"All houses wherein men have lived and died
Are haunted houses. Through the open doors
The harmless phantoms on their errands glide,
With feet that make no sound upon the floors."

~ Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, 1858

The Otherworld North East Research Society (OWNE) is a non-profit anomalous phenomena investigation and research association specialising in recording the physical phenomena often associated with alleged ghosts and hauntings. Our aim is to help promote the heritage of the North East of England's historical sites, blending local history research with field and documentary research into ghostly sightings and experiences. The OWNE Investigation Team operates as a data collection unit and do not use mediums, seances, talking boards or dowsing as standard practice during our venue-based investigations. We do not charge for field investigations into alleged paranormal activity.

Area of Investigation

Our primary focus is Northumberland, Tyne & Wear, Teesside and County Durham, though we have made forays into Edinburgh and North Wales.

Otherworld North East Background

Otherworld North East (OWNE) was founded in August 2003, originally as Northern Counties Preternatural Studies. The original core members were part of UK Ghost Investigators (north eastern sector) who after some arm-twisting persuaded Tony Liddell, now Chairman of the Society, to set up the new group. At the same time, Tony was approached by Tyne Bridge Publishing, the local history publishers of Newcastle City Council, to write a book on hauntings in the north-east from a local history perspective, and so the historical base for the group was formed.
The group's first investigation was in August 2003 at the Keep, Castle Garth, Newcastle upon Tyne, aided by UK Ghost Investigators and the North East Ghosthunters, and from then on the investigations became a regular occurrence for the newly formed team, getting access to many high-profile venues in the north-east such as the Literary and Philosophical Society and Beamish Hall.
As time went on, perceptions within the group began to change, and the group became more scientific in bias than spiritual, especially with the departure from the team of the group's 'medium'. A few months before the publication date of Tony's first book, the decision was made to change names to fall in line with the book title: "Otherworld North East - Ghosts and Hauntings Explored", and so NCPS was renamed Otherworld North East. The book was launched in October 2004, at Newcastle Keep where the group had first started, and the launch was attended by nearly 100 people including members of a number of heritage organisations such as the North Pennines Heritage Trust and the Archaeological Practice, as well as representatives of most of the north-east's paranormal investigation groups.
Six years on, Otherworld North East is still going strong, and now classes itself as a local history and data collection team, forgoing more traditional methods in the hope that more stringent scientific methodologies may one day produce proof positive that 'ghostly' phenomena exists.

External Relations

Otherworld North East have no objections to working with other teams, as long as the teams in question are reputable and have no ambiguous or trouble-making history . Examples of other teams that we've worked with are Scottish Paranormal, Night Shadows Investigation Team, the North East Ghost In-Spectres, UK Ghost Investigators, Ghosts-UK, The British Paranormal Alliance, Anomalous Phenomena Investigations, The Answers People Seek, The North East Ghosthunters, Ghost Haunted North East, Team Maynard, GHOST, Avalon Skies and Mysteries of the North.

Publications etc.

Otherworld North East has featured in articles within local north-east press where appropriate, namely the Evening Chronicle, the Journal, the Shields Gazette and the Hexham Courant. Tony Liddell, OWNE Founder, has also appeared on Radio Newcastle's 'Blue Bus' programme, and has given talks on ghosts and hauntings to Northumbria Police, the National Trust, Newcastle City Library, the Friends of Historic Dilston and the Literary and Philosophical Society of Newcastle. He has also given interviews to BBC Online and recently the alternative magazine, Unscene. The OWNE investigation at Dilston Castle, Northumberland, also appeared in the October 2005 Issue of the Northumbrian Jacobite Society's journal, The Fifteen. In March 2008, OWNE appeared on BBC Look North, investigating Benwell Towers, the set of 'Byker Grove' for the BBC. To see a comprehensive list of media appearances, please check our In the Media page; for a list of events, see our Events page, and for a list of publications see our Publications page.