Raby Castle, County Durham

A new story from Guest Writer, Chris Davy, owner and chef at the Rose & Crown Restaurant, Romaldkirk, County Durham

As you drive around Teesdale you won’t fail to notice all the whitewashed farms. This is a sure sign that they are owned by Raby Estates – history has it that a past Lord Barnard once got lost at night and requested that all his farms be painted white so that he could find his way in future.

It will not take you too long to realise that Lord Barnard is indeed a wealthy landowner. If you leave Barnard Castle on the Bishop Auckland road you will soon arrive at Staindrop – this is not an inelegant village, divided by the busy main road. Follow the sharp bend out of the village and on your left the parklands of Raby Castle appear with grazing deer and an imposing castle dating back to the 14th century.

Once owned by the Nevills, who were the most powerful family in the north of England, it moved into Lord Barnard’s family in the 1600’s. It is a splendid castle, which we have visited on more than one occasion.

Below: Jones’ Views of the Seats of Noblemen and Gentlemen (1819).

Yes, I am biased, but the medieval kitchen is awesome in size, beautifully preserved (just who polishes all that copper each week?) and gives you such a vivid insight into how food was prepared in the past.

Now the Vane family (Lord Barnard, et al) didn’t stint on alterations. Can you perhaps recall a rainy day at home when you got drenched running from the car to the front door of your house? Well at Raby they built themselves the most enormous entrance hall whereby they opened the front door and drove their carriages inside and then alighted from their transport by the front hall fireplace – very ingenious!

You’ll also discover a lovely private chapel that is still in use today. The small Octagon Drawing Room would be something that I prefer not to try to describe because it is just so breathtaking, as you will discover.

Finally the gardens are definitely worth a wander. You’ll find clipped box hedges, fountains playing, rose gardens, glass houses and even a teashop in the old stables.

Open from 1.00pm – 5.00pm daily (excepting Saturdays) in July, August and September, but on Wednesdays and Sundays only in May and June. Also open over all Bank Holidays from the Saturday through to

Wednesday.I wonder if the family is as eccentric as the opening hours?

RABY CASTLE FROM ROSE & CROWN. LEFT OUT OF HOTEL, LEFT BY CHURCH

THEN BEAR RIGHT TO T-JUNCTION; TURN RIGHT, DOWN OVER BRIDGE TO MAIN ROAD; TURN RIGHT AND CLIMB UP HILL PAST PETROL STATION; TURN 2ND LEFT ONTO B 6279 AND CONTINUE TO STAINDROP (see below). TURN LEFT AT MAIN ROAD JUNCTION THROUGH VILLAGE BEARING SHARP LEFT BY CHURCH. CONTINUE FOR ½ MILE TO LEFT TURN INTO CASTLE PARK.

JOURNEY TIME: 20 MINUTES.

OPEN: AS ABOVE

*See another of Chris Davy’s local guides to County Durhamhere: