Brancepeth Castle

Frequently mentioned in reviews: Top-rated.online cuts through the clutter, highlighting only the reviews that are most helpful, earn the most likes, or come from the most active contributors. Beautiful but sadly can't go inside. with more than expected. It looks like a Victorian folly, but is an ancient with a Victorian renovation. The was excellent. Lead by the owner, who gave an honest introduction to a with a very long and significant history. It's still very much a work in progress to eradicate some of the modern alterations and stabalise the castle. This is refreshingly authentic and so different from mainstream historic buildings. It's popular so it's key to book a well in advance. We loved it. 😎 👍 👍 👍 Brancepeth Castle, near Durham City, is a large fortification dating from the Middle Ages with alterations from the Regency era. It is today a private property and tours are intermittently held. I stumbled across the website and booked a tour. It was fascinating. The church next to the is also worth visiting. Lovely place Very impressive, rich of history Very polite staff Booked a for my mum's birthday, Oliver was our guide and he was wonderful. Very informative, clearly very passionate about the place. I'm glad so much is being done to restore it to it's former glory. A very grand old place. Marvellous day out would recommend and visit again. A wonderful afternoon with Nigel as our guide. Very informative and lots of personal anecdotes shared. Brancepeth is still privately owned so we went for a on a heritage open day. The is vast and crazy, with sections dating from the late 11th century mixed in with large sections of later editions from the Tudor and later periods. The vaulted lower chambers with their bare walls hold stories of indoor plumbing and failed revolts against against Henry VIII, while the more elegant apartments upstairs show how the regal design features of later years were imposed upon its walls, ceilings and towers. It is amazing to see behind the scenes at the castle, and hear the stories of plots and plunder and Pyrex! Brancepeth hosts fairs and special events. Check it out for yourself! Amazing exteriorwgixh forms major part of the conducted tour. Inside is very much 'work in progess'. Will take a few years to sort it out. So, interior interesting but limited. You MUST book in advance otherwise no entry! Visited for the Christmas Fair. Lovely place. Arriving at the for a guided I was awestruck by the classic look of the - and somewhat uncertain as to what I would see inside. We were taken round the inside and outside by the present owner, whose deep love and empathy for this treasure was clear for all to see. He narrated the story of his family which bought the in the 1980's, and the work done with English Heritage to better understand the architecture and the development of the building and the gardens in the valley. Whilst it is clear that it may well take many generations to restore the site to a level that will preserve and enhance the rich cultural significance that the building has, it was interesting to see first hand the germs of reawakening, ambition, and honesty that is required to even contemplate being custodian of such an ancient building. For me, this was a profound and important lesson in heritage restoration, the strength of the human spirit, and a glorious joining together of the fragments and windows into that makes English come alive with the characters and events of yesteryear. I write this review after a few months of a road trip, and such was the passion of the the detail, the stats, the minutiae - all lives on in my mind as clear as the moment it was said. An inspirational day at a beautiful castle, with a passionate and impassioned of a jewel in the canon of English History. I will forever treasure this day and the personal view of the as his family wrestles with priorities to bring this building back to a glorious state. Visited on one of the open days. Really interested castle. We were lucky enough to meet a Ukrainian girl and her father who were staying there. Very sad to hear first hand what is happening in their home country. Really nice that the owners of Brancpeth are supporting them. Went to Brancepeth for a ride out, with a motorcycle group. This is an excellent place to stop. There is a lovely little café just through the gate. The latte was only £3 asked extra hot and was. Prices very reasonable. The young lady behind the counter was very friendly and brought drinks outside , where there was a small amount of seating. This is a beautiful place to call in. We visited on Sunday ,it was the final day of their summer fair. Beautiful in the village of Brancepeth, outside of Durham City. Over 60 stalls selling handmade crafts ranging from bespoke wood bowls, plates,etc to handmade jewellery, cards,clothes,pottery,and artisan food. Three refreshment points. A really delightful way to spend 4 hours on what turned out to be a very nice and sunny Sunday afternoon. We visited a fair at Brancepeth castle. There were 71 stalls with a good variety of crafts. But they were a bit pricey. Gorgeous venue and will come to the Christmas fair in November. Sadly it's not until after queuing, parking and waiting to get to the courtyard gate we're advised that dogs aren't allowed in even the outdoor spaces. On the bright side, we didn't need to spend £20 on entrance fees to see what was available on the market stalls and left, never to return. 👍 This is a very interesting with centuries of history. We take our hat off to the present owners for the effort they are investing in maintaining and developing the use of the Castle. We booked a of the and spent nearly 2 hours with the taking in the from conception, through the ups and downs over the centuries to the present day. Definitely a hidden gem of architecture and well worth seeking out. The lovely coffee shop in the entrance gateway is also a must visit. A charming owner, great coffee and beautiful cakes. I went there for a faire and I can’t recommend Brancepeth enough. From the moment I walked in, I was completely blown away. The in this place is incredible you can really feel it in the walls, the stone steps, the grand halls… it’s like stepping back in time. Inside the church too, It’s absolutely stunning and still in use today by students, which gives the whole place this amazing balance of old and new. Christmas fair was great, lots of stalls and things of interest from local artists and people in a grand setting Just had a fantastic of the with a guide whose knowledge was extensive, and surpassed only by his enthusiasm. The building is important, fascinating and full of surprises. Highly recommended. Played D&D there with a local group of TTRPG players. Well worth it. Just been to Brancepeth today for a guided l, and it was brilliant. The guide, who is also the was fabulous. He's obviously passionate about the Castle, its and its heritage. I'd definitely recommend a visit, its so interesting. We even got a cuppa made for us in the bookstore after the tour. Loved it. Looks nice on the outside but not signposted at all, we got out of the car walked around the castle, didn't find anywhere or anyone to enquire about the entry, we got back in the car and drove off Visited the North East Art Weekend in Brancepeth Castle, held the last weekend in September each year. (28th and 29th September in 2019 - 10am-6pm both days). Great Art exhibition of over40 artists inside the castle, which is a private residence. Lovely food in the cafe - all home made and a great day out. Gorgeous piece of , we are planning going back for the full of the castle. We had an amazing day and the guide was a very lovely lady .We followed her advice and tried the cozy Cafe, and enjoyed the delicious cake they had. Had an amazing time exploring the castle, soaking in the and enjoying the There Be Dragons event. Lovely family run place, would be amazing for weddings, festivals, societies or reenactment groups to hire. Thoroughly recommend any of their events. Didn't,t go in the castle, but there is a tea room in the gate house. One lady on her own. Fantastic home made cakes and great service from a really genuinely happy, chatty lady. Website change monitoring Monitor any webpage for changes – get instant email alerts when prices drop, new jobs are posted, products come back in stock, or competitors update their sites. See how the number of reviews and average review scores have changed over time.