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Lumley Castle today

England · Restored

Lumley Castle

Lumley Castle is a 14th‑century quadrangular stone castle at Chester‑le‑Street in County Durham, England. Originally built by Sir Ralph Lumley in 1389 it retains its four-sided plan with corner towers and has served as a residence, college hall, and today operates as a hotel.

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Photograph via Wikimedia Commons

First raised

1389

Its prime

1603

Today

Restored

As it stood in 1603

What Lumley Castle looked like in its prime.

Long rectangular quadrangular castle of warm sandstone ashlar with a low central range flanked by two taller, square corner towers capped with crenellated parapets. The façade shows regular rows of rectangular windows set in ashlar, a continuous crenellated parapet along the roofline, and a dark pitched roof over the central block. The building sits back from a broad clipped lawn and occupies the banks above the Lumley Park Burn, retaining its complete four-sided silhouette.

Its story

The story of Lumley Castle.

Sir Ralph Lumley's Castle, 1389

Lumley Castle takes its name from its creator, Sir Ralph Lumley, who returned from the wars in Scotland and in 1389 converted his family's manor house at Chester-le-Street into a quadrangular castle, licensed to crenellate and credited to the architect John Lewyn. It stands on the banks of the Lumley Park Burn, a tributary of the River Wear, near Durham.

Lumley did not enjoy it long. Implicated in a plot to overthrow Henry IV, he was imprisoned and ultimately executed, his lands forfeited to the Earl of Somerset. In 1421 the castle reverted to his grandson, Thomas.

Baron Lumley's Remodelling and a Royal Caller, 1603

John Lumley, 1st Baron Lumley, remodelled the castle, altering the windows to let in more light and installing a new great-hall fireplace and a lavabo of black and white marble adorned with the pelican of the Lumley crest. When James VI and I rode south in 1603 to take the English throne, he stopped briefly at the castle on 13 April as Lord Lumley's guest, en route from Newcastle to Durham — though he did not stay the night, pressing on to sleep at Durham Castle.

The castle's Georgian alterations, particularly the library, are attributed to Sir John Vanbrugh, though no documents survive to prove his hand.

Bishops, Castlemen and the Lily of Lumley

By the 19th century Lumley had become the residence of the Bishop of Durham, after Bishop Van Mildert gave Durham Castle to the newly founded University of Durham. It then served as a hall of residence for University College — whose students, known as Castlemen, spent their first year at Lumley before moving to the castle in Durham — until the college sold it in the 1960s to fund the Moatside halls in the city. In 1976 its management passed to No Ordinary Hotels, which converted it into a 73-bedroom hotel; it remains in the possession of the present Lord Scarbrough, and since 1995 has formed the backdrop to Durham's Riverside cricket ground.

The castle carries a famous ghost story, the Lily of Lumley: a tale in which Sir Ralph's supposed first wife was thrown down a well in the grounds by two priests for rejecting the Catholic faith. In truth Ralph Lumley married Eleanor Neville, and no such lady appears in the family pedigrees — yet visiting cricketers lodged at the castle in 2000 and 2005, among them the Indian captain Sourav Ganguly, claimed to have witnessed paranormal activity.

Step inside

8 places to explore in 1603.

The record describes 8 distinct spots at Lumley Castle, including 4 interiors: great hall with fireplace and lavabo, chapel (later king james suite), library (attributed to vanbrugh) / later black knight room and more. Create your own photoreal reconstruction and explore every one, more scenes means more rooms, more angles, and more of the place to stand in.

Approach from the south lawnGreat Hall with fireplace and lavaboChapel (later King James Suite)Library (attributed to Vanbrugh) / later Black Knight roomOld beer cellarBattlements and tower walkSundial on the castle groundsBank of the Lumley Park Burn

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Castle Siege

Play Castle Siege at Lumley Castle.

A strategy game played on Lumley Castle’s real ground plan: the same surveyed walls shown in the archive below. Post your finite garrison on the battlements between assaults, then hold out as rams, siege towers, trebuchets and sappers arrive in ever-worse waves.

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Whose castle

Clans who held Lumley Castle.

The families that held Lumley Castle for a decade or more across its history, follow a name to its clan.

  • Lumley

    Built by Sir Ralph Lumley in 1389 and remodelled by John, 1st Baron Lumley; still a property of the Earl of Scarbrough.

From the archive

Lumley Castle on paper: the measured plan and period views.

The survey plan and photographs below are the ground truth this page's reconstructions are checked against, drawn and photographed while the castle was still a working garrison. Every image is public-domain or openly licensed, with its source named.

LUMLEY, Lumley Castle

LUMLEY

1897 · J. D. Mackenzie, The Castles of England, vol. 2 (1897)

Public domain

Nearby

Landmarks within reach of Lumley Castle.

Beamish, The Living Museum of The North, EnglandMuseumBeamish, The Living Museum of The North7 km awayDurham Cathedral, EnglandCathedralDurham Cathedral9 km awayGateshead International Stadium, EnglandStadiumGateshead International Stadium12 km away

Questions about Lumley Castle

What is the history of Lumley Castle?

Lumley Castle is a 14th-century castle built in 1389 when Sir Ralph Lumley converted his family manor house after returning from wars in Scotland. Sir Ralph was later executed after involvement in a plot against Henry IV, and his lands were forfeited. John Lumley, 1st Baron Lumley, subsequently remodelled the castle, including its windows and great-hall fireplace.

What is inside Lumley Castle?

Inside Lumley Castle are the Great Hall, with its fireplace and lavabo, and the Chapel, later converted into the King James Suite. The castle also contains a Library attributed to John Vanbrugh, later known as the Black Knight room, and an old beer cellar. The lavabo is made of black and white marble and bears a pelican.

Why was Lumley Castle built, and what was it used for?

Lumley Castle was built to turn the Lumley family manor house into a quadrangular stone castle. Its purpose later changed: it became a residence of the Bishop of Durham, then a hall of residence for University College, and today operates as a hotel. The building retains its four-sided plan with corner towers.

Who owns Lumley Castle now?

Lumley Castle remains in the possession of the present Lord Scarbrough. It was sold by University College in the 1960s, while management passed to No Ordinary Hotels in 1976. The castle is a Grade I listed building.

Where is Lumley Castle?

Lumley Castle is at Chester-le-Street in County Durham, near Durham. It stands on the banks of the Lumley Park Burn and is located in Little Lumley. The castle is in the North of England.

When was Lumley Castle built?

Lumley Castle was built in 1389, in the 14th century. Sir Ralph Lumley converted the family manor house into the castle, creating its quadrangular form. The building was remodelled later by John Lumley, 1st Baron Lumley, including changes to the windows and great hall.

Which family or clan held Lumley Castle?

The Lumley family held Lumley Castle. Sir Ralph Lumley built it in 1389, and John, 1st Baron Lumley, later remodelled it. It remains a property of the Earl of Scarbrough.

What did Lumley Castle look like in its prime?

Lumley Castle is a long rectangular quadrangular castle built of warm sandstone ashlar. Its low central range is flanked by two taller square corner towers with crenellated parapets. Regular rectangular windows, a continuous crenellated roofline and a dark pitched roof complete its silhouette above the Lumley Park Burn.

Is Lumley Castle still standing, or is it a ruin?

Lumley Castle is still standing and is restored rather than a ruin. It retains its complete four-sided silhouette, with the original quadrangular plan and corner towers. The building now operates as a hotel.

Who built Lumley Castle?

Lumley Castle was commissioned by Ralph de Lumley, 1st Baron Lumley. John Lewyn and John Vanbrugh are associated with its architecture. The Georgian alterations, particularly the library, are attributed to Sir John Vanbrugh, while Sir Ralph Lumley is identified as the castle’s original creator.

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