Raby Castle

Raby Castle stands in County Durham, a medieval fortress built between 1367 and 1390 by John Neville, 3rd Baron Neville de Raby. It occupies 200 acres of deer park near Staindrop and once belonged to Cecily Neville, mother of Edward IV and Richard III. The castle passed to the Crown after Charles Neville led the Rising of the North in 1569. Sir Henry Vane the Elder bought it in 1626 and the Vane family later added Gothic interiors. The castle remains a private home and seat of the Barons Barnard. The castle’s art collection includes works by Van Dyck, Sir Joshua Reynolds and old masters. Its nine towers and curtain wall still show grooves for three portcullises and a restored chemin de ronde. The Baron’s Hall and medieval kitchen survive largely intact. The East Garden now has a grass amphitheatre designed by Luciano Giubbilei. The castle has also appeared in films such as Elizabeth and the TV series Billions. Visitors walk through the Neville Gateway and across the flagged causeway into the central courtyard. The great hall dominates one side, while the small drawing room holds sporting paintings by Alfred Munnings. The library displays architectural capriccios by Marco Ricci and Antonio Joli. Beyond the castle walls, the deer park stretches across rolling parkland.