Dilston Castle

Dilston Castle stands on a gentle rise above the River Tyne near Corbridge in Northumberland. The remains include a three-storey ruined tower built in the 15th century on the site of an earlier pele tower. Beside it stands a private chapel built in 1616 by the Catholic Radclyffe family. Both buildings are protected as scheduled monuments and Grade I listed structures. The tower and chapel share a grassy slope that slopes down to the water’s edge. A narrow lane from Corbridge leads directly to the gate in the low stone wall. The castle’s story touches the great events of the 17th and 18th centuries. In 1621 the Radclyffes acquired the site through marriage and enlarged it into Dilston Hall. James Radclyffe, the third earl, was the grandson of Charles II and began grand rebuilding plans before joining the Jacobite rising of 1715. His wife’s ghost is said to wander the ruins. His brother Charles fought in the same cause and was executed in 1746. The hall was never finished and was later demolished, leaving only the tower and chapel. Visitors today walk among the restored stonework and view the missing upper floor rebuilt in timber. The chapel’s east window still holds its stained glass. A Jacobean range with cobbled floors survives nearby, and excavations have uncovered traces of the old manor. The grounds also belong to Cambian Dilston College, a residential centre for young adults with learning difficulties. From the gate a short path leads to the riverbank, where the Tyne flows past the castle’s foot.