RABY CASTLE

County Durham

With doubt one of England's most beautiful Castles, it is one of Andrew's favourites.

The earliest "Castle" here was a fortified manor house built by Ralph de Nevill around 1340. It was finished by his son, John, who received a licence to crenellate in 1379 from Bishop Thomas Hatfield.  The de Nevills became Earls of Westmorland in 1397 and as their power grew they added more and more to their Castle, adding the wide moat, more towers and gatehouses.  For two hundred years Raby was the most powerful Castle in the area not in Royal hands.

In 1569 the Nevills lost the Castle when Charles, the 6th Earl, took part in a rebellion against the Queen.  In a 1570 survey the Castle was described as being "a marvellous huge house of building..."

The Castle passed to Robert Carr in 1613 but was in a poor state by then.  It passed back to the Crown in 1629 and then to Sir Henry Vane who removed large chunks of Barnard Castle in order to repair Raby.  During the Civil War both sides laid siege to the Castle at different stages, but it remained occupied and not badly damaged throughout and was inhabited until 1714 when Sir Christopher Vane, in a fit of pique, stripped the Castle of its "...lead, iron, glass, doors and boards, etc..." because his son had married against his wishes.  The son, Gilbert, took his father to court and he was forced to pay for the repair works.

Henry Vane, by then Earls of Darlington, made extensive alterations to the Castle between 1758 and 1792.  The Vane's became Dukes of Cleveland in 1833.  A fire destroyed the south front in 1840 and further repairs were carried out afterwards.

The Castle is occupied by Lord Barnard, but is open to the public during the summer months.

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© Text copyright - Raving Loony Productions, Andrew J. Müller and Roy Barton
© Photos and Artwork - Andrew J. Müller and Roy Barton
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2001