I had never stayed in a castle before so was really looking forward to this experience. I wasn't disappointed.
If you like to stay somewhere out of the ordinary, then Lumley Castle is certainly worth a visit.
It is situated very close to the A1 in Chester-le-Street in Co Durham. I say close, but you wouldn't know it was anywhere but in the middlie of the country. The approach to the castle is long, impressive and winding, and climbs up a hill. There is a cark park for guests just outside the caslte wall, and also some spaces in the courtyard. The reception is not well marked from the car park, but to be honest there isn't anywhere else you could go, so that doesn't really matter.
The Hotel is a conversion of the castle and it's outbuildings, which surround the courtyard. There is a pleasant garden and seating in the courtyard,
although with cars parked there it isn't ideal.
Reception is in one corner of the courtyard, and is an unassuming area. Having said that, it is in keeping with the idea of a medieval undercroft. The staff are in period costume, (though sometimes one is not sure which period they are aiming for) and in keeping with the castle theme it is dark and candlelit. This sets the theme for the whole place.
Wherever possible historical features have been emphasised, and one is never quite sure what is genuine and what had been designed to look genuine. I think the best thing is to go with the flow and enjoy the experience. There are nooks and crannies all over - doors and passages just hinted at - winding stairways, but to where?
We stayed in one of the courtyard rooms. We had a good weekend deal from the internet, although we did phone to reserve it. The courtyard rooms (I think they were a stabling block) were built in the 18th century and had their own charm. The stairs were narrow and steep, and there was oak panelling and secret cupboards all over the place. The room itself was small and in the eaves, but that aded to the charm, and every need was met. There was even a bowl of sweets left by the bed - in case you weren't fed enough !!!! You did feel as though you were an invited guest rather than a paying one.
I believe the rooms in the actual castle are quite magnificent, and each one is different, but I didn't get to see those.
Having been in the car for most of the day, We first went for a walk around the grounds. There is a pleasant walk down to a small river, which was a good way to unwind after travelling a long distance. Apart from that the grounds consist mainly of lawns.
The Castle itself is a total mismatch of periods. It was first built in the 14th century, and has been added to over the years. This is one thing that gives it it's unique character. Each side of the castle shows a different style of building. Maybe this is why the staff have no idea who to dress as........
We booked a meal in the Black Knight restaurant, and spent a relaxing half hour in the library first, with our pre-dinner drinks. The library wasn't crowded and, once again, we felt like honoured guests.
I cannot fault the food. Everything was just as we would have expected. The restaurant itself was on several levels, but I got the feeling this was a modern day approach to giving the customer a feeling of indiviuality, rather than a neccessity of the building. There were smaller rooms for private dining. I did look in one of these, but it seemed a bit to modern to fit in with my idea of a castle.
The eating part of the hotel is situated around an inner courtyard, which was cloistered and very pleasant. One of the cloisters had a row of busts, which were lit to give a romantic effect. I did notice however, that on occasion they had displayed two of the same bust, and that rather spoilt the illusion.
There was a medieval banquet, which we didn't attend, so I have no experience of this. We did sneak a view of the banquet room, and were surprised to see baroque decoration rather than medieval. I think this might have been a mar if you wanted a genuine medieval experience. A lovely room for a ball though.
I believe you can join the knighthood at the castle. If you like the place and intend to go again, this is value for money. More details on the Lumley Castle website, which also has a good range of pricing packages available for the would-be guest.
Overall, we had a lovely stay at the castle. If you are looking for the genuine article, I wouldn't stay here. The surroundings are wonderful, but you get the feeling that most of the extras and designed to be what the public imagine a castle would be, rather than the real thing.
Having said that, if you enter into the spirit of the occasion, I can think of a lot of worse place to stay.
This is not the place for a holiday though. I think that one or two nights would be quite suffient for the experience.
Lumley Castle has a sister Hotel at Coombe Abbey. Maybe I will try there next.
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Oct 8th, 2006
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