Secret North East

Explore fascinating stories from North East England.

Radio Newcastle,38 episodes

Episodes

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The impenetrable antique safe at the Low Lights
In the cellar at the Low Lights Tavern in North Shields, there is an ancient safe.
20 Jan 2026,5 mins
Hidden history found beneath the Wear
An ancient roman discovery has been made outside of Sunderland.
07 Jan 2026,3 mins
Wandering Willie: Tynemouth's Stuffed Dog
Nigel Meadows shares the story behind the taxidermy pet in the Turks Head pub.
05 Jan 2026,4 mins
The escape of Mary Ann Macham
Mary Ann Macham spent weeks hiding in woods before stowing away on a ship.
16 Dec 2025,13 mins
The secrets of Newcastle Prison
Anna Foster met up with with three historians to discuss Newcastle Prison.
21 Nov 2025,17 mins
North East Halloween Trail
Storyteller David Silk takes BBC Radio Newcastle's Matt Bailey for a spooky walk.
28 Oct 2025,27 mins
'The legacy's they left are still with us today'
Mark Batey has written a trilogy of books on extraordinary people born in the North East.
23 Oct 2025,7 mins
North East ghost hunter
Danny Robbins the host of Uncanny speaks to Scott Makin.
13 Oct 2025,4 mins
Newcastle's hidden creative space
Maxïmo Park's Paul Smith reveals the history of a secret medieval venue in Newcastle.
26 Sep 2025,9 mins
The world's first door to door poet
Meet door to door poet Rowan McCabe. He told Anna Foster about his work.
19 Sep 2025,13 mins
'I performed underneath Newcastle'
Lindsay Hannon played a gig in a secret tunnel beneath Newcastle city centre.
12 Sep 2025,3 mins
I was the first Geordie Lioness
Christine Knox played woman's football at a time when it was banned!
05 Sep 2025,15 mins
What happens to the old Metro trains?
As the new Metro fleet rolls out, the old trains need somewhere to go.
15 Aug 2025,3 mins
What is that thing on Tynemouth beach?
The object can be seen during low tides on Longsands beach - but what is it?
09 Jul 2025,2 mins
Jesmond Towers: Newcastle's most expensive home
Rachel Sweeney talks us through the £20m castle up for sale in Jesmond.
09 Jun 2025,3 mins
The Roman history of the A1 in Newcastle
Rob Cowen unveils the story behind what was once known as the Great North Road.
15 Apr 2025,6 mins
The Victoria Hall Disaster
How a tragic event would leave a lasting impact on the North East and change the law.
03 Apr 2025,7 mins,
The Hunt for Wearside Jack
1. Tapes and treachery
How fake letters and a tape derailed the manhunt for killer Peter Sutcliffe.
07 Mar 2025,19 mins
The Hunt for Wearside Jack
2. Closing the net
A ‘one in a billion’ DNA match finally tracks down Wearside Jack.
07 Mar 2025,21 mins
The lost island of the River Tyne
Gilly Hope delves into the history of the River Tyne's lost island that had its own pub.
07 Mar 2025,12 mins
The mystery of South Shields 'Roman Stones'
Andy Watson asks why 'ancient' stones on a roundabout in South Shields disappeared.
17 Jan 2025,4 mins
The Forgotten Shipyard Girls
Gilly Hope explores the 'forgotten' role women played in the North East shipyards.
10 Jan 2025,45 mins
The Sunderland pioneer who changed Christmas
The story of how Sir Joseph Swan became the father of the fairy light.
13 Dec 2024,6 mins
The B-17 bomber that crashed in the Cheviots
Families of those involved in a WW2 bomber crash in Northumberland reflect 80 years on.
12 Dec 2024,11 mins
The Christmas link between Newcastle and Norway
Matt Bailey explores the story behind a Geordie Christmas tradition.
12 Dec 2024,3 mins
The hauntings of Sunderland Empire
Delve behind the scenes of Sunderland's Empire Theatre and its rumoured residents.
29 Oct 2024,16 mins
Newcastle's 'Ghost Golfer'
The peculiar news report of an alleged haunting in Newcastle.
18 Oct 2024,3 mins
The North East's Last Witch
Matt Bailey explores the legend of the last North East woman accused of witchcraft.
18 Oct 2024,3 mins
The 'Geordie Yeti' mystery
Matt Bailey explores the strange rumours of a 'Geordie Yeti' in Northumberland.
18 Oct 2024,4 mins
Mary Ann Cotton: A County Durham killer
She's named Britain's first female serial killer, but some claim all is not as it seems.
02 Oct 2024,40 mins