LANGLEY CASTLE
Castle Hotel in Original Northumberland 14th Century Keep
One
of the travel joys of going to Europe is the charm and history of sleeping
where the lords and
ladies of
the manor once did. Or something
like it, anyway. Many castles still dot the English landscape, some ruins,
some royal residences, some museums and ancestral homes. Finding
a castle hotel to actually stay requires a little more discovery. Very
often the rooms at a castle hotel are in a former stable or outbuilding,
especially if the main castle is still occupied by the owner. In England’s
north Tyne River Valley of Northumberland, near the quaint ancient market
town of Hexham is Langley Castle, one of the finest remaining 14th Century
castles in England with rooms within the original walls.
The
history of northern England is dominated by the border struggles between
Scotland and the English
royalty. The
origin of Langley Castle
is the direct result of the Scottish border wars, built in 1365 during
the reign of Edward III to provide a fortified home along the disputed
border aera for the Baron of Langley, Thomas de Lucy, who had distinguished
himself the
Battle
of
Crecy in France. Over the years, the castle and estate fell into many
hands,
and finally was forfeited to the crown along with the heads of the Earls
of Derwentwater who picked the wrong side in the Jacobite rebellions
of the 1715. Mostly
abandoned, the castle was restored in the 1880’s to its original
structure and the ten acres of wooded grounds which now remain, much
its first occupants would recognize.
Inside
the simple and single square keep of 7 foot thick stone walls, the
structure has been converted
entirely
into a hotel and restaurant
awarded as one of Northern England’s best small hotels. There are
nine themed rooms within the castle itself, each individually unique
with four poster beds, some with sauna or semi-sunken tubs, and several
more rooms available in the Castleview Lodge, a listed historical
building on the grounds. The tower with its central wooden spiral staircase
with gothic stonework niches was constructed with rooms on several floors
intended to garrison troops, but now conveniently providing for the additions
of the hotel rooms. The lovely hotel restaurant with its medieval
decorating gives the feeling of a lord's dining hall, while the original
Grand Hall of the castle on the upper floor now serves as a warm and
cosy beamed drawing room for hotel guests.
Staying
in one of the nine rooms of the castle itself are at a somewhat higher
rate than in the Castleview
rooms on the grounds, but all guests
have access to the common rooms in the castle. Room prices are per person
double occupancy ranging from 64 to 84 pounds (single rates are higher)
in the Castleview Lodge and 114 to 125 pounds sterling inside the castle
keep. Mid-week and weekend breaks are offered at a discount with dinner
in the award winning restaurant included in some of the deals. Perfect
for a northern England honeymoon. Weddings and hosted events are
also offered.
Langley Castle offers an excellent base for exploring the amazing Roman ruins of Hadrian’s Wall, the engineering marvel constructed as the first barrier between England and the Scots (see Hadrian's Wall), the northern Lake District, Southern Scotland andthe fine early gothic cathedral and former monastery of Hexham (see Hexham Abbey), where the medieval town square has been the location of a farmers and crafts market since Anglo-Saxon days. © Bargain Travel Europe
Book a deal at Langley Castle Hotel
Find the best travel deals in Northumberland at TripAdvisor
Web Info
Langley Castle
These articles are copyrighted and the sole property of Bargain Travel Europe and WLPV, LLC. and may not be copied or reprinted without permission.
Other North England Castle Hotels
LUMLEY
CASTLE - Durham County
RIPLEY
CASTLE AND BOARS HEAD INN - Yorkshire Dales
MUNCASTER
CASTLE & COACHMAN'S QUARTERS - West Lake District
REDWORTH
HALL - Durham County
ETTINGTON
PARK HOTEL
Historic Manor House - Warwickshire
See Also:
MY
GREAT-GREAT-GRAND UNCLE - THE EARL OF SOMETHING - Family Ancestry Travel in Britain
BLENHEIM
PALACE
Winston Churchill’s Birthplace
CASTLE
HEDINGHAM
Edward DeVere Birthplace
