The Glittering North At Raby Castle Review

DISCLOSURE – THIS EXPERIENCE WAS GIFTED TO THE REVIEWER AND GUEST/S FOR THE PURPOSES OF WRITING THE REVIEW.

Reviewed by Jo Hardy

Raby Castle is a beautiful medieval castle just outside the charming town of Staindrop in County Durham, built in the 14th century it is the home of Lord and Lady Barnard. It was very easy to find the castle as it is not far from the A66. It was very magical to see the turrets of the castle rising from between the trees as I rounded the corner and as I got closer, I could see lots of deer in the surrounding park. There was plenty of free parking in the castle grounds.

I entered the grounds at dusk and it all looked lovely, there were lots of small lights strung around the garden, the moon was shining bright and I could see the magnificent castle in the background. 

First stop was the Vinery restaurant for a hot drink, this is a beautiful building with lots of large windows, a place to sit and enjoy the view of the landscape and castle, plenty of tables available. I’m sure you’d get a table here even on the busiest of days, also there are lots of toilets available. Although I didn’t sample any of the food it was good to hear a member of staff explaining to another customer that a lot of their ingredients came from the Raby estate.

As I strolled along the path to the riding school and Dutch barn I could see just how well tended the gardens were, not a leaf out of place or a weed in sight.

An area in the riding school building was set up for storytelling, not happening at the time I called in but it looked very cosy and I could imagine someone sitting in the great big chair telling mysterious tales. This building led onto the Dutch Barn, an area for live performances. I called in twice, once to see flame thrower and once to listen to a band. For me both performances were more a type of street entertainment to enjoy while wondering and not something I would stand a watch for any length of time.

Next stop the shop which had lots of lovely quality things all displayed beautifully. Attached to the shop was an exhibition area telling the history of the castle, in the centre of this was an audio/visual display table telling the estate’s history.

I left the main event until the end and walked under the blue lit sign to enter the “Glittering Trail” I took a leisurely stroll through the trail, it was now dark and the light from all the displays created a magical feel. A lot of the trees were spot lit and the displays really stood out, many reflecting the Norse and Viking heritage, I also met some puppet creatures, a boar some horses and a couple of ravens who were very chatty, it was a truly magical area with plenty of space to get good views of everything.

For me I would have enjoyed more interaction and I think the atmosphere would of benefitted from live performances throughout the site and not confined to one area, but overall it is a very polished well presented event that the whole family can enjoy together.

The Glittering North event is open on 12th,13th,19th,20th,26th,27th,30th,31st October, 1st,2nd and 3rd November entrance is by timed slots from 4pm – 8pm

Prices – adult £20, children £13, family (2 adults,3 children) £66 all with a 50p booking fee, children under 3 years are free.

Rating: 4/5

For more information, visit www.raby.co.uk.