Lumley Castle

Lumley Castle stands beside the Lumley Park Burn near Chester-le-Street, a fourteenth-century quadrangular castle built by Sir Ralph Lumley in 1389. It was once a family manor turned fortress and remains a Grade I listed building today. The castle sits on the edge of the River Wear’s tributary and holds a Grade II listed sundial in its grounds. Owned by the Earl of Scarbrough, it now operates as a hotel while keeping its medieval structure intact. The King James Suite marks a royal visit in 1603 when James VI and I stopped briefly on his journey south. A later library, attributed to Sir John Vanbrugh, now serves as the Black Knight Restaurant. The castle’s history includes royal guests, aristocratic alterations and a long link with University College, Durham. After the bishop moved to Durham Castle, Lumley became a first-year hall for students known as Castlemen. They still mark their time there with the biannual Lumley Run. In the 1970s the present Lord Scarbrough turned the castle into a seventy-three-bedroom hotel while retaining its ownership. The castle also overlooks Durham County Cricket Club’s Riverside Ground, used since 1995 and often hosting visiting teams. An escape room in the old beer cellar tells the story of Lily of Lumley, opened on St Valentine’s Day 2019. Visitors find a mix of medieval stonework and modern comforts inside the hotel. The King James Suite occupies what was once the castle chapel, though the king did not stay overnight. The Black Knight Restaurant sits in Vanbrugh’s library, its marble fireplace and pelican crest still visible. Outside, the well linked to the Lily of Lumley legend lies in the grounds, said to be the source of ghostly sightings. The castle’s reputation as one of County Durham’s most haunted places draws curious guests and cricket teams alike. Views stretch across the parkland to the river and the cricket ground beyond.