Police are appealing for information following the disappearance of three researchers who were last seen entering the grounds of Blackthorn Manor, an abandoned Victorian estate near Rothbury, Northumberland.
James Reed, 42, Dr. Eliza Winston, 38, and Michael Ashworth, 29, were conducting historical research on the property when they vanished on October 3rd. Their vehicle was found in the manor's overgrown car park, but extensive searches of the grounds and surrounding area have failed to locate the trio.
"We are treating this as a missing persons investigation," said Detective Inspector Thomas Hartley of Northumbria Police. "The property has been thoroughly searched, but there are areas that present significant challenges due to structural instability."
The researchers were reportedly investigating the architectural history of the manor as part of a project funded by the Northern Antiquities Society. Colleagues say Reed had become "obsessed" with the property following his discovery of Professor Harold Finch's 1967 study of the estate.
"James believed Finch had deliberately omitted significant findings from his published work," said Dr. Patricia Holden, Reed's supervisor at Durham University. "He was particularly interested in the east wing, which Finch described in unusual terms."
Blackthorn Manor was abandoned in 1942 under mysterious circumstances and has remained vacant since. The property is currently owned by an offshore holding company that has declined to comment on the disappearances.
Local residents have long avoided the estate, citing its "troubled atmosphere" and persistent rumours of unexplained phenomena. Parish records document at least fourteen disappearances associated with the property since its construction in 1871, including three workers during the building's construction and several members of the Blackthorn family itself.
"The property has a troubling history," said local historian Geoffrey Barnes. "People have been disappearing here for over a century. The family always hushed it up, but everyone in the village knows the stories."
Margaret Blackthorn, the last surviving member of the family and former owner of the estate, died in London earlier this year. She had reportedly attempted to prevent the sale of the property to developers, citing "family obligations" that required its preservation in its current state.
Police are asking anyone who saw the researchers or has information about their movements to contact Northumbria Police on 0191 232 3451.
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