A short retelling of local folklore. The hauntings belong to legend; the woman behind them deserves a more careful hearing.

The watcher by the water

In the old tales, Meg returns to Meldon Bridge after death. Sometimes she appears as a woman; sometimes as a small dog running along its parapet. Other tellings give her the form of flickering lights beside the Wansbeck.

The gold she could not leave

Hidden wealth keeps her restless. One story places a hoard of gold in a well near Meldon Tower. Her wandering is said to end only when the money is found and put to good use.

A shadow at Newminster

The legend reaches back towards Morpeth, too. At Newminster Abbey, Meg was said to sit mournfully in an ancient stone coffin. Bridge, river and ruined abbey: familiar places given an unsettling second life.

The woman behind the witch

The antiquarian John Hodgson identified Meg with Margaret Selby, associated with the Fenwick family and the disputed Meldon estate. He also questioned the superstitions surrounding her reputation. That leaves a more interesting question than whether a ghost walks: how did a woman become a witch in the stories others told?

Perhaps that is the real spell of a local legend. It changes the way we see a place we thought we knew.