Available over the Father’s Day weekend on Saturday 20^th and Sunday 21^st June, dads won’t need to put their hands in their pockets for their castle ticket at the north east lifestyle destination, where they can also enjoy delicious food, the great outdoors and a spot of luxury all in one beautiful setting.

After exploring Raby Castle with a complimentary tour, dads and their families can take in the fresh air across the Deer Park and the woodland adventure playground, The Plotters’ Forest – the perfect place for dads to unleash their inner child as they play across the ground-level forest trails, sky-high walkways and interactive games along the way.

Most importantly, dads can then fill their stomachs at The Vinery Cafe, with its panoramic views of Raby Castle, and tuck into stone baked pizzas, Sunday lunches and a ploughman’s afternoon tea.

There’s also the Walled Gardens, Raby’s retail space and an exhibition about the surrounding landscape to explore.

Free entry applies to one dad or father figure per family on both Saturday 20^th and Sunday 21^st June. To claim free entry for dads, book a Park and Gardens or Plotters’ Forest ticket online, and show it at the Portcullis entrance upon arrival.

For more information and to book tickets, visit: www.raby.co.uk/events/dads-go-free-this-fathers-day/

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Durham County Council has commissioned the Durham Explorer to run on weekends and bank holidays between 23 May and 31 August this year.

Each service will connect Durham City to a range of visitor destinations including Locomotion; Ushaw Historic House, Chapels and Gardens; Beamish, The Living Museum of the North; The Auckland Project; Raby Castle, Park and Gardens; The Bowes Museum; and High Force Waterfall; with many venues also offering discounts to those who arrive by bus.

The services have been funded by the North East Mayoral Strategic Authority, to help make bus travel more affordable and attractive for both local people and visitors. The Mayor’s Fares will apply with a single adult journey costing just £2.50 and people aged 21 and under travelling for £1.

Cllr Karen Allison, Durham County Council’s Cabinet member for leisure, high streets, tourism and regeneration, said: “We can’t wait to see these three new routes up and running, helping people to explore more of what our fabulous county has to offer. Whether it’s historic market towns, peaceful countryside or top visitor destinations, all can be easily accessed through these services.

“It’s a great option for residents looking for family days out and we also hope it will attract more visitors to the county, who will stay for longer to explore the area’s many attractions. This will no doubt help to supercharge our economy and encourage repeat visits to both County Durham and the wider north east.”

The new Durham Explorer buses which will be operated by Northstar are:

• The Durham Dales Explorer (873) which runs from Durham City to The Auckland Project; Raby Castle, Park and Gardens; Barnard Castle; The Bowes Museum and High Force Waterfall.
• The Time Traveller line (874) from Durham City to Ushaw Historic House, Chapels and Gardens; and Beamish, the Living Museum of the North.
• The Tracks Through Time line (875) from Durham City to Shildon and Locomotion.

North East Mayor Kim McGuinness said: “County Durham has so much to offer, from brilliant attractions to stunning countryside, and these new bus routes make it easier for people to enjoy great days out without needing to rely on a car.

“I’m delighted we at the strategic mayoral authority have been able to fund them, helping more families, residents and visitors explore what our region has to offer, support local tourism and enjoy simpler travel by bus.”

Bethany Jackson, head of audiences at Ushaw, said: “At Ushaw, we’re delighted to be part of the new The Time Traveller line bus route. Improving sustainable and accessible travel is incredibly important to us, and this new service creates more opportunities for local residents and visitors alike to discover everything our historic estate offers, including our house, chapels, gardens, exhibitions and vibrant events programme.

“We look forward to welcoming even more people to Ushaw this summer and to working alongside other fantastic attractions across County Durham to showcase the very best of our region.”

All buses have accessible access, with dogs also allowed on board.

An adult day ticket is also available in County Durham for £6, allowing unlimited bus travel, while passengers can also purchase a regionwide adult day ticket for bus and Metro travel for £7.50. A regionwide day ticket for young people costs £3.

Children under 11 can also travel without charge during the school holidays as part of the Kids Go Free initiative, offering travel at no cost for up to three children when accompanied by an adult with a valid ticket or a concessionary pass holder.

For more information, visit www.durham.gov.uk/CountyDurhamByBus.

For more information on discounts to regional attractions through the North East Combined Authority’s Days Out by Bus scheme, visit www.northeast-ca.gov.uk/daysoutbybus

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Raby Castle and the visitor buildings throughout its grounds have been transformed for summer 2026 with breathtaking floral arrangements inspired by nature.

Alan McKerchar, general manager at Raby Castle said: “Every department at Raby has played a part in bringing this theme to life. In the past Raby Castle would have been an incredibly productive place with home grown flowers, plants and even tropical fruits! Old photographs show us that flowers and plants would have filled the castle in the past and we were all delighted to lean into that history and bring this theme to life.”

Raby’s gardening team have also sown flowers on the castle terrace to create a multi-coloured display of annual flowers.

Dickon Harding, gardens and landscape manager at Raby Castle said: “We also wanted to extend the experience to the exterior of the castle and delight visitors with a sea of colours as soon as you walk through the castle gates. The castle is a very dominating building but the addition of flowers to the terrace will soften the façade and show the historic building in an entirely new light.

“The placement of the seeds and flowers, which have been provided by Boston Seeds, has allowed us to create a visually stunning pathway for visitors to follow after entering through the Neville Gateway and we’ve also left the lawns to the north of the castle to grow, ensuring there is a beautiful and natural environment all around.”

Heading inside the Castle, arches of tumbling flowers and meadows growing up from the floors are some of the first delights to experience, taking visitors on a visual journey from dark to light which is full of texture and floral scents.

Deborah Simpson Boston, a local floral designer and owner of Periwinkle Barn, based at Raby for the summer, has created this living, breathing entrance to the main installation through the medieval passage.

Deborah said: “The design for the passageway has been created to welcome guests to the space and draw them into the Castle in Bloom experience. A mixture of textures has been incorporated, including soft grasses, wildflowers and dried British flowers, and we’ve purposefully chosen flowers which are warm, fragrant and inviting for an immersive experience down the corridor.”

The centrepiece of Castle in Bloom is in some of the Castle’s grandest rooms, showcasing contemporary designs created by renowned florist Anna Potter from Swallows and Damsons, as her installation further explores the contrast between dark and light.

The Entrance Hall features an incredible suspended orb, representing the moon, consisting of dried deschampsia grasses, which have been cut from Raby’s own Walled Gardens. On the floor above, the Baron’s Hall houses a giant suspended sun portal against the backdrop of the three grand windows.

To complement Swallows and Damsons’ designs, several local suppliers and creators have contributed to the Castle in Bloom installation, including Yorkshire based florist Opulence and the Beetle, whose exuberant and colourful creations have transformed additional Castle rooms.

Blooms by Samuel Baker, a curated collection of faux botanicals which are stocked in Raby’s Coach House, has helped to celebrate the floral theme in other areas across the lifestyle destination. As part of the wider experience, they have woven a decorative meadow installation into the ladder in The Vinery Cafe alongside three large ball-burst arrangements full of summer flowers suspended in the Round House.

To celebrate Raby’s historic passion for plants, a themed exhibition has also been created for visitors to peruse. It features important individuals such as the 18^th century botanist Lady Anne Monson who grew up at Raby when the walled garden was being developed and the head gardeners who have innovated and developed the award-winning garden throughout history.

For a full day out at Raby brimming with floral inspiration, visitors can soak up the creative planting designs of two well-known designers. Yorkshire based Alistair Baldwin designed the planting scheme which envelopes the visitor buildings beautifully, whilst in the Walled Gardens, visitors can admire the work by award-winning garden designer Luciano Giubbilei and Lady Barnard, where there’s also the Garden Trading furniture collection to explore in the Conservatory. Indulgence awaits with an afternoon tea with a floral twist in The Vinery Cafe, featuring a beautifully presented three-tiered stand of freshly prepared delights.

Castle in Bloom is running until the 31^st August and entry is included in all Castle, Park and Gardens tickets which are £23 for adults, £22 for concessions, £12 for children (ages 4-15 years) and £66 for a family ticket (two adults and two children). Raby’s family explorer ticket, which provides access to everything at the lifestyle destination, will also include entry to Castle in Bloom and is £60 for two adults and two children when booked online in advance.

For further information and to book tickets, visit: www.raby.co.uk/events/raby-castle-in-bloom/

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by Joseph Reed, Archivist

Raby has been home to many remarkable women over the centuries. Some from the Neville family are among the most famous individuals to have ever lived in the castle, such as Cecily Neville (the ‘Rose of Raby’) and her mother Joan Beaufort. Many of those more recent female residents have rightly become more recognised through research over recent years, shared through the ‘Women of Raby’ events: Anne Monson for her pioneering botanical work, Anne Vane (mistress of Frederick, Prince of Wales) for her artistic endeavours, and Catherine, 4^th Duchess of Cleveland as an historian and author.

However, this International Women’s Day, Raby will celebrate one woman who has received little limelight: Lady Grace Fitzroy. Recent discoveries in the archives suggest she was largely responsible for saving the castle, and setting it on the course to become the historic home seen and enjoyed today.

Raby’s Fateful Destruction

Lady Grace was born in the highest social circumstances, the granddaughter of a king. Charles II had a son by his famous mistress Barbara Villiers, Duchess of Cleveland. The boy, named Charles (‘Fitzroy’ – meaning ‘king’s son’), was recognised by his father and made Duke of Southampton. Lady Grace was the duke’s eldest surviving child, born in 1697.

Nothing is yet known about Grace’s childhood and younger life. When Grace was a teenager, the Vane family at Raby was enduring a tumultuous time. Though she would not have known it, these circumstances were setting in train the project which would dominate most of her adult life: the destruction (and restoration) of Raby Castle.

Visitors to Raby today learn about the irreconcilable rift that formed between Christopher, 1^st Lord Barnard and his heir Gilbert, which led to Lord Barnard hiring 200 workmen in 1714 to destroy Raby Castle and render it uninhabitable. The buildings were left with no complete roof, nor windows or doors, and the estimated repair bill ran to thousands of pounds.

Gilbert successfully sued his father to stop the destruction of his inheritance, with an order in 1716 to repair what had been done. However, when Lord Barnard died in 1723 limited repairs had been undertaken (or none at all), and the castle continued to languish in a largely ruinous state.

In September 1725, Lady Grace married Henry Vane, heir to Gilbert 2^nd Lord Barnard. On their marriage, Gilbert settled upon the couple the lands around the castle, perhaps with the hope that they might one day live there. In 1726, Gilbert’s younger brother (who had been the main beneficiary of their father’s will) was sued to complete the repairs on the castle their father had been ordered to undertake.

Work began, and a surviving date stone presumably marks the successful completion of the restoration of some or all of the South Range in 1729, with a fragment of the monogram of Henry and Lady Grace. The couple would live at the Castle for around the next 30 years, overseeing its gradual repair and turning it into the fashionable Georgian home, fit for an Earl and Countess (as they would become).

Grace as Administrator, Project Manager, Art Collector

By contemporary accounts, Lady Grace was a formidable woman. Recent research in the archives is beginning to demonstrate that while Grace worked in partnership with her husband, some regarded it as an unequal one. One unsympathetic observer, closely involved with the Vane family at the time, frustratedly remarked that Henry ‘has no notions but what he receives from Lady Grace’.

Grace’s brother, the 3^rd Duke of Cleveland & Southampton was widowed in 1742, and he also came to live at Raby for periods of time. Grace became the key administrator between her brother and husband’s financial arrangements, and directed their agents. She used this position, combining the funds of both men to enable the restoration of the castle and development of the parkland around, turning Raby from the semi-ruinous castle in the 1720s into a restored fashionable Georgian country seat by the 1750s.

Grace was far more than just a managerial force. She handled and annotated (and presumably directed) the architectural plans as work progressed. She was also an astute acquirer, commissioner, and creator of artistic works, buying tapestries and paintings to adorn the walls of the castle (some of which still survive).

Lady Grace’s drive and energy to transform the Castle over many decades may have saved it, when after its destruction the Vanes might easily have started afresh elsewhere. When her son inherited Raby in 1758, around three decades after she and Henry had begun their great restoration, the castle was wholly transformed.

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A volunteer guide at Raby Castle, Park and Gardens has finished in the top three in VisitEngland’s national Tourism Superstar award.

87-year-old Jimmy Nicol was one of ten finalists in the prestigious national competition which seeks out champions working in tourism who provide fantastic experiences for visitors. The competition also showcases the variety and quality of England’s tourism offering, businesses and destinations.

Whilst Jimmy was awarded third place, Mick Hurst from Worcestershire’s Battle of Evesham historical events and re-enactments came out on top and Hull and East Yorkshire Volunteers took second place.

Jimmy secured his place in the national shortlist after winning Durham Tourism Superstar in 2025, an annual event organised by Visit County Durham, Durham County Council’s tourism service.

He was nominated for the Durham award by a colleague at Raby Castle who highlighted his passion and energy as well as the role he takes on as an ambassador, not only for Raby but the whole of the North East.

Tim Dodgson, public engagement and learning officer at Raby Estates said: “Jimmy is one of the most caring people I’ve ever had the pleasure of working alongside and it’s a fantastic achievement for him to come third in such an important national competition.

“His endearing character and enthusiasm for Raby and the region shines through in everything he does and we’re lucky to have him as part of the team.”

Jimmy joined Raby in 2018 as a volunteer, sharing the castle’s fascinating history and has also been involved with meeting and greeting visitors at several Raby events.

Jimmy said: “Being part of the VisitEngland Tourism Superstar competition has been a truly incredibly experience and I am immensely grateful to everyone that has taken the time to vote for me.

“Representing Raby and the region was a huge honour and finishing in the top three is something that I will be forever proud of.”

Michelle Gorman, managing director, Visit County Durham said: “Jimmy is a fantastic example of the incredible people who make County Durham such a special place to visit. His warmth, knowledge, and genuine passion for Raby Castle, as well as the wider county, leave a lasting impression on everyone he meets. Coming third in VisitEngland’s national Tourism Superstar competition is a wonderful recognition of his dedication and expertise. We were incredibly proud to see him representing County Durham on the national stage and celebrating the very best of what our county has to offer.”

10th February 2026

A much-loved volunteer guide at Raby Castle, Park and Gardens is representing County Durham and the wider North East in VisitEngland’s prestigious national Tourism Superstar competition, with public voting now open.

87-year-old Jimmy Nicol, a volunteer guide at Raby Castle, is one of just ten finalists shortlisted nationally in the Tourism Superstar award, which celebrates individuals working in tourism who go above and beyond to create outstanding visitor experiences while championing England’s diverse destinations.

Jimmy secured his place in the national finals after being crowned Durham Tourism Superstar 2025, an annual award organised by Visit County Durham, Durham County Council’s tourism service. He was nominated by a colleague at Raby Castle in recognition of his infectious enthusiasm, dedication and the ambassadorial role he plays not only for Raby, but for County Durham and the North East as a whole.

The national shortlist features finalists from destinations across England, including Norfolk, Leicestershire and Worcestershire, with Jimmy proudly flying the flag for County Durham alongside fellow North East finalist Dan Monk, Director of Astrophotography at Kielder Observatory in Northumberland. He is widely regarded as one of the UK’s leading experts in night sky photography and has played a key role in showcasing Northumberland’s world-class dark skies to a global audience.

Jimmy joined Raby Castle as a volunteer in 2018, where he shares the castle’s fascinating history with visitors and supports major events across the estate, becoming a familiar and friendly face for thousands of visitors each year.

Duncan Peake, CEO at Raby Estates, said: “Jimmy’s dedication to both Raby Castle and County Durham is evident in everything he does. It is the enthusiasm and commitment of people like Jimmy that has helped establish County Durham as the popular visitor destination it is today.

“I would encourage everyone across the county and the wider North East to show their support and vote for Jimmy in the national Tourism Superstar competition.”

Michelle Gorman, Visit County Durham’s managing director said: “Jimmy is a fantastic example of the people who make County Durham such a special place to visit. His warmth, knowledge and genuine passion for Raby Castle and the wider county leave a lasting impression on everyone he meets. We are incredibly proud to see him representing County Durham on the national stage and wish him the very best of luck.”

Jimmy Nicol said: “Winning the Durham Tourism Superstar award was a wonderful feeling, and to now be representing Raby Castle and County Durham at a national level is a huge honour. Raby is a place that means a great deal to me, and I’m incredibly proud of the county and the region. To be nominated alongside such fantastic finalists is a real privilege.”

The winner of the national Tourism Superstar award is decided by public vote. Voting is open until the end of English Tourism Week (13–22 March 2026), with the overall winner announced later in the year at the VisitEngland Awards for Excellence 2026.

VOTE HERE 

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Ana Maria Orobio Pinzon

Introducing Ana Maria, Jessamy and Rosaleen

Three students were awarded an internship over the summer of 2025 to collectively research the trading history of wood materials, their import into Britain, and how this linked to individual items in Raby’s collection. The chosen students were drawn to the project because of their interest in understanding how the story of Britain’s colonial past, and the corresponding expansion of trade in global materials, is woven throughout decorative arts and historic interiors in ways that are not always visible.

Ana Maria Orobio Pinzon is a second-year student in Decorative Arts, Design History and Material Culture at Bard Graduate Centre in New York, with a varied background in Art History and technical woodworking in Colombia.

Jessamy Harvey has recently completed her Masters in Decorative Arts and Historical Interiors at the University of Buckingham, and also has a PhD in Spanish Cultural Studies. Her previous experience in research and records management was useful for her visit to the Raby archives, where she tried to better understand how some of the historical furniture at Raby found its’ way into the collection.

Rosaleen Williams currently works at Temple Newsham House in Leeds, and has completed her Masters in Art, Gallery and Museum Studies. Rosaleen’s particular interest is in ‘hidden histories’ that can be unveiled by documents and furniture.

‘For each of us, this project has allowed us to understand more about the links between economic history and historical furniture. Thanks to this project, we can now draw connections between disparate parts of the world and Raby Castle and we hope visitors to the website enjoy taking this global journey too.’

Furniture Collecting at Raby Castle

Raby Castle holds a rich and varied collection, thanks to the generations of Vanes who have lived here since it was purchased by Sir Henry Vane the Elder in the 1600s. It has seen three main periods of significant restoration, which implemented different styles within the interiors of Raby based on tastes of the time.

One such period was led by Henry Vane, 2^nd Duke of Cleveland, who employed architect William Burn to work on the south front of the castle. Much of the collection of exotic woods at Raby Castle was contributed by the 2^nd Duke, who was owner between 1842-1864.​ He commissioned high-quality furniture from leading British cabinetmakers, including Gillows of Lancaster, Holland & Sons and Morant. This included the commission for decoration and furniture for the Octagon Room in 1848 (subject of a previous BIFMO project- The history of the Octagon Drawing Room.)

The project

Through this project, Raby wanted to gain a better understanding of our furniture collection, particularly those made with materials which might have travelled across the globe and represented the methods of trade and transportation within the furniture making industry.

The students identified research questions to focus on, including:

• Why are materials classified as exotic woods?
• Where do these woods come from?
• How and when was its trade important, and what was the wider political context at the time?

They combined wider research with looking into our historic inventories and archives, before compiling this into an interactive website. The website includes an interactive map of the geographical origins of some of the exotic woods found in the collection, a timeline of the wood trade and how this aligned with the European colonisation of territories in continents such as America, Africa and Asia, and an analysis of some pieces of furniture in Raby’s collection to help understand more about the collecting interests of Raby’s residents.

Continue your curiosity

Visit the website

If you would like to find out more about this fascinating project, visit Ana Maria, Jessamy and Rosaleen’s fantastic interactive website below and discover how a piece of furniture found at Raby can represent a social and economic history which spans across the globe.

Home | Exotic Woods of Raby Castle

Visit the Website

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This will be a chance for visitors to experience how the Vane family enjoyed Christmas at the Castle and see the rooms beautifully decorated as they would have been in the past, the family’s traditional gifts, flowers and sumptuous Christmas trees.

The journey will take visitors through eight rooms on the ground floor, telling the story of Christmas Day at the castle, from the early morning thrill of opening a Christmas stocking to an evening of elegant dining and Christmas games, featuring an impressive table setting ready for a spectacular festive meal.

Lady Barnard said: “I have had a wonderful time collecting these beautiful pieces from Christmas past as well as my present family traditions, bringing to life our personal and honest telling of how our ancestors would have celebrated the day right here at Raby Castle all those years ago.”

This special seasonal installation, available on selected dates from Saturday 22^nd November to Sunday 4^th January, will also include never-before-seen items from the collections at Raby Castle.

Lady Barnard added: “I have been discovering even more about Raby’s past and delving into cupboards to find bits and pieces which haven’t been seen in years. Our family would have made many of the decorations themselves and foraged in the grounds for foliage, and it’s been a pleasure emulating this beautiful and sustainable way of decorating.

“This is the first Christmas we’ll be decorating the castle and for those that know Raby will appreciate that working at such scale can be daunting, but the team and I have given it careful thought over the year and feel we have really complimented the essence of Raby. I’m also keen for it to have a personal touch for our visitors – that’s why my team and I will be dressing the rooms ourselves. I hope our visitors see the personal touches throughout.”

A bespoke introductory film, based on the format of the much-loved poem ‘’Twas the Night Before Christmas’, will also feature in the House Keeper’s Sitting Room to set the scene and tell the story of that period, before visitors embark on their journey through the rooms.

Julie Biddlecombe-Brown, curator at Raby Castle, said: “We’ve researched the Raby archives in detail to ensure our Christmas Day telling is as accurate as possible, focusing on the early 1900s. We’ve looked at the Christmas cards the family gave each other, the toys received by the three boys who lived at Raby at the time and their gifts to their parents, what the family would have eaten on the day and the type of wine that would have been served. We even have gift boxes with labels detailing who the present was from and the year, meaning we’re able to provide a truthful snapshot of the family’s festive experiences.

“We haven’t guessed any of the details, and what our visitors will see is something that is true to Raby and an honest portrayal of an Edwardian Christmas – one that Lord Barnard’s great grandfather would have experienced.”

Raby Castle at Christmas will be available between 10am and 4pm and visitors can round off their day at Raby Castle, Park and Gardens with a festive afternoon tea at The Vinery.

A candlelit experience will also take place on Saturday 13^th and 20^th December, where visitors can experience the elegantly decorated castle rooms in a different and magical light, followed by late night shopping for festive gifts at Raby’s retail space, the Coach House.

Tickets to Christmas at the Castle are £22 for adults, £7 for children (up to 15 years) and a family ticket for two adults and two children is £55. Under fours go free. These tickets include entry to Christmas at the Castle and access to the Walled Gardens and Deer Park.

For tickets to Raby Castle at Christmas, visit: www.raby.co.uk/events/raby-castle-at-christmas/. An early bird ticket rate featuring a 10% discount with code RCC10 is available for tickets purchased before 31^st October.

To find out more about Raby Castle, Park and Gardens and all that is on offer for Christmas, and to book tickets, visit: www.raby.co.uk/christmas/

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Inspired by the bestselling books written by Terry Deary and illustrated by Martin Brown, and publishing by Scholastic, Raby is shining a light on the gruesome history of the medieval fortress with a new installation available from Saturday 4^th October to Sunday 9^th November.

As visitors journey through the 14^th century castle, each room will contain new information about the castle in medieval times, including some surprising historical facts from Raby’s past, as told Horrible Histories style!

Julie Biddlecome-Brown, curator at Raby Castle, said: “It’s been fascinating delving into Raby’s legacy from the Middle Ages, looking back at a time when Raby was a castle, rather than the family home and historic house it became centuries later.

“Our special Horrible Histories tour will allow visitors to see Raby Castle in a way they’ve never seen it before, drawing inspiration from the much-loved books that continue to inspire new generations of history fans.”

Throughout October half term, Raby’s expert team of guides will be on hand once a day to take families round the castle and point out the grim and grisly parts of the medieval fortress.

Julie adds: “Our gregarious guides will be drawing attention to parts of the castle that you might normally walk by, but at the time would have had a very different – and sometimes staggering – function.”

The servant’s hall will be transformed into a hands-on space packed with activities exploring medieval life including period costume items to try on and photo opportunities, as well as the chance to test out stocks and discover some surprising medieval crimes and punishments.

A Horrible Histories trail sheet can also be collected, which families can complete during their time-travelling trip round Raby Castle, as they are guided through a cast of memorable characters including powerful nobles and pitiful peasants.

Families can make the most of their day out with Raby’s Family Explorer ticket, providing access to the Horrible Histories inside Raby Castle, Deer Park, Gardens and The Plotters’ Forest. Book online in advance to enjoy discounted rates as the Family Explorer Ticket (two adults and two children) is £60 online or £65 when purchased on-site.

Additional adult and child tickets to Raby Castle, Park and Gardens can also be purchased separately.

To find out more about Raby Castle and its Horrible Histories takeover, and to book tickets, visit: www.raby.co.uk/events/horrible-histories-takeover-at-raby-castle/

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The institutions have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) which builds on almost a decade of close work between the Raby Estate and the University.

It reflects a shared ambition to combine cutting-edge research with real-world impact in heritage, environment, energy, and community engagement.

The collaboration has been shaped by longstanding academic and curatorial relationships.

Durham students already undertake work placements at Raby, giving them invaluable experience to boost their employability, while Raby benefits from their expertise.

The students often work on initiatives that engage with the community, reflecting a shared commitment to making research more accessible and inclusive.

Durham researchers work with Raby staff on projects that draw from the rich archive material and the topography of the historic estate.

The partnership is underpinned by two of Durham University’s flagship Strategic Research Fund programmes: Smart Soils and Heritage 360.

Through Smart Soils, Raby is a key partner in advancing practical approaches to achieving Net Zero within the agricultural sector.

Meanwhile, Heritage 360 positions the estate as a ‘living laboratory’ for natural and cultural heritage research.

This includes ecological modelling and archaeological investigation to the conservation of buildings, landscapes, and collections at the Raby Estate.

The partnership also has strong links to the University’s Durham Energy Institute, with exciting potential for exploring geothermal heat sourcing from the estate’s former lead mines.

A centrepiece of the relationship is the extensive, internationally significant Raby archive.

It offers exceptional material on the late 17th and 18th centuries, including recipe collections, estate records, and a remarkable set of medieval seals from the Vane estates in Shropshire.

Engagement and outreach are central to the Raby-Durham partnership.

This includes collaborative exhibitions at Durham University’s Oriental Museum and co-created events such as the popular Raby Redcurrant programme.

The Raby Redcurrant initiative exemplifies the partnership’s blend of science, history, and community.

It involved Durham researchers and Raby staff tracing the origins of the famous redcurrant to Raby Castle, working with local gardeners, historical food specialists and scientists.

Manuscript recipes from Raby’s archive were transcribed and analysed by Durham postgraduate students, then brought to life through projects such as the Eat Medieval series and the Raby Redcurrant Day School.

Lord Barnard, Custodian of Raby Castle, said: “I am delighted to have agreed this MoU with our Friends at Durham University.

“Our strong ties provide opportunities for academics and students to explore how our landscapes, buildings, collections and heritage can engage and benefit current and future generations.”

Professor Karen O’Brien, Vice-Chancellor of Durham University, said: “This Memorandum of Understanding cements a deep and valued relationship between Durham University and Raby Castle.

“It reflects our shared commitment to learning, sustainability, and community engagement.

“Together, we will continue to advance innovative research and share our discoveries to ensure that our heritage continues to inspire and inform generations to come.”

Professor Giles Gasper, Deputy Executive Dean (Research) in the Faculty of Arts and Humanities at Durham University, added: “Our collaboration with Raby Castle and Estate is of longstanding and rich with future possibilities.

“The privilege of being able to work across archives, collections, and estates, and with Raby colleagues, brings rare and special opportunities to develop research projects together.

“The interdisciplinary and inter-sector possibilities are exciting, and we’re looking forward to working in partnership to raise the profile of our collaborations.”

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