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 10^th 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.”

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.”

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.

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.

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 11^th 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 12^th 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 6^th 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.

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.

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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.

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.”

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.”

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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 14^th 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 14^th 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.

‘Hillocks of Stone; The Towers of Raby Castle’

World-class playground designers have started work on our enchanting new children’s adventure play area inside a mysterious forest at Raby Castle.

The project is part of our wider development, known as The Rising, that promises to attract new visitors to the area and create outstanding recreation for the local community.

The bespoke and inclusive playground features a fully accessible boardwalk through our Christmas Tree Plantation, opening a previously inaccessible part of the grounds, as well as three-storey play towers, high-level walkways, tunnels and climbing walls, along with several ground-level play trails and slides.

Our new attraction also has a purpose-built area for toddlers, with mini turrets and lookout decks – conveniently located next to the new split-level café. 

Construction of the playground has also been carefully managed to cause minimal disruption to the natural surroundings of the Christmas Tree plantation, to preserve habitats and ensure ancient trees are un-damaged during the build. 

The Rising’s project director Claire Jones said,

“This carefully considered, new addition to Raby Castle, has been inspired by the historical architectural elements within the castle such as The Neville Gateway, but also the many stories associated with the estate, particularly the Rising of The North.”

Nestled in a stunning woodland within the grounds of Raby Castle, our 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. 

The design also ensures that visitors can sample the stunning views of the castle and grounds from the turrets and towers, while adventurers of all ages wind their way through the wonderful world of woodland play at Raby.

Work started on the playground at the end of last year and the ground was broken by 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, – who won a competition to attend the ceremony with Lord & Lady Barnard and invited dignitaries. 

The wider scheme at Raby Castle, 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. Work on the two-year construction programme started with the new 300-space car park to service the new attractions. 

Raby Estate owners, Lord and Lady Barnard, have announced a suite of key consultant hires to bring The Rising to fruition, alongside the creation of over 40 new jobs at Raby Castle itself

Lord Barnard said:

 

“We have now entered the construction phase of this ambitious project, which will deliver wonderful spaces for families to enjoy and to further establish Raby Castle as a must-see visitor destination. This new playground will provide a truly magical space for children and families to enjoy.

“We have spent the last four years planning the development, which promises to put Raby Castle on the map for visitors to the area, as well as providing a beautiful place for the local community to enjoy, all year round.”

The new adventure playground’s build schedule is expected to last a further four months and plans to open at Easter 2022.

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Find out more about The Rising

Find out more about The Breaking Ground event

 

On the 1st of January 2022, we opened the gates to our beautiful Deer Park, so friends and families could enjoy a leisurely stroll in the fresh air across the grounds – and raise money for our chosen charity of 2022, the Brain Tumour Charity.

We wanted to encourage people to get their walking boots on and to start the new year with a refreshing, socially distanced amble through the wide-open space of the estate’s parkland, which is home to two species of deer; Red Deer, the largest British wild land mammal, and our smaller Fallow Deer.

Volunteers from the Brain Tumour Charity were on hand at the start of the outdoor walk, so all attendees could make a donation towards the organisation and its integral work.

The Stables Café was open on the day too, serving takeaway food and a selection of delicious hot and cold drinks for walkers to enjoy during the event. Any young walkers could burn off any remaining energy at our woodland play area, nestled amongst the castle’s vast woodlands.

Four-legged friends didn’t miss out on the walk as dogs on a lead were also welcome for our New Year’s Day dog walk at 11.30am in the Coach Yard.

Sophie Brown, Events Manager at Raby Castle said:

“We’ve hosted New Year’s Day walks here at Raby before and they have always proved popular as a fantastic way to start the new year.

“Not only can people enjoy the incredible scenery across our park, but they can do so knowing that they are helping a worthwhile cause – it’s a really great incentive and what a positive way to begin 2022.”

We selected the Brain Tumour Charity as our chosen charity for this year after a Teesdale farmer and Raby tenant, Richard Scott, sadly passed away after being diagnosed with a low-grade glioma brain tumour six years ago.

Helen Scott, Richard’s wife commented: “

“To hear that Raby is putting on this fundraising event for an organisation that is so close to our hearts is incredibly moving and we are extremely grateful.

“We hope the walk has a brilliant turnout and the attendees enjoy their time at Raby – their donations will help so many people and families like ours.”

All proceeds of the New Year’s Day walk were given to the world’s leading brain tumour charity and the largest dedicated funder of research into brain tumours globally.

The Brain Tumour Charity’s community fund-raiser for the North East, Helen Rogers added:

“Brain tumours are the biggest cancer killer of the under 40s and survival rates have not improved significantly over the last 40 years. We are leading the way in changing this by fighting brain tumours on all fronts.

“We receive no government funding and rely 100% on voluntary donations, so it’s only through the thoughtfulness of businesses like Raby Estates, and people’s generous support,  that we can change these shocking statistics in the future and bring hope to the thousands of people who are diagnosed with a brain tumour every year.”

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With the help of our wonderful visitors, we managed to raise £2,746.74 for the Brain Tumour Charity. To find out more about this incredible charity please visit their website.

If you would like to come and visit us, our Deer Park is currently open daily 10am – 4pm and, as an added bonus for January and February, we are also opening our Castle Terrace which has incredible views across the park. To find out more and book your admission please visit our What’s On page.