A Short Walk in the Grounds of Raby Castle

16/10/2018

If you're from the North East, you'll definitely know that there are tonnes of castles in the region. Castles in use, castles in ruins, whatever your preference of castle is - there'll be one in the NE. I love castles/palaces/stately homes and find the entire subject fascinating. I'm not that great at history but I just love the wonder of what might have happened in the spot where you're stood, most likely a gruesome event or a knees up full of aristocrats or royals.

I've visited my fair share of (ex)regal residences, but there are far more I'd like to go to. Most notably Neuschwanstein Castle in Germany, close to the Austrian border; but for now, the UK will have to suffice.

Raby Castle is a medieval castle just outside of Darlington, County Durham. It's set in 200 acres of land and home to two species of deer (I did initially visit with the intention of seeing a few deer close up - but I got close and lost my bottle when a huge stag came out of the woods!! This could have been on my gravestone!!). The castle belongs to Baron Barnard and still serves as a working residence. The land was originally owned by King Cnut back in the early 11th century, he apparently did build a manor house here, but it wasn't the current castle, this was built by the Nevills in the 14th century.

I went for a stroll around the grounds and gardens of the castle, there's a lot to see and its usually relatively quiet, so it's ideal for a peaceful afternoon relax. Hope you like the photos I took below, it was quite a gloomy afternoon.