thumb|right|300px|A view of Raby Castle, County Durham (Spring 2009)
Raby Castle () is a medieval castle located near Staindrop in County Durham, England, among of deer park. It was built by John Neville, 3rd Baron Neville de Raby, between approximately 1367 and 1390. Cecily Neville, the mother of the Kings Edward IV and Richard III, was born here. After Charles Neville, 6th Earl of Westmorland, led the failed Rising of the North in favour of Mary, Queen of Scots in 1569 Raby Castle was taken into royal custody.
Sir Henry Vane the Elder purchased Raby Castle in 1626 and neighbouring Barnard Castle from the Crown, and the Earls of Darlington and Dukes of Cleveland added a Gothic-style entrance hall and octagonal drawing room. From 1833 to 1891 they were the Dukes of Cleveland and they retain the title of Lord Barnard. Extensive alterations were carried out in the 17th and 18th centuries. It is famed for both its size and its art, including works by old masters and portraits. After 1733 it was frequented from his young age of eleven by the poet Christopher Smart, who eloped briefly at the age of thirteen with Anne Vane, daughter of Henry Vane, who succeeded to the Barnard title. It is a Grade I listed building and open to the public on a seasonal basis.
The castle is still a private home and remains the seat of the Vane family, the Barons Barnard. The 11th Baron carried out an extensive programme of renovation and restoration after inheriting the barony in 1964.
History
thumb|left|350px|The south front of Raby Castle with its moat
The House of Neville held the manor of Raby from the 13th century, and, although the family had no formal title, from 1295 they were summoned to Parliament as Barons of Raby.
Ralph Neville, 1st Baron Neville de Raby, was the first to be summoned to Parliament. His heir, John Neville (1299/1300–1335), became a member of Thomas, 2nd Earl of Lancaster's household, beginning the family's link with the Earls of Lancaster. Raby was the family's seat of power, and there may have been a fortified house on the site of the present building from around 1300. In the closing years of the century the Nevilles were becoming one of the most powerful families in northern England, comparable to the House of Percy, who had been made Earls of Northumberland in 1377. John died in 1388 and was succeeded by his son, Ralph.
thumb|upright=1.75|[[Raby Castle (painting)|Raby Castle, an 1817 J. M. W. Turner painting of Raby Castle and its landscape. Now in the Walters Art Museum, Baltimore.]]
After the Rising of the North the castle became the property of the Crown for more than forty-three years before being bought by Henry Vane the Elder. He was impressed by the size and lands, contrasting with Barnard Castle, which was hemmed in by the surrounding town. The House of Vane was responsible for much of the modernising of the castle, especially the interior. This included renovation of the medieval chapel and drawing room.
The family drove a carriageway though the castle, causing much damage to its medieval fabric.
In 1890 the 4th Duke of Cleveland died, leaving the line of succession to the castle and its vast estates unclear.
Layout
thumb|300px|A plan of the castle from J. D. Mackenzie's The Castles of England: their story and structure
Raby Castle has an irregular plan, with nine towers along its perimeter. The main entrance was in the west through the four-storey Neville Gateway. Access to the gatehouse was via a drawbridge, since replaced by a flagged causeway. The passage along the parapet was the ancient chemin de ronde (allure) on which guards were posted.
Filming
Raby Castle doubled for various royal houses during the production of the 1998 film Elizabeth. Raby Lake stood in for the River Thames during the filming of a night-time party scene.
In 2023, American television drama series Billions used the castle as the home of Bobby Axelrod, played by Damian Lewis, as shown in Season 7, Episode 2: "Original Sin".
Raby Castle was used as the setting for "Falstone Castle" in a Sarah M. Eden novel turned film in 2026; "Seeking Persephone". Starring Ryann Bailey and Jake Stormoen
Art
The castle is famous for its works of art, mostly collected by the Vane Family, including old masters and family portraits. Noted artists whose work is in the castle's collection include Giordano, Van Dyck and Sir Joshua Reynolds. The Small Drawing Room has a fine collection of sporting paintings, reflecting the interests of the family, including works by Ben Marshall, Henry Bernard Chalon and Sir Alfred Munnings, among others.
There are some fine paintings in the library, including two architectural capriccios, one by Marco and Sebastiano Ricci and the other by Antonio Joli. A number of portraits include two paintings by Sir Peter Lely of Lady Mary Sackville and Louise de Kerouaille, a portrait of William Bankes by Pompeo Batoni and others of the family, including Sir Henry Vane the Elder and Sir Henry Vane the Younger, the latter at one time Governor of Massachusetts.
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| Sir Godfrey Kneller
| Alexander Pope in his 28th year
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| J.S.C. Schaak
| Joseph Interpreting the Dream of Pharaoh's Chief Baker
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| William Hoare of Bath
| William Murray, 1st Earl of Mansfield
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| Circle of Charles Jervas
| An unknown Gentleman, possibly one of the sons of Gilbert Vane, 2nd Baron Barnard
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| Michiel Jansz. van Mierevelt
| Sir Henry Vane the Elder
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| Circle of Joris Van Son
| A Composition of Fruit and Lobsters
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| Claude-Joseph Vernet
| A rocky coastal Scene
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| Sir Peter Lely
| Sir Henry Vane the Younger
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| Francesco da Ponte Bassano
| A Vegetable and Fruit Market
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| Robert Walker
| Oliver Cromwell
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| Aert van der Neer
| River Scene at Midnight
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| Cornelis de Vos
| A Gentleman and his Wife, believed to be either Jakob Jordans and his wife or Syders and his wife
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| Circle of Van Dyck
| James Hamilton, 1st Lord Hamilton
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| Sir Anthony van Dyck
| Sir John Finch, Lord Finch of Fordwich
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| Sir Joshua Reynolds P.R.A.
| Lady Katherine Margaret Powlett
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| Attributed to William Hoare of Bath
| William Pulteney, 1st Earl of Bath
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| Luca Giordano
| Marcus Curtius leaping into the Gulf
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| Jacopo Amigoni
| Frederick, Prince of Wales
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| Thomas Barker
| The Woodman Returning
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| Hiram Powers
| The Greek Slave
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References
External links
- Raby Castle – official site
- English Heritage: Images of England, listing and architectural details
- Structures of the North East