Lambton Castle
Encyclopedia
Lambton Castle, located in County Durham
, England
, between the towns of Washington
and Chester-le-Street
, is a stately home, the ancestral seat of the Lambton family, the Earls of Durham
. It is a Grade II* listed building.
Largely constructed in its present form in the early 19th century by John George Lambton, first Earl of Durham
and one-time Governor General of Canada
, it was built around the existing Harraton Hall, a 17th century mansion. The castle was designed by architects Joseph Bonomi the Elder
and his son Ignatius
and built in the style of a Norman
castle, as was the fashion of the time. The building overlooks the wooded Wear Valley
and it was paid for with coal mining
wealth accumulated from the mines which ran below the castle and others right across County Durham
.
Later additions to the house built in 1862-5, including the great hall
, were largely demolished in 1932. Also at this time, the contents were auctioned off to pay death duties and the family moved to the smaller Biddick Hall
on the estate.
The park that surrounds the castle is bordered by a high wall and is still used for an annual pheasant
shoot. For a time in the 1970s, the castle's grounds were also home to Lambton Lion Park, opened in 1972 and closed in 1980.
Penshaw Monument
, an Ancient Greek-style
memorial to the first Earl, is located on nearby Penshaw
Hill, which was formerly part of the Lambton Estate. This is also reputed to be the resting place of the mythical
Lambton Worm
, as depicted in the famous North East folk song.
The northern edge of the castle's park marks the boundary between the counties of Tyne and Wear
and County Durham
.
Since the 1960s, the Lambton family have continued to sell off parts of the estate to developers, most notably the land that was used to develop Washington New Town
, which was the subject of a compulsory purchase order
. A more recent transaction was the sale of the Biddick Woods Estate, which now includes the link road from the A182
to the A690
in Houghton le Spring and new business units.
As of 2011, the recently refurbished castle is available for weddings, conferences, banquets, and as a location for filming. It now features a new website http://www.lambtoncastle.co.uk/
County Durham
County Durham is a ceremonial county and unitary district in north east England. The county town is Durham. The largest settlement in the ceremonial county is the town of Darlington...
, England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
, between the towns of Washington
Washington, Tyne and Wear
Washington is a town in the City of Sunderland in Tyne and Wear, England. Historically part of County Durham, it joined a new county in 1974 with the creation of Tyne and Wear...
and Chester-le-Street
Chester-le-Street
Chester-le-Street is a town in County Durham, England. It has a history going back to Roman times when it was called Concangis. The town is located south of Newcastle upon Tyne and west of Sunderland on the River Wear...
, is a stately home, the ancestral seat of the Lambton family, the Earls of Durham
Earl of Durham
Earl of Durham is a title in the Peerage of the United Kingdom. It was created in 1833 for the prominent Whig politician and colonial official John Lambton, 1st Baron Durham. Known as "Radical Jack", he played a leading role in the passing of the Great Reform Act of 1832...
. It is a Grade II* listed building.
Largely constructed in its present form in the early 19th century by John George Lambton, first Earl of Durham
Earl of Durham
Earl of Durham is a title in the Peerage of the United Kingdom. It was created in 1833 for the prominent Whig politician and colonial official John Lambton, 1st Baron Durham. Known as "Radical Jack", he played a leading role in the passing of the Great Reform Act of 1832...
and one-time Governor General of Canada
Governor General of Canada
The Governor General of Canada is the federal viceregal representative of the Canadian monarch, Queen Elizabeth II...
, it was built around the existing Harraton Hall, a 17th century mansion. The castle was designed by architects Joseph Bonomi the Elder
Joseph Bonomi the Elder
Joseph Bonomi the Elder was an Italian architect and draughtsman notable for his activity in England.Born in Rome, he made his early reputation there, then moved to London in 1767....
and his son Ignatius
Ignatius Bonomi
Ignatius Bonomi was an English architect and surveyor, with Italian origins by his father, strongly associated with Durham in north-east England....
and built in the style of a Norman
Norman architecture
About|Romanesque architecture, primarily English|other buildings in Normandy|Architecture of Normandy.File:Durham Cathedral. Nave by James Valentine c.1890.jpg|thumb|200px|The nave of Durham Cathedral demonstrates the characteristic round arched style, though use of shallow pointed arches above the...
castle, as was the fashion of the time. The building overlooks the wooded Wear Valley
Wear Valley
Wear Valley was, from 1974 to 2009, a local government district in County Durham, England. Its council was based in Crook.The district covered much of the Weardale area. In the west it was parished and rural, whereas in the east it was more urban...
and it was paid for with coal mining
Coal mining
The goal of coal mining is to obtain coal from the ground. Coal is valued for its energy content, and since the 1880s has been widely used to generate electricity. Steel and cement industries use coal as a fuel for extraction of iron from iron ore and for cement production. In the United States,...
wealth accumulated from the mines which ran below the castle and others right across County Durham
County Durham
County Durham is a ceremonial county and unitary district in north east England. The county town is Durham. The largest settlement in the ceremonial county is the town of Darlington...
.
Later additions to the house built in 1862-5, including the great hall
Great hall
A great hall is the main room of a royal palace, nobleman's castle or a large manor house in the Middle Ages, and in the country houses of the 16th and early 17th centuries. At that time the word great simply meant big, and had not acquired its modern connotations of excellence...
, were largely demolished in 1932. Also at this time, the contents were auctioned off to pay death duties and the family moved to the smaller Biddick Hall
Biddick Hall (house)
Biddick Hall is a small privately owned 18th century country mansion at Bournmoor, near Chester le Street, County Durham. It is a Grade I listed building and the home of the Lambton family....
on the estate.
The park that surrounds the castle is bordered by a high wall and is still used for an annual pheasant
Pheasant
Pheasants refer to some members of the Phasianinae subfamily of Phasianidae in the order Galliformes.Pheasants are characterised by strong sexual dimorphism, males being highly ornate with bright colours and adornments such as wattles and long tails. Males are usually larger than females and have...
shoot. For a time in the 1970s, the castle's grounds were also home to Lambton Lion Park, opened in 1972 and closed in 1980.
Penshaw Monument
Penshaw Monument
Penshaw Monument is a folly built in 1844 on Penshaw Hill between the districts of Washington and Houghton-le-Spring, within the City of Sunderland, North East England...
, an Ancient Greek-style
Architecture of Ancient Greece
The architecture of Ancient Greece is the architecture produced by the Greek-speaking people whose culture flourished on the Greek mainland and Peloponnesus, the Aegean Islands, and in colonies in Asia Minor and Italy for a period from about 900 BC until the 1st century AD, with the earliest...
memorial to the first Earl, is located on nearby Penshaw
Penshaw
The village of Penshaw , formerly known as Painshaw or Pensher, is an area of the metropolitan district of the City of Sunderland, in Tyne and Wear, England...
Hill, which was formerly part of the Lambton Estate. This is also reputed to be the resting place of the mythical
Mythology
The term mythology can refer either to the study of myths, or to a body or collection of myths. As examples, comparative mythology is the study of connections between myths from different cultures, whereas Greek mythology is the body of myths from ancient Greece...
Lambton Worm
Lambton Worm
The Lambton Worm is a legend from North East England in the UK. The story takes place around the River Wear, and is one of the area's most famous pieces of folklore, having been adapted from written and oral tradition into pantomime and song formats....
, as depicted in the famous North East folk song.
The northern edge of the castle's park marks the boundary between the counties of Tyne and Wear
Tyne and Wear
Tyne and Wear is a metropolitan county in north east England around the mouths of the Rivers Tyne and Wear. It came into existence as a metropolitan county in 1974 after the passage of the Local Government Act 1972...
and County Durham
County Durham
County Durham is a ceremonial county and unitary district in north east England. The county town is Durham. The largest settlement in the ceremonial county is the town of Darlington...
.
Since the 1960s, the Lambton family have continued to sell off parts of the estate to developers, most notably the land that was used to develop Washington New Town
Washington, Tyne and Wear
Washington is a town in the City of Sunderland in Tyne and Wear, England. Historically part of County Durham, it joined a new county in 1974 with the creation of Tyne and Wear...
, which was the subject of a compulsory purchase order
Compulsory purchase order
A compulsory purchase order is a legal function in the United Kingdom and the Republic of Ireland that allows certain bodies which need to obtain land or property to do so without the consent of the owner. It may be enforced if a proposed development is considered one for public betterment - for...
. A more recent transaction was the sale of the Biddick Woods Estate, which now includes the link road from the A182
A182 road
The A182 begins on the A194 motorway between Gateshead and Washington. Though it is a non-primary route it takes the form of a fast grade-separated dual carriageway passing through the New town of Washington from the A194, before meeting at a roundabout with the A183 in Shiney Row.During this dual...
to the A690
A690 road
The A690 is a road in County Durham running from Sunderland in the east through Durham to Crook.-Sunderland section:Throughout the Sunderland section it is known as either Durham Road or New Durham Road, and is one of the major routes in and out of the city. A single carriageway section runs from...
in Houghton le Spring and new business units.
As of 2011, the recently refurbished castle is available for weddings, conferences, banquets, and as a location for filming. It now features a new website http://www.lambtoncastle.co.uk/