Castles in County Durham

Auckland Castle served as the main country residence for the powerful Prince Bishops of Durham from about AD 1190. The interiors host a marvellous collection of historic art, including original works by Francisco de Zurburan. The castle chapel is one of the largest private chapels in Europe. In the grounds is a Gothic Revival folly known as the Auckland Castle Deer House.
Market Place, Bishop Auckland, County Durham, England, DL14 7NR

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Heritage Highlight: 17th-century Zurbaran paintings of Israel and his Twelve Sons

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This imposing castle overlooking the River Tees was probably begun by Guy de Baliol about 1095. De Baliol's fortress consisted of a ring work, which is now the inner ward. The Baliol family owned the castle for two centuries and founded the town of the same name that surrounds the castle. In the early Middle Ages, Barnard Castle was one of the strongest and most imposing fortresses in the north of England.
Scar Top, Barnard Castle, County Durham, England, DL12 8PR

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Bowes Castle consists of the ruins of a 12th-century keep within the foundations of a Roman fort. The castle was built for the same reason the Romans built their fort here; to guard the strategically important Stainmore Pass that runs east-west across the Pennines between present-day County Durham and Cumbria.
Bowes, County Durham, England, DL12 9HB

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Brancepeth Castle is a 12th-century castle later transformed into an elegant Regency country house. The castle was owned for over 400 years by the powerful Neville family and it was here in 1569 that Charles Neville, the 6th Earl of Westmorland, plotted the Rising of the North.
Brancepeth, County Durham, England, DH7 8DF

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Heritage Highlight: The Battle of Neville's Cross was planned in the Baron's Hall

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Durham Castle was built by William the Conqueror in 1072 as part of his 'Harrying of the North', his destructive efforts to quell an Anglo-Saxon rebellion against Norman rule. The castle was one of the central strongholds in William's attempts to exert control over northern England. The castle is a superb example of early Norman motte and bailey architecture, and together with the nearby cathedral, has been named a World Heritage site.
Palace Green, Durham, County Durham, England, DH1 3RW

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Heritage Highlight: 11th century Norman chapel

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One of the great castles of northern England, Raby is a huge 14th-century fortress built by the powerful Neville family on an estate once owned by King Cnut. Raby has been inhabited by the Vane family - and a few ghosts! - for almost 400 years. Lovely gardens and a deer park surround the castle.
Staindrop, Darlington, County Durham, England, DL2 3AH

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