Ravensworth Castle, Lamesley
| Ravensworth Castle | |
|---|---|
| Gateshead,Tyne and Wear,England | |
 | |
  Ravensworth Castle | |
| Coordinates | 54°55′35″N1°38′19″W/ 54.9264°N 1.6387°W |
| Grid reference | grid referenceNZ23255914 |
| Site information | |
| Condition | Ruined |
Ravensworth Castleis a ruinous Grade II*listed buildingand aScheduled Ancient Monumentsituated atLamesley,Tyne and Wear,England. The building has been destroyed and rebuilt a number of times, and was the seat of theRavensworth barons,the Liddells.
History
[edit]The castle may have started as asolar tower,which could have been added to an existing manor house approximately 1315. Further towers appear to have been added incrementally throughout the course of the fourteenth century.[1]
Early owners included Fitz-Marmaduke,Viscount Lumleyand Gascoigne. In 1607, the castle was purchased by Thomas Liddell, a wealthyNewcastle-upon-Tynemerchant.[2][3]Liddell and his family would hold onto the estate for the following 300 years, much of their fortune would come fromcoal miningon the land, beginning in the early 17th century.[1]
In 1724Sir Henry Liddellbuilt a substantial mansion within the curtilage of the castle, but this was demolished in 1808 bySir Thomas Liddell,and replaced by a grand house designed in theGothic Revival styleby architectJohn Nash.TheDuke of Wellingtonwas entertained there in October 1827.[1]
Georgiana, Lady Bloomfield,daughter ofSir Thomas Liddellwrote about visiting the castle in 1831, while still in her childhood.[4]
Around 1935, the family began mining for coal directly under the house, with demolition of the building starting around the same time. The intention was to use the wreckage to build amodel village,but with the interruption ofWorld War II,only three houses were created.[1]The majority of the house had been demolished by 1953.[5]
Restorationseries
[edit]The castle was featured in theBBC's television programmeRestoration.All thirty candidates from the series also featured in a book which was produced after the series.[6]
See also
[edit]References
[edit]- ^abcd"Ravensworth: Castle and Estate: Conservation Plan: Final Report"(PDF).North of England Civic Trust.April 2008.Retrieved19 March2020.
- ^Historic England."RAVENSWORTH CASTLE, Lamesley (1025190)".National Heritage List for England.Retrieved19 October2018.
- ^Henderson, Tony."Ravensworth Castle: Experts to investigate historic at-risk castle - The Journal".thejournal.co.uk.
- ^Reminiscences of Court and Diplomatic Life(2 vols.), 1883: record of Georgiana's life, career as a courtier and the wife of a diplomat.
- ^"RAVENSWORTH CASTLE, COUNTY DURHAM".Gatehouse Gazetter.Retrieved19 March2020.
- ^Wilkinson, Phillip (2003) "Restoration - Discovering Britain's hidden architectural treasures" Headline Book Publishing, Pages 114-117.
External links
[edit]- Much information Ravensworth Castle and the Liddells
- Ravensworth Castle info
- Historic England."Castle, grade II* (1025190)".National Heritage List for England.
- Historic England."Arch, walls and tower to the west, grade II (1025150)".National Heritage List for England.
- Historic England."Nash House, grade II* (1025151)".National Heritage List for England.
- Historic England."Stable block and gatehouses to the east, grade II (1185160)".National Heritage List for England.
- Historic England."Well in stable yard, grade II (1025191)".National Heritage List for England.
- Heritage at Risk Register:Ravensworth+Castle
