Raby Castle

The House of Neville held the manor of Raby from the 13th century, and, although the family had no formal title, from 1295 they were summoned to Parliament as Barons of Raby. Ralph Neville, 1st Baron Neville de Raby, was the first to be summoned to Parliament. His heir, John Neville (1299/1300–1335), became a member of Thomas, 2nd Earl of Lancaster's household, beginning the family's link with the Earls of Lancaster. Raby was the family's seat of power, and there may have been a fortified house on the site of the present building from around 1300. In the closing years of the century the Nevilles were becoming one of the most powerful families in northern England, comparable to the House of Percy, who had been made Earls of Northumberland in 1377. John died in 1388 and was succeeded by his son, Ralph. '', an 1817 J. M. W. Turner painting of Raby Castle and its landscape. Now in the Walters Art Museum, Baltimore. After the Rising of the North the castle became the property of the Crown for more than forty-three years before being bought by Henry Vane the Elder. He was impressed by the size and lands, contrasting with Barnard Castle, which was hemmed in by the surrounding town. The House of Vane was responsible for much of the modernising of the castle, especially the interior. This included renovation of the medieval chapel and drawing room. The family drove a carriageway though the castle, causing much damage to its medieval fabric. In 1890 the 4th Duke of Cleveland died, leaving the line of succession to the castle and its vast estates unclear. ==Layout==

Raby Castle has an irregular plan, with nine towers along its perimeter. The main entrance was in the west through the four-storey Neville Gateway. Access to the gatehouse was via a drawbridge, since replaced by a flagged causeway. The passage along the parapet was the ancient chemin de ronde (allure) on which guards were posted. == Filming ==

Raby Castle doubled for various royal houses during the production of the 1998 film Elizabeth. Raby Lake stood in for the River Thames during the filming of a night-time party scene. In 2023, American television drama series Billions used the castle as the home of Bobby Axelrod, played by Damian Lewis, as shown in Season 7, Episode 2: "Original Sin". Raby Castle was used as the setting for "Falstone Castle" in a Sarah M. Eden novel turned film in 2026; "Seeking Persephone". Starring Ryann Bailey and Jake Stormoen ==Art==

The castle is famous for its works of art, mostly collected by the Vane Family, including old masters and family portraits. Noted artists whose work is in the castle's collection include Giordano, Van Dyck and Sir Joshua Reynolds. The Small Drawing Room has a fine collection of sporting paintings, reflecting the interests of the family, including works by Ben Marshall, Henry Bernard Chalon and Sir Alfred Munnings, among others. There are some fine paintings in the library, including two architectural capriccios, one by Marco and Sebastiano Ricci and the other by Antonio Joli. A number of portraits include two paintings by Sir Peter Lely of Lady Mary Sackville and Louise de Kerouaille, a portrait of William Bankes by Pompeo Batoni and others of the family, including Sir Henry Vane the Elder and Sir Henry Vane the Younger, the latter at one time Governor of Massachusetts. The pictures in the ante-library are chiefly of the Dutch and Flemish schools of painting and include works by Pieter de Hooch and David Teniers the Younger. The dining room contains some of the castle's most impressive paintings, including works by Sir Joshua Reynolds and Sir Anthony van Dyck. The paintings in this room are mostly portraits of members of the family or associates. ==References==