Gatherley Castle facts for kids
Gatherley Castle was a large building, sometimes called a modern mansion. It was located in a place called Middleton Tyas in North Yorkshire, England.
Contents
The Story of Gatherley Castle
Early Days
We don't know exactly when Gatherley Castle was built. We also don't know who designed it. Some parts of its design, like the windows, suggest it might have been built around 1830 to 1840. However, one archway had the date 1885 carved into it.
Owners Over Time
In the 1870s, a man named Henry de Burgh-Lawson (who lived from 1817 to 1892) owned the castle. After 1892, Mr. Coatsworth from Darlington lived there. In 1900, Miss Barningham (1860–1915) bought the castle. Her father, William Barningham, was a successful iron manufacturer in Darlington. After Miss Barningham passed away, the castle became empty. All its furniture was sold in 1928.
During World War II
During the Second World War, which lasted from 1939 to 1945, the British Army took over Gatherley Castle. It was used to hold German and Italian soldiers who had been captured. The castle also had a special searchlight battery. This was a powerful light used to spot enemy aircraft in the sky at night.
The Castle's End
In 1963, Edgar Lawson bought the land where the castle stood. He decided to take the castle down. However, he saved the Lawson family's special symbol, called a coat of arms. This coat of arms is now on display in Darlington. It has a Latin saying, Leve et reluis, which means "Arise and reillumine." This was the motto of the Lawson family, who originally came from Northumberland.
The Castle's Gates
Gatherley Castle had two gatehouses, called North Lodge and South Lodge. They were built in a wooded area next to a main road, which was then known as the Great North Road. Around 1963, the trees were cut down. The road was made wider to become a dual-carriageway, the A1. This meant the two lodges ended up right next to the busy road. Later, in 2016, the A1 was made even better, becoming a motorway. Because of this upgrade, the lodges had to be taken down, along with some other buildings.
