Langley Castle, in Northumberland, North-East England, enjoys a long history dating back to the 1350s and has been home to a wealth of lords and ladies throughout the past 650 years.

During the 17th century, the castle was in the hands of the Earls of Derwentwater.  Viscounts Langley James, the third Earl and Charles, his brother, took part in the Jacobite risings of 1715.  They were subsequently executed at the Tower of London.  A cross stands by the road from the castle in memory of their loyalty to the King of Scotland (their lawful sovereign of the time).

Langley Castle is unusual for its large amount of Garderobes.  A Garderobe is section cut out from a tower, that in medieval times was used as a toilet.  Despite this humble purpose, today, these make an interesting architectural feature, not least because Langley Castle has an unusually large amount of them.  This is thought to be evidence that the building had more than just a residential purpose and indeed was designed to be heavily manned.

By the 19th century, large parts of the castle has been destroyed by fire, but the grand medieval appearance of present times should be largely be credited to Cadwallader Bates, who purchased the property in 1882 and made it his life’s work to restore the original 14th century structure.  Sadly, Cadwallader died in 1902, but his wife, Josephine, continued what he had started until her own death in 1933.  Amongst other accomplishments, she is responsible for re-building the original chapel on the roof of the castle, which she dedicated to the memory of her late husband.

The current owner, Dr Stuart Madnick, fulfilled his dream of owning a castle when he purchased Langley Castle in 1985.  Together with his wife, Yvonne, they worked to create a luxury castle hotel that can be enjoyed by guests today.

In total, Langley Castle has 27 guest bedrooms.  The rooms in the castle offer a luxury feel and many have unique features, such as a four poster bed or a window seat cut into a 7 foot thick castle wall.  The rooms are large, yet are designed to give a warm and intimate feel.  In many rooms, modern day comforts such as a spa bath or a sauna are subtly blended into the historic architecture. Castle bedrooms are uniquely named, many after important figures from the castle’s past, including Cadwallader and Josephine.

Just a short distance from the castle building, Castle View is a recent conversion where the rest of the bedrooms are located.  Rooms range from standard bedrooms to suites, which also come equipped with sofa beds, making them ideal for families.  Guest in Castle View rooms have access to the public areas of Langley Castle, such as the Drawing Room, with its blazing log fire and rich furnishings, or the Josephine Restaurant.

The restaurant is regarded as one of the best in the area, backed up by a 2 AA Rosette award.  Service is attentive, but discreet and the menu offers local produce, seasonal fish and local game specialities.   Special dinner inclusive rates are on offer for stays of two or more nights.

Langley Castle was recently the silver winner in the “Best Small Hotel” category at the 2011 Enjoy England Awards, as well as enjoying repeated success in the North East England Tourism Awards over recent years in the same category.

Accommodation in the castle starts at £122.50 per person, per night, with rooms in Castle View available from £119.50 per person per night.

www.celticcastles.com/castles/langleycastle