Raby

This month, new Raby Farm Manager, Philip Vickers caught up with Louise
Impey from Farmers Weekly about Raby’s approach to sustainable farming.
Read on to find out more.

 It’s all change at Raby Estate as the farming business adopts a new direction in preparation for the future. Louise Impey finds out more.

A massive turnaround is how farm manager Philip Vickers describes the new farming policy that Lord Barnard is introducing at Raby Estate in County Durham, as the 1250ha farm commits to rolling out regenerative agriculture and building a legacy for future generations.

Just eight months into his new job, Mr Vickers is full of praise for the farm team and its willingness to adapt, with everyone being on board with the new direction and brimming with enthusiasm for what it involves.

Having dipped a toe in the water last year and tried out regenerative practices on small areas, the better March canopy measurements from direct drilled land gave them the confidence to expand it across the whole farm.

“This is not a half-hearted attempt,” says Mr Vickers. “We are putting the environment at the heart of what we do, while building in business resilience and flexibility.

“The new approach will enhance natural capital and deliver public goods, while allowing us to keep producing high yields and quality food.”

Lord Barnard has been a driving force behind the change of direction, he adds, having seen it working well on his land holding in Shropshire, where a contract farming agreement is managed by Heal Farms.

Maintaining or improving margins remains a key goal for the business, despite current world volatility and uncertainty. Attention to detail and knowledge exchange will help with that ambition, as change takes place.

Having inherited soils in very good condition, Mr Vickers has been able to push ahead with the plan to move to direct drilling and has doubled the farm’s drilling capacity from 8m to 16m.

A diverse rotation, with a mixture of spring and winter cropping, is being introduced. As a cornerstone of sustainable farming, the system won’t work without this diversity, he stresses, which should also help to tackle previous agronomic challenges.

“Having diversity means that issues such as club root and flea beetle in oilseed rape just aren’t as bad,” he explains. “As a result, we need to make fewer interventions.”

The varied rooting profile that comes with a wider rotation also improves soil structure and function, aids water management and gets nutrient cycling working – all things that have both business and environmental benefits, he adds.

The new 5/6 year rotation sees second wheats largely being replaced and the oilseed rape area reducing by a third. Into their place come spring barley and spring beans, with lupins also being given a try for the first time and rotational grass being included.

Having spring crops in the mix means that cover crops also feature, in line with another key principle of a regenerative system – keeping the soil covered. Given the farm’s northerly location, Mr Vickers is very aware of the possible challenges involved.

“There may be difficulties getting a cover crop established in time if we have a late harvest and destroying them soon after Christmas could be tricky in a wet year,” he acknowledges.

“However, even a late established, small cover crop is better than none. The key is not to jeopardise the following cash crop.”

The healthier, biological soils being created should give a wider window for travelling on the land without any damage, he comments, while the fertility-building benefits of cover crops and pulses will reduce reliance on bagged fertiliser.

He is also experimenting with a pea/barley bi-crop and feed wheat variety blends this year, to see what they have to offer. Lupins, which will be drilled in May, are being assessed as an alternative protein source to soya, which has a higher environmental cost.

A share farming agreement has the potential to be an integral part of the rotation, with sheep grazing cover crops, rotational grass and early drilled wheat crops, keeping the latter in check. Removing crop biomass in spring takes any disease out and eliminates the need for early PGRs and fungicides.

In these strange times, trying to keep a check on input costs and reducing fuel use across the whole rotation will make the figures work, with further gains likely to come from carbon and environmental payments.

The farm is already in Mid-Tier Countryside Stewardship and is keen to embrace ELMS on a local and landscape scale, with the protection of heritage landscapes and wildlife being a priority.

Mr Vicker’s final point is that a vibrant commercial business such as Raby Estate has financial, social and environmental targets, as well as the owner’s long-term aim to hand it over in better condition.

“We’ve started a journey, rather than arrived at our destination.”

Transition Goals

  • Maintaining margins while changing approach
  • Improving soil health and resilience
  • Enhancing the natural environment

Farm Facts

  • Raby Estate, Staindrop, Co Durham
  • 1250ha (part of Raby’s wider land holding across County Durham and Shropshire).
  • Arable – winter wheat, oilseed rape, spring barley, spring beans, lupins and rotational grass
  • Sheep enterprise – share farming agreement with tenant farmer
  • 650mm annual rainfall
  • Loam, high magnesium content soils

To complete our March celebrations of inspirational women, we’d like to share with you a recent blog by We Are The City who spoke to Claire Jones about her fascinating career, constructions projects and leading role at Raby.

With a background rooted in the luxury leisure and tourism industry, Claire Jones has overseen the project management of many ambitious construction and renovation projects in Northern England, from concept and design, to build.  

With an eye for detail, yet consistently focussed on the wider vision of delivering a first-class customer experience for the attractions she works with, Claire works closely with business owners to overhaul their offering, increase revenue streams and achieve long-term commercial success for future generations.   

Claire is Head of Leisure and Tourism for Raby Estates and is currently Project Director for the ambitious new development at Raby Castle, known as The Rising.

We explore a little more about Claire’s previous experience and why The Rising is such a fantastic opportunity.

How did you become involved in development projects?

Even as a child I always had a project on the go, and nothing has changed in later life. My first house was a renovation project and when I started my career, I looked for a role that would provide all of the excitement and buzz that comes with a big project.

My first job was with a very progressive leisure and hospitality company, who at the time were introducing café bars (quite a new concept in the late nineties!) to the North West. They looked for interesting historic buildings, which would give their venues an edge, often breathing life into old banks and other landmark properties. I was involved in everything from the acquisition of buildings, through to design, construction and finally overseeing the operation of the business. We spent lots of time on research trips to London and further afield, to understand new trends and how we might introduce these to the North West.

How did your career progress?

From here I moved into the luxury hotel sector where I was able to mix my operational management skills with design and development work. I was again incredibly fortunate to work for entrepreneurial owners, keen to think outside the box, developing their properties to meet the needs of emerging markets, which included outdoor wedding venues, holiday cottages and spa retreats. In these roles, my experience operating leisure and tourism businesses was able to influence the design, working with architects and construction teams to ensure the venues we created would run efficiently, as well as look beautiful.

From here I branched out into country estate work, helping owners diversify their portfolio of land and property to include hospitality and leisure businesses. I also worked freelance, advising owners with limited sector knowledge, on how to design their buildings to become five-star hospitality venues.

Recent projects included the restoration of a beautiful manor house in West Yorkshire, derelict for many years, which the owners have successfully brought back to life as one of the most elegant and luxury hotels in the North. My last project before joining Raby was the development of a beautiful spa, swimming pool, gym and restaurant, to complement the existing hotel and grounds within a country estate.

What are the keys to success with new developments?

I think developers often focus on the specific design of a building but fail to look beyond the bricks and mortar, to the wider experience of guests arriving at a venue. Customers and guests need to feel that the design flows from the moment they turn into the grounds or estate; the arrival experience and surrounding landscape is just as important to the design process as the new building.

I think the other key factor is to listen to the experts who will be running the future business. Staff within a company usually have much more insight into how the building design might actually work in practice (or not) than the designers, therefore it is really important to get everyone involved at an early stage. It’s amazing how many times designers forget to add in a simple yet essential item such as a staff room or cleaning cupboard!


Why is The Rising such an exciting proposition?

Raby is one of those “once in a lifetime” projects. The opportunity here is mind-blowing. It truly is a blank canvas and I know what we are going to create will be exceptional.

My second interview with Lord and Lady Barnard was standing in a very overgrown, untouched part of the estate next to the Dutch Barn, a hidden heritage gem and them asking me “what would you do?”. What an opportunity! I knew I wanted the job there and then.

Lord and Lady Barnard have the perfect balance of being respectful of the history and heritage at Raby but progressive enough to see how sharing it with others in a new, innovative way, will preserve these buildings for the enjoyment of future generations.

What is the best part of your job?

Working within this fantastic setting with such a wonderful team who are thoroughly excited about our plans, is a delight.

Developments are hard work and stressful at times, but I get a real adrenalin rush from the tough deadlines and coordinating so many elements to come together all at once. I also think that working for independent businesses means you have the added joy of making the personal aspirations of a family or individual come together. It really is a case of delivering someone’s dreams, and there is a huge sense of satisfaction when you achieve this.

Read full blog on We Are The City
WeAreTheCity is a leading website based in the UK that aims to empower women by sharing professional advice, events and female support networks.

County Durham is now a step closer to being named UK City of Culture 2025 and securing the colossal social and economic benefits this would bring.

On Friday 18th March, the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport announced the county was one of just four locations from across the UK to be shortlisted for the prestigious title out of the 20 places that originally applied.

The impact of securing UK City of Culture 2025 cannot be overestimated. As well as creating thousands of jobs and boosting the county’s creative and visitor economies by millions of pounds, it would empower residents and help to improve community wellbeing.

And these benefits would spread beyond County Durham to the wider region, with the title supporting levelling up aspirations by acting as a catalyst for further government and private sector investment across the North East.

Following the announcement, Durham County Council, Durham University and Culture Durham – the partners spearheading the Durham 2025 campaign – expressed their thanks to the thousands of individuals, businesses and organisations that have not only backed the campaign, but helped to shape the bid itself.

They also issued a rallying cry to the entire region, urging people to continue to support the campaign as it moves into the crucial final stage.

Cllr Amanda Hopgood, Leader of Durham County Council, said:

“We are absolutely thrilled County Durham has been shortlisted for UK City of Culture 2025. Our success at making it this far is of course testament to our county’s incredible heritage, landscapes and vibrant cultural offer. However, I think it is our ambition, and our tradition of coming together to achieve something incredible, that really set us apart.

“Securing this title would place our extraordinary people and places at the heart of an unforgettable and inclusive programme of events and activities. It would attract more visitors, boost our economy and strengthen our reputation nationally and internationally as a place to live, work, visit and invest – all of which are crucial for levelling up.

“County Durham’s bid recognises all of this, and we are proud it incorporates the ideas and ambitions of hundreds of residents, creative practitioners and cultural organisations. It is thanks to them that we have made it this far and I would like to say a big thank you to everyone who has backed the Durham 2025 campaign. Together, we can bring this title home to County Durham.”

The council submitted the bid, with principal partner Durham University, last month, on behalf of Culture Durham, a partnership of more than 20 cultural organisations from across the county including Durham Cathedral, Beamish and Locomotion. The shortlisted locations will be visited by the judging panel in May ahead of the winner announcement later that month.

Tony Harrington, chair of Culture Durham, said:

“All of our partners are delighted County Durham is a step closer to being crowned UK City of Culture 2025.

“If successful, we will make history as the first county to secure the title – a title we truly deserve. County Durham is no ordinary county and there is a strong feeling across the region that the time is right for the UK’s City of Culture to be in the North East. It truly is our time to shine.

“As we move into this critical final stage, it’s vital we keep the momentum going and shout from the rooftops about the talent and ambition that exists in all corners of our county.”

Professor Karen O’Brien, Vice-Chancellor of Durham University, said:

“We are thrilled Durham has been shortlisted for UK City of Culture 2025. Gaining City of Culture status would be transformative for the County and open up new opportunities for us to foster and build relationships between the university and communities across County Durham.

“Being shortlisted is a wonderful achievement which recognises the wealth of cultural opportunities Durham has to offer. As a principal partner on the bid we are proud that the university’s museums, collections, visitor attractions and cultural activities form an important part.

“We are excited to continue our work with Culture Durham Partnership, Durham County Council and other partners over the coming weeks as the judges visit the shortlisted cities and make their final decision. We look forward to welcoming them to see everything that County Durham has to offer.”

Arts Minister Lord Parkinson of Whitley Bay said:

“I’m delighted that County Durham is on the shortlist for UK City of Culture 2025. This has been a tough competition with a record 20 initial applications and eight outstanding longlist candidates, so this accolade is a real tribute to the quality of creativity on display in the region. I look forward to seeing what County Durham’s bid has in store next!”

Durham 2025 will centre around themes that will illuminate and energise the county and inspire people to congregate. It will build on Durham’s track record for major events such as Lumiere, the UK’s leading light festival, which will be bigger than ever in 2025.

At the heart of County Durham’s bid is a year-long programme of arts, culture, sport, science and economics, including: spectacular opening and closing events; an international celebration of the bicentenary of the Stockton and Darlington Railway with events at Locomotion in Shildon and other locations across the region; and a travelling fair that asks big questions about the local economy.

Lightyear, a 12-month space programme, will celebrate the region’s 1,300-year history of astronomy and space science. And a series of broadcast and digital programmes will bring the county and its stories into front rooms and festivals across the whole of the UK.

The impact on the region’s economy would be significant and long lasting. This includes the creation of an additional 2,500 jobs in Durham’s creative industries and an extra 200 creative enterprises in the county by 2029; directly supporting almost 1,000 businesses and organisations; and creating a £41.5 million spend with at least 50 per cent of contracts going to local suppliers.

It would attract more than 15 million visitors to the region, many of whom would stay overnight, helping to bring an additional visitor spend of £700 million and supporting the creation a further 1,800 jobs in the tourism sector.

And with the county’s profile and appeal raised nationally and internationally, the benefits of being UK City of Culture 2025 would be felt for years to follow.

A rich and vibrant cultural scene is also a key factor in the council’s inclusive approach to the economy. The authority is asking more than half a million residents to join its big econ-versation on issues which matter to them most, helping to create a new and ambitious economic strategy for the future that provides opportunities for everyone. To take part, visit www.durhamecon-versation.co.uk/

To find out more about the bid, visit www.durham2025.co.uk or follow the Durham 2025 social media accounts at www.facebook.com/Durham2025, www.twitter.com/durham_2025 or www.instagram.com/Durham2025_

Local School Children Inspired by Raby’s New Playground
To inspire the next generation of budding designers and engineers, Raby Castle has launched a competition encouraging local schools to design their own adventure playground.

Specialist playground design company CAP.Co, which is building the castle’s exciting new attraction, The Plotters’ Forest – paid visits to four local primary schools to inspire students who may want to enter the competition.

All primary schools within the local area have been encouraged to send in their entries, and the prize for the talented winner and their whole class – who will be chosen by a panel of judges including Lord & Lady Barnard – is exclusive access to The Plotters’ Forest, before it opens to the public this Easter. The closing date for entries is 5pm on 10th March, with the winning entry being announced a week later.

Johnny Lyle, chief design sheriff at CAP.Co said,

“It was an honour to spend time with all the children in the four schools we visited. All of them were asking amazing questions and eager to get started on their own designs.

“Our job is to inspire children with creative and imaginative play and the children who use and hopefully enjoy our playgrounds are our biggest critics – having their creative minds and input at the heart of what we do is very important to us. It was fantastic to talk to them more about the job of designing playgrounds and I hope we’ve inspired one or two as the playground designers of the future.”

School Visit

Johnny Lyle, chief design sheriff at CAP.Co at Escomb Primary School

Leanne Collings, deputy headteacher at Escomb Primary School in Bishop Auckland said:

“The session was brilliant. The children were hooked and so excited to start their designs, completely inspired.”

Chris Riley, headteacher at Gainford CE Primary School said,

“The visit was a great success. All of our children were inspired by the presentation and had lots of questions to ask too. The session really helped our children to gain inspiration for their own designs.”  

Nestled in a stunning woodland within the grounds of Raby Castle, this new adventure play area will be an exciting mix of challenge, discovery and intrigue for all its visitors, both the young and the young at heart.

Inspired by Raby Castle’s history, particularly The Rising of the North in 1569, The Plotters’ Forest encourages everyone to unleash their inner playfulness and mischief as a ‘Raby Rebel’. Young visitors will see special features throughout the site, which represent Raby Castle’s architectural history – including its entrance which has been built to honour the famous Neville Gateway, and the Plotters’ Spire, a three-story tower with a top-floor slide and unusual pentagon shapes which have been used across the playground.

Lord and Lady Barnard said:

“We’re so fortunate to have the collaboration and support of inspiring primary schools, with teachers who want to challenge and motivate their students with creative and imaginative play.

“We can’t wait to see the fantastic entries and it’ll be a pleasure to welcome the winners to The Plotters’ Forest for their special day out.”

The Plotters’ Forest is due to open this Easter and tickets will be available to book from the end of March. Please visit our Play page and sign up to the newsletter to receive updates on The Plotters’ Forest.

 

AND THE WINNERS ARE . . .

Local School Children Become Raby Rebels for the Afternoon with an Exclusive First Visit to New Adventure Playground

An entire class of students from Cockfield Primary School in Bishop Auckland were the first children in the county to test drive Raby Castle’s much-awaited new playground in the trees, The Plotters’ Forest, before it opens to the public at Easter.

Over thirty Class 4 students and their teachers put down their pencils and picked up their adventurous spirits as they became ‘Raby Rebels’ for the afternoon ahead of the Easter break.

The children, who were awarded the prize to be the first to visit the playground after winning a local competition to design an adventure space of their own, were joined by Lord Barnard, owner of Raby Castle, who judged the competition with Lady Barnard and was keen to hear their feedback.

“We had many schools in the area take part in our competition to design an inspirational playground and we were overwhelmed by the quality and creativity of the entries. They were all worthy winners, but we had to choose just one and Cockfield Primary School really excelled in a design which looked so colourful and creative and seemed to be a real collaborative effort from the whole class,” said Lady Barnard.

“After two years of limited school trips, it was absolutely wonderful to welcome Class 4 and their teachers to our new woodland playground. We really hope they had a wonderful afternoon with us, and that The Plotters’ Forest is enjoyed by many other local children over the Easter holidays and beyond. It’s been a long-held dream of Lord Barnard and mine, to have something as special as this at Raby for the local community to enjoy.”

Kathryn Costello, Headteacher at Cockfield Primary School said of the visit:

“The children were delighted to have won this competition and felt really privileged to be the first children to be able to play on the new playground. They enjoyed the challenge of taking part in the competition and really let their imaginations fly when working on their entries.

“They worked in teams to carry out research into what makes a good playground design, shared ideas and worked hard to ensure their designs were inclusive, colourful and welcoming. We were thrilled to have been chosen as the winners and thoroughly enjoyed our visit.”

Raby’s two young local heroes, eight-year-old Ryan Chidzey from Gainford CE Primary and Preschool and eight-year-old Charlotte Hawke from the Federation of Abbey Schools in Darlington also tested out the equipment at The Plotters’ Forest. Ryan and Charlotte won a competition to attend the breaking ground ceremony when the work started on the playground at the end of last year and were invited back to enjoy the finished product.

The Plotters’ Forest, designed specifically for Raby Castle, is one of a kind and is named after the part the castle played in The Rising of the North in 1569. The space will offer an exciting mix of challenge, discovery, and intrigue for both the young and the young at heart.

Visitors will see special features throughout the site, which echo Raby Castle’s architectural history – including its entrance which has been built to honour the famous Neville Gateway, and the Plotters’ Spire, a three-story tower with a top-floor slide and unusual pentagon shapes which have been used across the playground.

It is the first stage of Raby’s wider development scheme The Rising, that promises to attract new visitors to the area and create outstanding recreation for the local community.

The Rising project will include the significant restoration and renovation of several historical buildings on the estate opening spaces which have not been seen by the public before. It is a notable addition that will complement County Durham’s bid for the UK City of Culture 2025 award – which has now reached the next stage.

Raby is saddened to see the suffering in Ukraine and has donated over two weeks’ worth of Raby Castle ticket sales revenue in March, over £10,000 to the Red Cross appeal to support all those affected.

 

Lord Barnard’s family have been longstanding supporters of the excellent humanitarian efforts of the Red Cross and trust that the donation from Raby will help to assist their good work, helping people in urgent need.

The British Red Cross Ukraine Humanitarian Appeal supports people in need, providing food, first aid, warm clothing along with support for hospitals and healthcare facilities. To find out more DEC Ukraine Humanitarian Appeal | British Red Cross

 

We have also been collecting cash donations for this appeal in the Raby Castle Yurt Café and at the High Force Hotel. For those wanting to continue to support please follow the link below:

www.donate.redcross.org.uk/appeal/ukraine-crisis-appeal

 

Thank you for your support.

An iconic country hotel situated in Upper Teesdale within the North Pennines Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty is inviting expressions of interest from prospective new tenants as it is launched onto the rental market this spring.

The Langdon Beck Hotel has undergone an extensive refurbishment, with six fresh, new en-suite guest rooms at first floor level.

The dining room, bar and snug as well as two function rooms have been decorated throughout, whilst the historic elements of the character building have been retained – from its traditional wood beams to its authentic fireplaces.

The recent refurbishment of Langdon Beck is part of a regeneration programme that will breathe new life into several historic buildings across Teesdale, including multiple heritage structures within the grounds of Raby Castle itself.

Raby Estate’s CEO, Duncan Peake, said:

“Lord and Lady Barnard have committed to investing in several properties across the estate and the improvement works to Langdon Beck provide a unique and exciting opportunity for a new tenant to come in and put their own stamp on the hotel, which has been popular with both visitors and local people for decades.

“The hotel has been well managed by the outgoing tenant, and has a loyal following within the local community, so this is an exciting stage in Langdon Beck’s future.

“For prospective tenants, the setting of the hotel is one of its key features, especially with significant and increasing tourism in the area – particularly those visiting the numerous local attractions such as High Force Waterfall.”

Langdon Beck Hotel The hotel, which can accommodate small and large groups, is situated near the Pennine Way walking route and is part of the Teesdale Welcomes Walkers Scheme. The rare black grouse lekking site is also just a short distance from the hotel, which is a haven for bird watchers throughout the year who visit to experience the unique bird assemblage of Upper Teesdale.

“There’s also a strong existing business for small meetings and events and potential for the development of a small campervanning operation within the grounds.

“Langdon Beck provides a blank canvas for new tenants – who will be able to mould and transform the hotel and its offering into a fantastic business, and we’re really looking forward to working with future long-term tenant to bring this to life.”

The property has been featured in several television programmes and hosts the well-known Langdon Beck Show held annually every September.

For further details, please visit www.raby.co.uk. Alternatively, prospective tenants can call 01833 660888 or email reception@raby.co.uk

View Langdon Beck Hotel Letting Particulars

 

RABY CASTLE’S PLAYGROUND PROMISES TO BE A PLOTTER’S PARADISE

Opening Easter 2022

As construction work continues, Raby Castle has revealed the name of its new adventure playground, which will be built amongst the towering trees within its Christmas Tree plantation.

The Plotters’ Forest, which is due to open at Easter this year, draws subtle inspiration from the castle’s history, including The Rising of the North in 1569, when Catholic rebels unsuccessfully plotted to overthrow Queen Elizabeth I, which is said to have been planned at Raby Castle.

“It seemed very fitting that the playground, which has been designed and built for real adventurers to unleash their inner playfulness and mischief, should be named after Raby’s plotters of the past,”

said project director and head of leisure and tourism Claire Jones.

Young visitors will see special features throughout the site, which represent Raby Castle’s architectural history – including its entrance which has been built to honour the famous Neville Gateway, and Plotters’ Spire, a three-story tower with a top-floor slide and unusual pentagon shapes which have been used across the playground.

Raby Estate’s owners, Lord and Lady Barnard, said:

“When our own children were growing up, we enjoyed many happy times with them at adventure playgrounds close to where we lived in Shropshire.
“Children always remember with great fondness, the playgrounds where they had fun and adventure when they were younger, and this is the vision we had for Raby.
“Whilst Raby Castle remains a cultural and educational attraction in the North-East, we also want young families to enjoy fun and adventure at Raby and The Plotters’ Forest, at the heart of our new development, delivers just that.”

The Plotters’ Forest is part of a wider development, known as The Rising, that promises to attract new visitors to the area and create outstanding recreation for the local community. With its name also rooted in a chapter of Raby Castle’s history, the project will include the significant restoration and renovation of several historical buildings on the estate, the creation of a new café and events space, as well as a new visitor hub and landscaped areas.

Lord Barnard continued:

“The Plotters’ Forest is the beginning of a transformation at Raby. Whilst the castle is extremely popular with locals and tourists, the new playground and the wider offering at Raby will cement our reputation as a key attraction in North-East England.
“Tickets to the playground will also give access to picturesque grounds filled with wildlife and in time, the walled gardens. It will be the perfect place to spend the day.”

The new adventure playground is likely to open for Easter 2022, along with its takeaway food and refreshments kiosk.

The wooden boardwalk through the playground is accessible by wheelchair and pushchair, creating a fun and inclusive space for all of Raby’s visitors.

For further information, please visit our new Plotters’ Forest page to receive updates.

CGI image of The Plotters' Forest at Raby Castle (2)-min222

Raby Castle will once again be opening its doors to visitors on Thursday 3rd March for another busy season.

Over the winter period each year, the castle undergoes a magical transformation for Christmas. The New Year then sees a flurry of redecorating and general maintenance tasks getting underway. We caught up with Castle Custodian, Mark Horsley to find out what changes visitors can expect to see for 2022.

Last year Raby Castle closed the doors on the annual visitor season on the 31st of October, after a spooky Halloween Trail. This left us with 25 days to transform the castle into a magical Christmas grotto, ready for our special Fireside Stories event with Father Christmas. This popular experience has become a tradition for visitors, who come from far and wide every year to sit in Raby’s grand Entrance Hall by a roaring fire surrounded by twinkling lights and trees to hear a festive tale. This year the castle team dressed 7 Christmas trees (the tallest standing at over 16ft tall!) using around 1,000 baubles and up to 2,000 lights.

Christmas Trees

With the magic of the festive season behind us we are now looking ahead to the New Year and preparing the castle for re-opening in the Spring. As a new addition for the forthcoming season, we have worked with Lady Barnard and our buildings team to redecorate and repurpose the Lobby on the public route. This room previously displayed a range of Freemasonry material including prints and textiles which, after twenty years, needed to be rested from the damaging effects of lights. The room also contained a popular portrait of the 11th Lord Barnard, painted by Suzi Malin in 1985 (which can now be found on Bulmer’s staircase leading up to the Baron’s Hall). In preparation for the new season, the Lobby walls have been stripped and the floorboards sanded back to bare wood. The room will return to, what is believed to have been, one of its earlier functions – a Boot Room, highlighting the family’s enjoyment of the great outdoors. Our new-look Boot Room will have freshly painted walls and a freshly stained floor. A new bench will reflect times gone by, where people would have removed their riding boots and jackets before entering the castle. A purpose-built coat rack, made by Raby joiners from Raby oak, will hold tweed jackets and caps and an old wall clock and mirror will adorn other walls.

Another change visitors can look out for is the relocation of some of the portraits that adorn the castle walls. First and foremost, the 12th and current Lord Barnard’s portrait now hangs in the Baron’s Hall, taking pride of place above the Steinway piano. Sitting alongside this will be another relocated painting of Charles Neville, the 6th Earl of Westmorland, who has moved from the medieval corridor at the beginning of the public route. Charles Neville was the last of the Neville family to own Raby Castle before the Rising of the North, after which the castle was purchased by the Vane family who still own the castle today. By hanging these portraits side by side it highlights the two main families who have owned Raby Castle since its creation in the 14th century.

Baron's Hall

(c) Daniel Casson

Another new addition to the Baron’s Hall is a portrait of Lady Anne Monson, the daughter of Henry Vane, the first Earl of Darlington and his wife Lady Grace Fitzroy. A great-grandchild of Charles the second she later found fame as a “remarkable lady botanist”. The last painting to be moved will be a painting of a Bay Horse, after J Wootton. This used to hang in a room rarely seen by the public, but will now feature in the Victorian Corridor, just off the Entrance Hall. It is currently away for conservation, so the team are looking forward to seeing it back at Raby.

These exciting winter changes at the castle have been undertaken alongside our usual annual tasks, the deep clean of the public route. This involves building scaffolding towers in the Octagon Drawing Room, Entrance Hall and Baron’s Hall, as these rooms have high decorative ceilings that we couldn’t reach to clean by any other means. The beautiful wooden floor in the Baron’s Hall is also lovingly waxed and polished. All other rooms are stripped of all furniture, cleaned and the furniture replaced. Our incredible collection of copper and pewter moulds and pipkins in the Castle Kitchen are all cleaned prior to the season starting and the 500+ pieces take a small team two weeks to polish.

Kitchen Coppers

As you can hear, there is plenty to keep the castle team busy over the winter period and we can’t wait to welcome our lovely visitors back on Thursday 3rd March. Please pre-book your castle and deer park tickets below.

Book your Castle & Deer Park ticket

Acclaimed landscape architect Alistair Baldwin has been brought in to redesign the extensive public areas around Raby Castle’s landmark new development, The Rising, which will see several historic buildings sympathetically restored to their former glory and be made available to the community and the wider public.

The Richmond based specialist has been retained by Raby Estate owners, Lord and Lady Barnard, to recapture the sociable community feel of Old Raby village, which existed beyond the castle walls. 

The extensive redevelopment of the buildings that will comprise The Rising will be tied together with thoughtfully designed landscaped areas.

The Duchess’ Walk – a corridor of statuesque trees and soft planting that will connect the restored buildings to the new visitor arrival hub The Round House, and lead to the rest of the castle, park, and gardens.

A central terraced garden which will be surrounded by buildings including the new Round House and Vinery restaurant, has views of the spectacular 700-year-old castle beyond and will draw visitors in through a new entrance, bringing a village centre to the scheme.

CGI of The Rising Landscaping

Alistair Baldwin said:

“Our plans focus on providing the local community with beautiful spaces to meet and mingle, and the way we have designed those spaces evokes the sense of a traditional village connecting the various elements of The Rising together, providing sociable spaces where people can come together, shop, dine, meet and enjoy the gardens.

“The scheme will utilise reclaimed materials from around the estate to create a space which is authentic and sympathetic to its surroundings. Raby Castle is a dramatic landscape, and the scheme aims to open up a whole new vista to the castle which hasn’t been seen before. It holds a special place for me as a local lad, so it has been an absolute honour to bring Lord and Lady Barnard’s vision to life with these new designs.”

(L-R) Alistair Baldwin (architect), Lady Barnard and Charlotte Pennell (landscape designer).

Lady Barnard said:

“We have been working together on these plans since 2018 and hours of planning and thought have gone into these designs, so I will take great pride in seeing them come to life. I want to create something beautiful in an area of the castle that has been relatively neglected for decades. 

“This is an incredibly important piece of the development work for Raby and carries with it a great deal of responsibility. This is not only my family’s legacy, but a legacy for the local community as well.” 

World-class Italian garden designer Luciano Giubbilei has also been selected to lead the extensive remodelling of historically important Walled Garden at Raby Castle.

The garden was originally designed to supply the castle with fresh produce but was later developed more formally into a pleasure garden for the family now known as the west garden. The plans will redesign and develop the ornamental gardens to provide a magical outdoor space where visitors can move through exquisite planting or attend performances and events. 

Lady Barnard explains:

“The planting and structures have now been agreed and Luciano has travelled across Europe to find the very best plants for the garden. The iconic yew hedges within the current garden will remain, as they are a real talking point and fortunately Luciano loves them.”

To find out more about our ground-breaking Rising Developments at Raby Castle, visit our Development page.
To tie in with Historic Houses’ #medievalmonday theme this week, we caught up with Castle Curator, Julie Biddlecombe-Brown to find out more about the ‘Medieval Fortifications’ at Raby Castle.

In the 13th and 14th centuries, many wealthy families took the decision to fortify their properties. Ongoing conflict with the Scots led many nobles to take additional precautions to defend their families and land. At Raby Castle, an earlier manor was fortified through successive phases of building during the 14th century. The castle belonged to the powerful Nevill family. In 1346 Ralph Nevill had been one of the leaders of English troops at the Battle of Neville’s Cross (just outside of Durham), where a much larger Scottish army was defeated and King David II was captured.  Perhaps this military action led to the decision to increase defences at his family residences? The work at Raby begun by Ralph was continued after his death by his son John, turning it from a Manor into a Castle which included a range of towers, moat, portcullis and crenelations.

Defensively, Raby isn’t an immediately obvious site for a castle – it is not on a peninsula like Durham Castle or a rocky outcrop like Barnard Castle. But there is a natural water supply and it was on a traditional route north to south. This made the location more strategic and worth maintaining as a place of residence.  The fortification work culminated in the granting of a license to crenelate by Bishop Hatfield in 1378. In other parts of the country, such awards were made by the monarch but as part of the palatinate, in County Durham this power rested with the Prince Bishops.

Visitors to Raby Castle today can still marvel at the remarkably intact 14th century fortifications. Whether viewed from afar, or up close on the castle terrace, the remarkable skills of the medieval craftsmen who built the castle are clear to see. Raby has an ongoing programme of maintenance and repair of these historic structures and current work on the Keep Tower roof will help to preserve these magnificent fortifications for generations to come.

Top Image credit: @Chelseachaseslife

To find out more about our castle towers, visit our previous blog below.

The Nevill Gateway

The Nevill Gateway at Raby Castle

‘Hillocks of Stone; The Towers of Raby Castle’

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