Lumley Castle facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Lumley Castle |
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|---|---|
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| Hotel chain | No Ordinary Hotels |
| General information | |
| Status | Hotel |
| Type | Castle |
| Architectural style | Quadrangular castle |
| Town or city | Chester-le-Street |
| Owner | Earl of Scarbrough |
| Other information | |
| Number of rooms | 73 |
Lumley Castle is a cool old castle from the 1300s! It's located in Chester-le-Street, in the North of England, not far from the city of Durham. This amazing building belongs to the Earl of Scarbrough and is considered a very important historical site. Today, you can even stay there because it's a hotel!
History of Lumley Castle
Lumley Castle gets its name from its first owner, Sir Ralph Lumley. He turned his family's big house into a strong castle in 1389. This happened after he came back from wars in Scotland.
However, Sir Ralph got into trouble. He was accused of planning against King Henry IV. Because of this, he was put in prison and later executed. His lands, including the castle, were taken away. But in 1421, the castle was given back to Sir Ralph Lumley's grandson, Thomas.
Later, during the time of John Lumley, 1st Baron Lumley, some changes were made to the castle. He made the windows bigger to let in more light. He also added a new fireplace in the main hall. A special sink called a lavabo was also put in, decorated with a pelican, which was the Lumley family's symbol.
In 1603, James VI and I became King of England. He traveled from Edinburgh to London to take his new throne. On April 13, he stopped at Lumley Castle for a short visit as a guest of Lord Lumley. The "King James Suite" hotel room today remembers this visit. However, this room used to be the castle's chapel. The king didn't actually stay overnight at Lumley. He continued his journey and stayed at Durham Castle instead.
Some changes to the castle's style, especially in the library (which is now the Black Knight Restaurant), are thought to have been done by Sir John Vanbrugh.
In the 1800s, Lumley Castle became the home of the Bishop of Durham. This happened after Bishop William Van Mildert gave his old home, Durham Castle, to the new University of Durham. Lumley Castle then became a place where students from University College, Durham could live. Students often spent their first year at Lumley Castle. In the 1960s, the castle was sold by the university. This helped them build new student housing closer to the main campus. Students still remember the castle's role with a special event called the "Lumley Run."
Lumley Castle Today
In 1976, a company called No Ordinary Hotels started managing the castle. They turned it into the 73-room hotel it is today. The castle is still owned by Lord Scarbrough.
Lumley Castle is also a beautiful background for the Durham County Cricket Club's Riverside Ground. This cricket ground was first used in 1995. Visiting cricket teams often stay at the castle. In 2019, the castle worked with Escape Rooms Durham to create a live escape game. It's located in the castle's old beer cellar. The game tells the story of "Lily of Lumley" and opened on Valentine's Day 2019.
Haunted Stories
Many people believe Lumley Castle is one of the most haunted places in County Durham. One famous story is about a woman named Lily Lumley. The tale says she was married to Ralph Lumley. However, the real Sir Ralph Lumley, 1st Baron Lumley was married to Eleanor Neville.
In the story called The Lily of Lumley, Lily was supposedly thrown down a well in the castle grounds. Two priests are said to have done this because she didn't follow the Catholic faith. They then told Baron Lumley that she had left him to become a nun. People say her ghost floats up from the well and haunts the castle. This romantic tale from medieval times is based on a legend of a lady of Lumley who was murdered. Her name is not found in the family records.
In 2000 and 2005, some visiting cricket players who stayed at the castle said they saw strange things. This included the Indian Captain Sourav Ganguly. Several players from the 2005 Australian cricket team also talked about how much the castle's spooky reputation affected them.
