Hob Headless haunted the road between Hurworth and Neasham. Hob is not able to cross the Kent Bridge and beck (which flow into the river Tees) into Neasham itself, so locals and visitors alike can sleep safely in their beds. He was exorcised and laid under a large stone by the roadside for ninety-nine years and a day. The stone itself is now cursed, and anyone was so unwary as to sit on that stone, he would be unable to get off it for ever. His many activities included pouncing on unsuspecting travelers, changing the direction of signposts, and causing vehicles to skid on the road. The 99 years is now up, so there may soon be more tales of trouble about the road from Neasham to Hurworth.
Location
Neasham is of Darlington’s picturesque villages, located about four miles south east of Darlington, on the banks of the lazy River Tees.
