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Callaly Castle
Northumberland, England, UK
Sheep Pasture in the Grounds of Callaly Castle - geograph.org.uk - 149295 (cropped).jpg
Sheep Pasture in the Grounds of Callaly Castle
Callaly Castle is located in Northumberland
Callaly Castle
Callaly Castle
Location in Northumberland
Coordinates 55°22′59″N 1°55′16″W / 55.383°N 1.921°W / 55.383; -1.921

Callaly Castle is a very old and important country house located in Northumberland, England. It's about 14.5 kilometers (9 miles) west of a town called Alnwick. This amazing building is officially recognized as a Grade I listed building, which means it's one of the most important historic buildings in England.

Callaly Castle has a long and interesting history. It stands near where a 12th-century motte castle once stood. A motte castle was an early type of castle built on a raised earth mound. There was also an even older hill fort from the Iron Age nearby.

A Look at Callaly Castle's History

Early Buildings and Changes

In the 14th or 15th century, a strong tower called a pele tower was built here. These towers were common in northern England to protect against raids. Later, in 1619, a man named John Clavering built a new house. He cleverly made the old pele tower part of his new house, using it as the west wing.

More changes happened in 1676 when an architect named Robert Trollope added new parts to the house. Then, in 1707, even more changes were made. These changes were so big that they mostly covered up the older parts of the castle.

The Clavering Family Home

For many years, Callaly Castle was the home of the important Clavering family. They lived there for centuries and even had a special chapel inside the castle. When the Clavering family sold the property in 1877, the chapel was no longer used for religious services.

Later Updates and Modern Use

Throughout the 18th and 19th centuries, the castle continued to be updated. In the 1890s, a new owner named Alexander Browne did a lot of work to restore the building.

More recently, in 1987, an architect named Kit Martin divided Callaly Castle into several separate homes. So, today, different families live in different parts of this historic building.

Gardens of Callaly Castle

The gardens around Callaly Castle were also changed and improved over time. In 1770, the gardens were redesigned. It's thought that the Kennedy brothers, who were famous gardeners, might have helped with this. They were known for creating beautiful gardens with three-walled pleasure areas.

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