History Archives - Page 2 of 5

Cracking Christmas Discovery at Raby Castle

9th December 2022

‘Twas the month before Christmas, when all through the castle, not a creature was stirring… except for our Collections Team, who are spending the off-season conducting important collections work! Rebecca, our Collections Intern from Durham University, was busy cataloguing items in the nooks and crannies of the Small Drawing Room, when she made this exciting [...]

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Tagged as: Christmas nutcracker Raby Castle

Ancient Families of Raby Castle

21st November 2022

This week for Historic Houses’ Medieval Monday we are exploring the theme of ‘Ancient Families’. We caught up with Interpretation and Engagement Assistant, Lauren to find out more about the historic Neville family who lived at Raby Castle until 1569. The Neville Dynasty ‘The end of the House of Neville’ The Nevilles, who in the […]

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Tagged as: Charles Neville Raby Castle

Historical Elements Discovered in Local Listed Building

11th October 2022

Hilton Hall Historical features that have been covered up for decades have been found in a Grade II* listed building in County Durham. Hilton Hall, a two-storey building with medieval origins located in the hamlet of Hilton, is on the national list of historic and architecturally important buildings. During significant restoration of the building, historic [...]

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Tagged as: Hilton Hilton Hall Property Raby Estates Refurbishment

Passing Time at Raby

Castle conservation Eagle eyed visitors to Raby Castle in the early months of 2022 will have noticed that The Keep tower had been clad in scaffolding. Thanks to a grant from Historic England and Historic House Foundation, we have been able to carry out some much-needed roof repairs and conservation work on The Keep’s distinctive [...]

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Tagged as: clock repairs conservation Historic England medieval castle Raby Castle

The Secret of the Thomas Weeks Cabinet

1st September 2022

About the Project This blog and interactive website (link below) is the outcome of a research project exploring the history and significance of the Thomas Weeks Cabinet held in the collection of Raby Castle in Darlington, United Kingdom, made possible through the support of Raby Castle and the British and Irish Furniture Makers Online (BIFMO). [...]

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Flying High: Drone Project Update

30th August 2022

Work has progressed this summer on Raby Castle’s project funded by the Castle Studies Trust to create a digital model of the 14th century Neville stronghold. During July, Durham University Archaeological Services, drone scanned the castle exterior. Every nook and cranny was covered; from courtyard and tunnels, to rooftops and bartisans, relying on the skill […]

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Tagged as: Castle Studies Trust drone Raby Castle

Fantastic Follies

23rd August 2022

Historic Houses Feature Friday In this month’s Historic Houses Feature Friday, we’ll be looking at the quirky origins of follies. Discover what defines a folly, what their purpose was, and have a glimpse at the ones here at Raby. It is said the definition of a folly ‘lies in the eyes of the beholder.’ This [...]

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Ponds, Ponds, Glorious Ponds

23rd June 2022

For this month’s Feature Friday with Historic Houses, we caught up with Interpretation and Engagement Assistant, Lauren to uncover some facts you might not have known about Raby’s Ponds. Raby’s High and Low ponds have found their way into many a photograph of the castle and surrounding parkland. The 4th Duchess of Cleveland enjoyed seeing […]

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Tagged as: History Maps Ponds Raby Castle

The Great Kitchen

13th June 2022

For today’s Historic Houses’ Medieval Monday we caught up with Interpretation and Engagement Assistant, Lauren to gain an insight into one of Raby’s oldest and most popular features – the Great Kitchen. Still a fully functioning kitchen up until the 1950s, many of the medieval features seen today have been adapted and modernised throughout the […]

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Coats of Arms

27th May 2022

This week, as part of Historic Houses' Medieval Mondays theme, our new Interpretation and Engagement Assistant, Lauren Foster has been exploring the medieval coats of arms that can be found around Raby Castle. Coats of Arms The use of coats of arms dates back to the 11th century. Initially limited to warrior chieftains, [...]

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