RAVENSWORTH CASTLE

County Durham

A Castle has existed here since around 1390 when it was founded by Marmaduke de Lumley in typical late 14th century quadrangular form.  Of this Castle two corner towers still exist; everything else including the handsome Gatehouse (pictured) belongs to a later construction.

The Castle passed through the Boyntons and Gascoignes to Sir Thomas Liddell (in 1607) whose son, also Thomas, was a staunch Royalist, deeply involved in the defence of Newcastle-upon-Tyne who, after its surrender, spent two years in prison.  During this time Ravensworth Castle was very badly damaged.  Around 1724 the Castle was remodelled by Sir Henry Liddell who kept the four angle towers and built a new manor house around them.  This was then knocked down by a later Sir Thomas Liddel who became Lord Ravensworth in 1821. He commenced building his new Castle in 1808 and by 1827 was described by Sir Walter Scott as "chiefly modern, excepting always two towers of great antiquity".  These two towers, it seems, were due to be demolished by Lord Ravensworth by he never got around to it. It appears that John Nash was the architect for some of this work.

Most of Nash's Castle was demolished shortly after World War II, and what was left has been allowed to collapse in on itself - ironically the strongest remaining parts being those two medieval corner towers!

The Castle is on private land, but near a public footpath and relatively easily accessible.

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2001