Langley Castle
Come join me as I continue to share hidden secrets in the Northumberland county series.
The car turned into the driveway and the trees cleared to reveal an impressive fortress. One of the best restored medieval castle tower houses left in England. Found in the village of Langley, in the valley of the River South Tyne. This Grade I listed building is Langley Castle Hotel, and the place that my family and I settled upon for New Years Eve.
Our stay
We arrived in the late afternoon and took tea in the drawing room. Paintings of monarchs like Edward III and Elizabeth I hung over us and the roaring fire kept us cosy. The grandfather clock struck upon the hour and we headed to our rooms to prepare ourselves for dinner.
It is pretty typical for my family and I to dress up for New Years but it was the first time we were staying in a castle for it. We donned our black tie and returned to the grand drawing room for pre-dinner cocktails. I opted for an espresso martini and wandered around the room, inspecting every little detail. The stone walls are adorned with golden-framed paintings. Miniature silver knights are high up and watch over the room. I peered through stained-glass windows and found I could see nothing but the rain lashing and the wind whipping ferociously.
We ordered our meal in the drawing room and were called down to our dining table 30 minutes later. I chose the scallops for starters, monkfish and seasonal veg for my main, and chocolate mousse with lemon sorbet as dessert. I wasn’t crazy about the dessert, I found the sorbet and orange curd to torte for a pairing with an equally rich chocolate, but the first two courses were exquisite.
We dined and laughed and cheered for the forthcoming new year. Then, it was dart back to our rooms and we readied ourselves for the Allendale Tar Bar’l, which you can read about here. When we returned back to the hotel, a little after midnight, my brother had brought champagne for us to toast together in the warmth. The perfect way to round off the evening and retire to bed, ready to awaken to a new year.
Our hotel stay package included breakfast so we came down for that the next day. I enjoyed homemade granola with berry compote, fruit salad and yoghurt. The hotel offers continental and cooked breakfast (with veggie options available too). A delicious and hearty meal ahead of our short trip back home.
Overall, it was such a wonderful stay. We had a fabulous time and a massive thanks must go to the helpful and kind staff at Langley Castle. A place that is brimming with history and legacy, with longstanding ties to royalty and has stood firmly during raging wars. It’s a beautiful place to stay and all the more magical during New Year's Eve.
If you do opt to stay during NYE, then I would also suggest their dinner event. It is quite a ceremonious event, with bagpipes playing as you enter the hall and feast on an eight-course dinner. The evening concludes with live music and you can go to your room with ease, instead of the dreaded commute back home amongst the New Years Eve crowds. Had we not already organised the Allendale trip, we probably would have done this and been very happy.
The History
The history of this place is incredible. In the 12th century, the first records of it were found 200 years before Langley Castle was even constructed. The property was first owned by the Tindal family in 1165, but the castle itself was built in 1350.
Langley Castle has had many owners over its 674 years of existence. It has stood proudly against the turbulent history of England. It has survived fires, its stewards have been beheaded, it has belonged to relatives of royalty (Elizabeth I and Mary, Queen of Scots) and it has supported Jacobite risings and the exiled Bonnie King.
Northumberland is a wildland. Due to its close proximity to the Scottish Borders, it’s a county that has endured so many battles and territorial claims. The county has the most castles built than anywhere else in England. This is pretty incredible, considering that it is also one of the largest counties with the fewest inhabitants. It’s a strategic area to control, especially during the historic Scots and English battles.
Langley Castle had strong ties in support of the Scottish Kings. In fact, a cross stands by the road from the Castle to Haydon Bridge, commemorating their loyalty to the King of Scotland.
If you would like to learn more about the history, then the website offers a knowledgeable read here
Langley Castle History Tour
The hotel also offers free daily tours that expand on this and we were lucky enough to attend on New Year's Day, which was great! I loved that they still offered the tour on a bank holiday and lucky thing too, because it was a very big group of us who attended.
The history walking tour takes through different rooms of the castle and you get to visit the roof and see wonderful panoramic views of the beautiful countryside and nearby villages. We even went inside one of the towers! Inside was a chapel built by Josephine d'Echarvine that was dedicated to her late husband and blessed by the Pope. The history here is rich and diverse. You would never believe that such a building could have so much legacy attached, considering how small and relatively unknown this area of England is.
