Raby Castle

In the civil parish of Raby With Keverstone. In the historic county of Durham; County Palatinate of (Modern Authority of Durham, 1974 county of County Durham).

John, 3rd Baron Nevill, obtained a Palatinate licence to crenellate in 1378, although this probably meant making changes to an existing building. The castle evolved to become an extensive residence of towers and ranges of apartments built around a small courtyard. The largest tower is Clifford's Tower, 24.7m (81ft) tall, but the most interesting is the Kitchen Tower which still retains its original medieval form. The Nevill family were one of the most powerful and important in Northern England, but they lost all their lands after leading the failed 'Uprising of the North', in support of Mary Queen of Scots, in 1569. The building is now a much altered stately home. Castle said to date from circa 1130.
I visited in June 2009 - entry to the castle was by guided tour. This tour was utterly dreadful. A tour guide with a droning voice who was so far up the alimentary tract of the Bernard family that she needed a map and a torch to get out. The historical content of the tour was rubbish of no value at all. I left feeling I had been ripped off. There are some important medieval features within the castle, which a serious student of castles would want to see, but the castle is currently run in a disgraceful manner which patronises visitors.

The Ordnance Survey Map Grid Reference is NZ12912177

Air Photo from Air Photo and general mapping	1st edition OS Map from Mid to late 19th century maps
Modern Map from Landscape form and features	Modern Map from General location and route planning
Geograph British Isles occasionally has photos of the site and will usually give an idea of the surrounding landscape.

Sources of information, references and further reading

This site's English Heritage (PastScape) Defra or Monument number is 22054
This site's County Historic Environment Record (formerly Sites and Monuments Record) number is D13833 'grey' literature, such as watching brief reports, held by H.E.R.s is often poorly referenced and is unlikely to be recorded in this website.

• Web site links
  • http://www.rabycastle.com/
    http://www.castlexplorer.co.uk/england/raby/raby.php#castle
    http://www.keystothepast.info/durhamcc/K2P.nsf/K2PDetail?readform&PRN=D13833
    http://www.castleuk.net/castle_lists_north/92/rabycastle.htm
    http://www.sine.newcastle.ac.uk/view_structure_information.asp?struct_id=216
    http://www.teesarchaeology.com//projects/aerial_photography/gallery/index90.html
    http://www.teesarchaeology.com//projects/aerial_photography/gallery/index690.html
    http://www.teesarchaeology.com//projects/aerial_photography/gallery/index289.html
    http://www.teesarchaeology.com//projects/aerial_photography/gallery/index290.html
    http://www.pbase.com/tomstorey/image/56100212
    http://www.pbase.com/tomstorey/image/56620050
    http://www.ecastles.co.uk/raby.html
• Books
  • Hislop, M., 2007, John Lewyn of Durham: a medieval mason in practice (Oxford: John and Erica Hedges: BAR British series no438)
    Salter, Mike, 2002, The Castles and Tower Houses of County Durham (Malvern) p48-53
    Emery, Anthony, 1996, Greater Medieval Houses Vol1 (Cambridge) p123-36
    Jackson, M.J., 1996, Castles of Durham and Cleveland (Carlise) p46-50 [plan]
    Pettifer, A., 1995, English Castles, A guide by counties (Woodbridge) p31-2
    Corfe, Tom (ed), 1992, 'The Visible Middle Ages' in An Historical Atlas of County Durhan p28-9
    King, D.J.C., 1983, Castellarium Anglicanum (London: Kraus) Vol1 p137
    Pevsner, N., 1983 (Revised by Williamson, Elizabeth), The Buildings of England: Durham (London, Penguin) p382-9
    Fry, P.S., 1980, Castles of the British Isles (David and Charles) p282-3
    Hugill, Robert, 1979, The Castles and Towers of the County of Durham (Newcastle; Frank Graham) p76-87
    Colvin, H.M., Ransome, D.R. and Summerson, John, 1975, The history of the King's Works, vol3: 1485-1660 (part 1) (London) p404
    Renn, D.F., 1973 (2edn), Norman Castles of Britain (John Baker)
    Brown, R.A., 1954, English Medieval Castles (London) p96, 99
    Tipping, H.A., 1921, English Homes, period 1 Vol1 (London) p258-74
    Hamilton Thompson, A., 1912, Military Architecture in England during the Middle Ages (London) p310-11
    Harvey, Alfred, 1911, Castles and Walled Towns of England (Methuen and Co)
    Gould, Chalkley, 1905, in Page, Wm (ed), VCH Durham Vol1 p359
    Mackenzie, J.D., 1896, Castles of England (New York: Macmillan) Vol2 348-53 http://www.archive.org/stream/castlesofengland02mack#page/348/mode/1up
    Howitt, W., c1850 (new edn 1896), Visits to Remarkable Places p309-13
    Whellan, F., 1894 (2edn), History, Topography and Directory of the County of Durham p576-7
    Boyle, J.R., 1892, Comprehensive Guide to the County of Durham: its Castles, Churches, and Manor-Houses (London) p709-21
    Timbs, J. and Gunn, A., 1872, Abbeys, Castles and Ancient Halls of England and Wales Vol3 (London) p272-6
    Turner, T.H. and Parker, J.H., 1853, Some account of Domestic Architecture in England (Oxford) Vol2 p208-9
    Parsons, W. and White, W., 1828, History and Directory of Durham and Northumberland Vol2 p248-50
    Brayley, E. and Britton, J., 1803, Beauties of England and Wales; Durham Vol5 p227-32
    Hutchinson, Wm, 1785-94, The History and Antiquities of the County Palatine of Durham Vol3 p263-73
    Grose, Francis, 1787, The Antiquities of England and Wales (London) Vol2 p107-11
    Buck, Samuel and Nathenial, 1774, Buck’s Antiquities (London) Vol1 p88
• Journal Articles
  • Hislop, M., 1992, 'The Castle of Ralph Fourth Baron Neville at Raby' Archaeologia Aeliana [ser5] Vol20 p91-7
    Rowan, A., 1972, 'Gothick restoration at Raby Castle' Architectural History Vol5 p23-50
    Rowan, A., 1969 July 10 and 17, 1970 Jan 1, 8 and 22, 'Raby Castle, Co. Durham' Country Life
    1936, Transactions of the Cumberland and Westmorland Antiquarian and Archaeological Society Vol36 p223-5
    Tipping, H.A., 1915, Country Life Vol38 p760-8, 804-10
    1908, The Archaeological Journal Vol65 p322-3 [plan but slight] http://www.archive.org/stream/archaeologicaljo65brit#page/322/mode/1up
    1905-6, Proceedings of the Society of Antiquaries of Newcastle [ser3] Vol2 p363-79
    Pritchett, J.P., 1903, 'On Recent Discoveries in the Chapel of Raby Castle' Archaeological Aeliana [ser2] Vol24 p65-8, 114
    1898, Proceedings of the Society of Antiquaries of Newcastle Vol8 p157-61
    Leyland, 1897, Country Life Vol2 p321-4
    Hodgson, J.F., 1890-5, Transactions of the Architectural and Archaeological Society of Durham and Northumberland Vol4 p49-122, 153-260 and plates
    1888, The Monthly Chronicle; North Country Lore and Legend p514-5
    Hodgson, J.F., 1887, 'Raby' Journal of the British Archaeological Association Vol43 p307-27 http://www.archive.org/stream/journalofbritish43brit#page/307/mode/1up
    Pritchett, J.P., 1887, 'The works of the Nevilles round Darlington' Journal of the British Archaeological Association Vol43 p217-23 http://www.archive.org/stream/journalofbritish43brit#page/217/mode/1up
    Hodgson, J.F. 1886-6 Proceedings of the Society of Antiquaries of Newcastle [ser2] Vol2 p286-96
    Hodgson, J.F. 1880-9, Transactions of the Architectural and Archaeological Society of Durham and Northumberland Vol3 p113-82 and plates
    1865, Archaeologia Aeliana Vol6 p214-5
    1799, Gentleman's Magazine Vol69 pt1 p295-6 http://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/pt?id=mdp.39015018405194
• Guidebooks
  • Neville Vane, H.J., 2008, Raby Castle The Home of Lord Barnard (Heritage House Group) [A dreadful family hagiography which has some useful pictures but text that owes more to Walter Scott than any historical study]
    Anon, n.d. [c1970], A Short Guide to Raby Castle (Barnard Castle: Teesdale Mercury)
    Scott, O.S., 1936, Guide Book [revised Harrison, 1953]
    Scott, O.S., 1908, Raby, Its Castle and Its Lords (Barnard Castle)
    Wilhelmina, Duchess of Cleveland, 1870, Handbook for Raby Castle
• Primary (Medieval documents or transcriptions of such documents - This section is far from complete and the secondary sources should be consulted for full references.)
  • 1871, Report of Deputy Keeper of Public Records Vol32 p292
    Rickard, John, 2002, The Castle Community. The Personnel of English and Welsh Castles, 1272-1422 (Boydell Press) [lists sources for 1272-1422] p189
• Antiquarian (Histories and accounts from late medieval and early modern writers)
  • William Camden, 1607, Britannia [http://www.philological.bham.ac.uk/cambrit/durhameng.html#durham5]
    Chandler, John, 1993, John Leland's Itinerary: travels in Tudor England (Sutton Publishing) p153-4
    Toulmin-Smith, Lucy (ed), 1910, The itinerary of John Leland in or about the years 1535-1543 (Bell and Sons; London) Vol1 p75 http://www.archive.org/details/itineraryofjohnl01lelauoft