Chillingham Castleis a medieval castle in the village ofChillinghamin the northern part ofNorthumberland,England.It was the seat of theGreyandBennet(later Earls of Tankerville) families from the 15th century until the 1980s, when it became the home ofSir Edward Humphry Tyrrell Wakefield, 2nd Baronet,who is married to a member of the original Grey family.
| Chillingham Castle | |
|---|---|
 The north front | |
  Location within Northumberland | |
| General information | |
| Type | Castle |
| Location | Chillingham,Northumberland,England |
| Coordinates | 55°31′34″N1°54′18″W/ 55.526°N 1.905°W |
| Construction started | 12th century |
| Owner | Sir Humphry Wakefield, 2nd Baronet |
| Other information | |
| Number of suites | 8 |
| Website | |
| chillingham-castle | |
A large enclosed park in the castle grounds is home to theChillingham cattle,a rare breed, consisting of about 130 head of white cattle.[1]
The castle is a Grade Ilisted building.[2] In addition to the castle itself, a number of structures on the grounds of the castle are listedGrade IIon theNational Heritage List for England.These include the West Lodge and gateway,[3]the garden wall to the west,[4]the gateway and garden wall to the north,[5]the gateway and garden wall to the south east,[6]and the garden wall to the west.[7]
A pair of urns in the Italian Garden are also listed Grade II.[8]
History
edit
The castle was originally amonasteryin the late 12th century. In 1298,King Edward Istayed at the castle on his way to Scotland to battle a Scottish army led byWilliam Wallace.A glazed window in a frame was specially installed for the king, a rarity in such buildings at the time.
The castle occupied a strategically important location inmedievaltimes: it was located on the border between two feuding nations. It was used as a staging post for English armies entering Scotland, but was also repeatedly attacked and besieged by Scottish armies and raiding parties heading south. The site contained amoat,and in some locations the fortifications were 12 feet (3.7 metres) thick.
The building underwent a harsh series of enhancements, and in 1344 aLicence to crenellatewas issued byKing Edward IIIto allowbattlementsto be built, effectively upgrading the stronghold to a fully fortifiedcastle,ofquadrangularform.
At theUnion of the Crowns,Anne of Denmark,Queen of Scotland, and her children stayed in the castle on their way to London on 6 June 1603.[9]A poem celebrating her welcome at Chillingham was probably written by her secretary,William Fowler.[10]In 1617,James I,whose reign unified the crowns of England and Scotland (James I of England was also James VI of Scotland), stayed at the castle on a journey between his two kingdoms. As relations between the two countries became peaceful following the union of the crowns, the need for a military stronghold in the area declined. The castle was gradually transformed; the moat was filled, and battlements were converted into residential wings. Abanquet halland alibrarywere built.
In the 18th and 19th centuries, the grounds underwentlandscaping,including work carried out by SirJeffry Wyattville.The once extensive park is now under a separate ownership from the castle.[11]
ThePrinceandPrincess of Walesstayed at Chillingham Castle en route to Scotland, in 1872.[12]
During theSecond World War,the castle was used as an army barracks. During this time, much of the decorative wood is said to have been stripped out and burned by the soldiers billeted there. After the war, the castle began to fall into disrepair. Lead had been removed from the roof, resulting in extensive weather damage to large parts of the building.
The castle and estate remained linked with theEarls of TankervilleuntilPeter Bennett, 10th Earl of Tankerville,succeeded in 1980. Soon after this, the landed estate was broken up and sold.[13]
In 1982, the castle was bought bySir Humphry Wakefield, 2nd Baronet,whose wife Catherine is descended from the Greys of Chillingham, and Wakefield set about a painstaking restoration of the castle.[11]
In 1997, the castle was used as a filming location for the filmElizabeth,featuring as Leith Castle and as the hunting lodge.[14]The fibreglass fireplaces from the film remain in the great hall, covering 18th-century white marble fireplaces from the demolishedWanstead Housein east London.[15]
As of 2020, sections of the castle are open to the public including for late-night ghost tours, and eight apartments within the castle and its outbuildings are available for holiday rentals.[11]
Chillingham's ghosts
edit
The current owners market the castle as being the most haunted castle in Britain.[16][17]It has been visited by theMost HauntedTV show.[18]The most famousghostof the castle is the "blue (or radiant) boy", who according to the owners used to haunt the Pink Room in the castle.[19]
In literature
editIn the novelThe Bride of Lammermoor(1819) bySir Walter Scott,Chillingham Castle is singled out as a last refuge for an ancient breed of Scottish cattle. The castle and cattle served as inspiration forEva Ibbotson's2005 children's book,The Beasts of Clawstone Castle.[20][21]
Chillingham Castle is the setting for the 2019 murder-mystery novel “Ryan’s Christmas” byLJ Ross.[22][23]
Gallery
edit-
The south front -
Inside the courtyard -
Italian garden from the battlements -
Chapel window -
-
Statue ofViscount Gough,relocated from Dublin -
'Bat' weather vane on top of castle
See also
editReferences
edit- ^Stables, Daniel (16 September 2021)."A British beast rarer than the panda".BBC Future.Retrieved19 September2021.
- ^Historic England,"Chillingham Castle (1042387)",National Heritage List for England,retrieved31 May2020
- ^Historic England,"West Lodge and gateway to Chillingham Castle (1042394)",National Heritage List for England,retrieved31 May2020
- ^Historic England,"Garden wall to west of Chillingham Castle (1042388)",National Heritage List for England,retrieved31 May2020
- ^Historic England,"Gateway and garden wall to north of Chillingham Castle (1232691)",National Heritage List for England,retrieved31 May2020
- ^Historic England,"Garden wall and gateway south east of Chillingham Castle (1232716)",National Heritage List for England,retrieved31 May2020
- ^Historic England,"Garden wall to west of drive circa 100 yards north west of Chillingham Castle (1370908)",National Heritage List for England,retrieved31 May2020
- ^Historic England,"Pair of sandstone urns in the Italian Garden, Chillingham Castle (1232847)",National Heritage List for England,retrieved31 May2020
- ^HMC Salisbury Hatfield,vol. 15 (London, 1930), p. 126.
- ^Allison L. Steenson,The Hawthornden Manuscripts of William Fowler(Routledge, 2021), 39–40, 193–195.
- ^abcDuncan, Fiona (7 December 2005)."Britain: As if to the manor born (part 2)".The Daily Telegraph.
- ^"The Prince and Princess of Wales in Edinburgh".Berwickshire News and General Advertiser.22 October 1872.
- ^Chillingham,Northumberland County Council,accessed 13 January 2023
- ^"Elizabeth: 1997".Movie Locations.Retrieved9 January2020.
- ^Wakefield, Humphry.Chillingham Castle Room & Grounds Guide.Chillingham Castle.
- ^"Ghosts".Chillingham Castle.Archived fromthe originalon 9 October 2017.Retrieved9 October2017.
- ^Wakefield, Mary (29 October 2004)."The ghosts of a chance".The Daily Telegraph.Retrieved9 October2017.
- ^Smith, Ian (12 April 2007)."Castle's ghostly reputation leads to expansion plans".Berwick Advertiser.Archived fromthe originalon 9 October 2017.Retrieved9 October2017.
- ^Campbell Dixon, Anne (24 June 2000)."Northumberland: Castle's knight in shining armour".The Daily Telegraph.Retrieved9 October2017.
- ^Whetstone, David (17 May 2005)."Eva just gets better".The Journal.Newcastle Upon Tyne. Archived fromthe originalon 15 February 2015.Retrieved15 February2015.
- ^"Obituary: Eva Ibbotson".The Scotsman.Edinburgh. 25 October 2010.Retrieved15 February2015.
- ^Ross, LJ (2 November 2023)."James Douglas, Chillingham Castle".LJ Ross.Retrieved1 July2024.
- ^Ryan, Cathy (6 January 2020)."Ryan's Christmas: A DCI Ryan Mystery by LJ Ross ~ Christmas can be murder…".Between the Lines.Retrieved1 July2024.
External links
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