Photo: Chillingham Castle by Glen Bowman from Newcastle, England, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons
About this place
Chillingham Castle stands in the Northumberland village of the same name, a fortress granted its licence to crenellate in 1344.
It carries a Grade I listing and a reputation as one of the most haunted buildings in England, complete with a preserved torture chamber.
The grounds hold a herd of around 130 Chillingham cattle, a rare white breed that has run wild in the park for centuries.
The castle remains privately owned and open to visitors for tours, stays and ghost hunts.
Read more on WikipediaHistory
The castle was the seat of the Grey and later Bennet families, Earls of Tankerville, from the 15th century until the 1980s. It then passed to Sir Edward Humphry Tyrrell Wakefield, 2nd Baronet, who married into the original Grey line and took on the castle as his home. Royal connections stretch back to the 1200s, with monarchs including Edward I and Edward III recorded as having stayed there during Anglo-Scottish campaigns.
Architecture
The castle received its licence to crenellate in 1344, giving it the fortified quadrangular form still visible today, though later generations added grander state rooms around the medieval core.
Worth knowing
Chillingham markets itself as Britain's most haunted castle, with regular ghost tours and a surviving torture chamber open to visitors. The writer Marcus Binney included it in his survey of the 500 best houses in Britain, and Simon Jenkins gave it four stars in his book on England's finest houses.
Gardens & grounds
The grounds include an extensive enclosed park where the Chillingham cattle graze.
Facilities
Plan your visit
Nearest station: Chathill Rail Station (7.8 miles)
Open Easter to end of October; check official website for current times and dates.
Nearby properties
Preston Tower
View Preston Tower on heritage mapBudle Hall
View Budle Hall on heritage mapLindisfarne Priory
View Lindisfarne Priory on heritage mapEdlingham Castle
View Edlingham Castle on heritage mapHistoric places nearby
Within 10 miles of Chillingham Castle there are 3 historic properties, including 2 historic houses.
Within 20 miles of Chillingham Castle there are 21 historic properties, including 8 castles, 6 historic buildings and 6 historic houses, across English Heritage, Historic Houses and National Trust sites.
Facts
A medieval fortress still lived in by the family that inherited both its haunted reputation and its wild white cattle.
- Type
- castle
- Location
- Northumberland, England
- Visit duration
- Allow 3-4 hours
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