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Home > Curiosity of the week > Steng Cross Gibbet

Steng Cross Gibbet

By Caroline King - February 16, 2017Posted in : Curiosity of the week, Heritage

Winter's Gibbet - Northumberland - By Phil Thirkell

Winter’s Gibbet in Northumberland (Photo: Phil Thirkell)

Our latest Curiosity of the Week is a rather gruesome landmark in Northumberland. Steng Cross Gibbet can be found on a mound beside the B6342, near Elsdon.

This unusual landmark is also known as Winter’s Gibbet, named after murderer William Winter whose body was suspended in chains from a gibbet until it rotted away.

Winter was hanged in 1791 for the murder of an old woman whom he believed to be rich.  After being hanged in Newcastle, Winter’s body was left on the gibbet as a stark warning to would-be criminals.

The original 18th century gibbet has long since gone, but the replica that people can see today serves as a reminder of the area’s grisly past. The replica once had a whole wooden body suspended from it, but after drunken misuse and pranks over the years, only the head now remains.

The landmark stands in a suitably haunting position, surrounded by hills and moorland, resulting in many visitors believing to have witnessed ghostly apparitions.

If you have an idea for Curiosity of the Week then please do get in touch, we welcome suggestions from everyone. You can contact us by emailing info@contrarylife.com or send us a message via Facebook. We are always on the lookout for interesting customs, hidden places and unique buildings to share with our readers.

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Tagged With: Curiosity of the week, North East, Steng Cross

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