Raby Castle in County Durham has been invited to join the Treasure Houses of England, a small group of the country’s finest houses, palaces and castles.
The Treasure Houses is a collection of ten important houses across the country dedicated to bringing their history and collections to a wider audience and Raby Castle is now the eleventh member.
Lord Barnard, owner of Raby Castle said: “The castle has a long history – these walls have seen the plotting of the Rising of the North, a Parliamentary stronghold in the Civil War and as the birthplace to the mother of Richard III and Edward IV.
“It is the centre of the largely intact ducal estate of the former Dukes of Cleveland, who built up a significant collection of works of art.
“My wife and I are determined to make that collection even more accessible.
“It is a tremendous privilege that our family home is now part of the Treasure Houses of England and we look forward to working with and learning from the other ten forward-looking owners and their teams.”
After inheriting Raby in 2016, Lord and Lady Barnard have been committed to opening up Raby more widely and welcoming local, national and international visitors following a three-year development and restoration programme in which several historic buildings were returned to their former glory.
The 18th century Walled Gardens were also remodelled by renowned garden and landscape designer Luciano Giubbilei with Lady Barnard.
Regarding the Treasure Houses of England invitation, Lady Barnard said: “I’m immensely proud that we are standing side by side with such notable houses and collections.
“My husband’s forebears assembled a wonderful collection within the castle and deeply loved the surrounding countryside.
“I think it is a worthy feather in the cap for the North East of England.”
Victoria Howard, custodian of Castle Howard and chair of the Treasure Houses Group said: “The Treasure Houses work closely together to benchmark and share best practice as visitor attractions and custodians of natural and built heritage.
“The properties cover the length and breadth of Britain and we are delighted that Raby has joined this group, following their significant recent developments and investment in their offer to visitors.”
Raby Castle re-opened to the public on Saturday 1st March following its annual winter maintenance and conservation programme to showcase its collection to visitors for the 2025 season and is now welcoming visitors seven days a week for the first time in its history.
Guided tours are available for visitors to gain expert insight into the Medieval, Regency and Victorian interiors alongside Raby’s extensive collection of art, textiles and furniture which dates from the 17th to the 21st century.
Raby Castle, its Deer Park which is home to red and fallow deer and the 18th century Walled Gardens are currently open daily.
Raby also hosts a wide variety of seasonal events and workshops throughout the year.