Hobs & helpers · Ghosts · County Durham

Hob Headless and the Stone by the Road

The road between Hurworth and Neasham, near Darlington

Family-friendly

On the road between Hurworth and Neasham, near Darlington, there was once a sprite called Hob Headless, who haunted the way.

But Hob had one weakness. Just by Neasham, a little stream called the Kent runs down into the River Tees, and Hob Headless could not cross it.

In the end he was exorcised. He was laid under a large stone by the side of the road, and there he must stay for ninety-nine years and a day.

But the stone itself was not safe. If anyone was unlucky enough to sit down on it, the story went, they would never be able to get up again.

No plate yet. We are still looking for an old picture of this place.

What people said

Ninety-nine years and a day. Hob Headless was laid for “ninety-nine years and a day”. Henderson also tells of a sprite that a priest banished to the seashore for ninety-nine years.

Henderson knew of a third Hob, at Coniscliffe near Darlington, but could find out nothing about him.

Henderson says the stone stood by the roadside “formerly”, so it may already have been moved by 1879. [TODO: whether the stone survives, and where]

Where: The road between Hurworth and Neasham, south-east of Darlington. The pin marks Neasham, where the Kent meets the Tees.
Access: Public roads. Take care walking along any country road.
Allow: A few minutes.
Families: A spooky-sounding but gentle tale. Nobody comes to harm, as long as they don't sit on the stone.

Visiting details checked 24 October 2026 with OpenStreetMap. Always check before you travel.

54.4871° N, 1.4957° W · Open in OpenStreetMap

From our sister sites

William Henderson, Notes on the Folk-Lore of the Northern Counties of England and the Borders (1879), p. 264. Our main source. Internet Archive.

This is a legend, told as people told it. Spotted something wrong? Tell us.