. In 2000 and 2005, visiting cricketers staying at the castle claimed to have witnessed paranormal activity including Indian Captain Sourav Ganguly. Several members of the 2005 Australian tour party recounted the strong effect its reputation and setting had had on them. See also Baron Lumley Castles in Great Britain and Ireland List of castles in England Notes References Margot Johnson. "Lumley Castle" in Durham: Historic and University City and surrounding area. Sixth Edition. Turnstone Ventures. 1992. . Page 40. Pevsner: The Complete Broadcast Talks: Architecture and Art on Radio and Television, 1945-1977 (2014) External links Buildings and structures completed in 1389 Houses completed in the 14th century Castles in County Durham Hotels in County Durham Houses in County Durham Grade I listed buildings in County Durham Reportedly haunted locations in North East England Chester-le-Street Country house hotels