Langley Castle -
Hexham, Northumberland (Pvt)
Now an unusual and beautifully furnished hotel, Langley Castle was built
in the mid-fourteenth century by Sir Thomas de Lucy, for himself and his family to live in
during times of uncertainty. Its location, not far south of Hadrian's Wall, meant that it
came well within the range of Scottish excursions south, and Sir Thomas's previous home
was probably destroyed by the army of Robert the Bruce as he came through Langley and
nearby Hexham. Despite its appearance of strength, it was gutted by fire in 1405, perhaps
on the orders of Henry IV as a punishment for the revolt in the north which the husband of
Langley's heiress, Henry Percy, took part in. It was never rebuilt and remained gradually
decaying for 500 years until it was restored by Cadwallader Bates, who bought the Langley
estate in 1882 specifically to restore the castle as his residence. Unfortunately he died
in 1902, and his wife Josephine completed the restoration, which was remarkably
sympathetic. After she died in 1932, the castle remained empty until it was used as a
barracks during the Second World War, and then a girls' school and eventually became
converted to the hotel it is today.
What is now the large Drawing Room was originally the Great Hall, where
the guests were entertained. The large windows are not original - the defence of the
castle was paramount and such an expanse of glass would be very vulnerable to attack. On
the present stairs are mason's marks in the stonework - used as a kind of signature to
show who had done that piece of work. The Garderobe Tower originally had a spiral stone
staircase and the garderobe are now exposed - the castle had high standards of sanitation
for its day, with wooden seats supported by the stone lips on either side of the
chutes. The waste was carried through the thickness of the walls to little arches at the
base, discharging into a small stream. Thankfully the present arrangements are more
private.
