Chillingham Castle

Chillingham Castle stands in the village of Chillingham, Northumberland, on land that has been fortified since the late 12th century. The present stone castle dates from the 14th century, when King Edward III granted a licence to crenellate. It was once a monastery, then a military stronghold on the border between England and Scotland. The Grey and Bennet families owned it from the 15th century until the 1980s. Sir Humphry Wakefield bought the castle in 1982 and led its careful restoration. The castle is famous for its ghosts, marketed as Britain’s most haunted. The ‘blue boy’ is said to haunt the Pink Room, and paranormal teams have filmed remains in the dungeon. The grounds contain rare Chillingham cattle, a white breed numbering about 130 head. The castle also appears in films and novels, including a 1997 appearance in Elizabeth and a 2019 murder mystery by LJ Ross. Visitors walk through medieval rooms and later residential wings, including a banquet hall and a library. The Italian Garden holds a pair of listed urns, and several gateways and garden walls are also protected. The castle’s Grade I status reflects its historic importance, while the Grade II structures show the care given to its setting.