Walworth Castle
Encyclopedia
Walworth Castle is a 16th century mansion house, built in the style of a medieval castle
and situated at Walworth
, near Darlington
, County Durham
, England
. It is a Grade 1 listed building. It was completed around 1600, probably by Thomas Holt
for Thomas Jenison. It stands on the site of a former manor house or castle built in the 12th century by the Hansard family. The estate passed through the hands of the Ayscoughs
and Aylmers besides the Hansards and Jenisons, and became a prisoner-of-war camp
during World War II
and then a girls' boarding school
after the war. It has been a hotel since 1981.
after the 1349 Black Death
, but was reclaimed by Robert Hansard in 1391. The castle then passed to Sir Richard Hansard in 1395, his son Richard in 1454, his grandson Richard in 1466, Sir William Hansard in 1508, Sir William's short−lived son William in 1520, and his daughter Elizabeth Hansard (William's sister) in 1521. In 1539 she married Sir Francis Ayscough, so the castle passed to the Ayscough
family. In 1563 the castle passed to her son William Ayscough, but because there were no further heirs the castle was sold.
of Ireland (d.1579), purchased from the Ascough
family the manor of High Walworth. The manor included a manor house or medieval castle on this site; he demolished most of it apart from the medieval
south−west tower and built the present castle, whose fabric is still identifiable as 16th century in date. It is thought that Jennison's architect was probably Thomas Holt
. In 1586 Jenison died, and his widow Elizabeth née
Birch inherited the castle. It was during her ownership that King James VI of Scotland
is believed to have rested here on 14 May 1603 while travelling to his coronation as king of England
. It is said that the king knighted her son−in−law George Freville in return for bountiful entertainment at the castle. In 1605 Elizebeth Jenison died and her son William Jenison inherited the castle. It became dilapidated because he did not live there, because he was in debt and because in 1610 and 1612 he was imprisoned for being Roman Catholic. The Jennisons were a strongly Catholic family. In 1769 Francis Jennison sold the estate and emigrated to Europe
, possibly because in 1678 Thomas Jenison was accused of involvement in the Popish Plot
to assassinate Charles II
, arrested by Titus Oates
and thrown into Newgate Prison
. In 1681 the castle was divided from the rest of the estate and awarded by Chancery
to Robert Jenison. In 1687 the castle was reunited with its estate when Ralph Jenison bought the whole estate for £6,205. The castle was searched for arms in 1689 in response to suspicions of a potential rebellion against the Protestants
William and Mary
. Ralph Jenison inherited the castle at the age of 10 years in 1704. He later renovated the castle at great expense, and died in debt, so that the castle was again sold.
officer of the 68th Regiment of Foot, later promoted to Lieutenant-General; so it passed to the Aylmer family. After General Aylmer was buried in Heighington
in 1831, John Harrison Aylmer inherited the castle. He repaired the roof and replaced previous soldier statues on the towers with pillars topped with balls, to look like the statues. However in 1868 he, his wife and eldest son were killed in the Abergele rail disaster. His sons Vivian and Edmund, aged 12 and 9 respectively, inherited the castle. Vivian became High Sheriff of Durham and a big game hunter
who explored Somaliland
and crossed the Horn of Africa
in 1885. He died in 1931, and he and his brother were buried in Caerleon
. The castle was then sold to General Aylmer's descendants Neville and Charles Eade. In World War II
, during the Eades' ownership, the castle was used as a prisoner-of-war camp
for 200 men including German
and Italian
officers, under the command of Major Rollin Holmes. In 1950 Durham County Council
bought the castle and it became a girls' boarding school
.
(which was mis-named Albert). The castle was renovated in 2000−2006 by Rachel and Chris Swain who added a glass roof to the courtyard. Anita Culley reclaimed the parrot in 2003, and it was replaced by another blue-fronted Amazon
named Barney in the same year.
This Tudor
castle, dating from around 1600, is a manor house built of partially rendered limestone
rubble, and the roof is of Welsh slate
. The west tower is older, and has gunloops
, narrow trefoil−headed and round−headed windows. It has a main, south−facing building of five bays and three storeys between two four−storey, round, angle towers, with east and west wings on the north side, making up three sides of a square originally open to the north. However a range of early 19th century buildings on the north side of the square now encloses the courtyard. Until the early 21st century the building contained 17th century glass
, which has been removed to the Bowes Museum
. Some flagstones of unknown date were discovered in situ in the cellar or basement of the castle in 2002. Internal renovation took place in 1740, so that the interior now has important mid−18th century features, such as Palladian
plasterwork and Rococo
details. In 1864 the main staircase was rebuilt and the west wing was given a new front. It is now a Grade I listed building.
land, and as such there is still evidence of ridge and furrow
fields. This field system
may be associated with the lost settlement at North Farm, Walworth
; however a possible enclosure has been identified in the park, close by. That means that besides the lost settlement near the castle at North Farm there could have been a second and possibly sequential lost settlement, or the same settlement was scattered or moved. At the southern edge of the park there is evidence of a U−shaped earthwork which may be associated with the possible enclosure.
ed style to match the castle. The lodge and gate piers are both battlemented and the single−storey, L−shaped building has corner towers and rock−faced masonry with ashlar
dressing. Huts to the east of the castle have been identified as the possible site of the World War II
prisoner-of-war camp
. The gardens to the north of the castle, including the glasshouse
, were owned separately from the castle grounds and used for market gardening
by 2003. They were sold again as a separate unit in 2010.
. The castle restaurant used to have variable reviews, however the restaurant earned a three−star classification from the RAC
and AA
in 2002. There have been problems with reduction of public transport access to the castle. In 2001 Walworth Castle Hotel became the 100th member to join Darlington and District Business Club. In celebration of the Golden Jubilee of Elizabeth II
in 2002, there was a children's fancy dress party at the castle in aid of charity. Further charity fundraising events have been held at the castle including a car boot sale in 2002, and a Butterwick Children's Hospice event in 2003, which included staged Viking marauders. In 2007 the castle was lit up with pink light on the evening of Valentine's Day
. In 2008 the castle was on the route of the Quaker Triathlon charity event, organised by the local Rotary Club
. In 2009 Darlington Education Village, previously Haughton School, held its formal ball at the castle. The building is used as a polling station during elections.
Castle
A castle is a type of fortified structure built in Europe and the Middle East during the Middle Ages by European nobility. Scholars debate the scope of the word castle, but usually consider it to be the private fortified residence of a lord or noble...
and situated at Walworth
Walworth, County Durham
Walworth is a central small village with outlying farmsteads, which together constitute a scattered village in the borough of Darlington and the ceremonial county of County Durham, England. It is a civil parish which does not have a church. It is situated to the north west of Darlington. The...
, near Darlington
Darlington
Darlington is a market town in the Borough of Darlington, part of the ceremonial county of County Durham, England. It lies on the small River Skerne, a tributary of the River Tees, not far from the main river. It is the main population centre in the borough, with a population of 97,838 as of 2001...
, 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...
, 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...
. It is a Grade 1 listed building. It was completed around 1600, probably by Thomas Holt
Thomas Holt (architect)
Thomas Holt , was a seventeenth century English architect who designed a number of buildings at the University of Oxford....
for Thomas Jenison. It stands on the site of a former manor house or castle built in the 12th century by the Hansard family. The estate passed through the hands of the Ayscoughs
Ainscough
Ainscough is an old Lancashire family name, also spelled Ayscough, Aiskew, Askew, and Ascough.-Origins:It is thought that the name is derived from the Norse words "ask skog". Although other sources suggest that Aiskew is a corruption of the words "Eiki Skogr" translating to Oak Wood...
and Aylmers besides the Hansards and Jenisons, and became a prisoner-of-war camp
Prisoner-of-war camp
A prisoner-of-war camp is a site for the containment of combatants captured by their enemy in time of war, and is similar to an internment camp which is used for civilian populations. A prisoner of war is generally a soldier, sailor, or airman who is imprisoned by an enemy power during or...
during World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
and then a girls' boarding school
Boarding school
A boarding school is a school where some or all pupils study and live during the school year with their fellow students and possibly teachers and/or administrators. The word 'boarding' is used in the sense of "bed and board," i.e., lodging and meals...
after the war. It has been a hotel since 1981.
Hansard and Ayscough families
The present manor house stands on the site of a previous manor house or castle which was built around 1150 by the Hansard family. There is no evidence that the building was ever used for defence. The title to the castle fell into the hands of the House of NevilleHouse of Neville
The House of Neville is a noble house of early medieval origin, which was a leading force in English politics in the later middle ages...
after the 1349 Black Death
Black Death in England
The pandemic known to history as the Black Death entered England in 1348, and killed between a third and more than half of the nation's inhabitants. The Black Death was the first and most severe manifestation of the Second Pandemic, probably caused by the Yersinia pestis bacteria. Originating in...
, but was reclaimed by Robert Hansard in 1391. The castle then passed to Sir Richard Hansard in 1395, his son Richard in 1454, his grandson Richard in 1466, Sir William Hansard in 1508, Sir William's short−lived son William in 1520, and his daughter Elizabeth Hansard (William's sister) in 1521. In 1539 she married Sir Francis Ayscough, so the castle passed to the Ayscough
Ainscough
Ainscough is an old Lancashire family name, also spelled Ayscough, Aiskew, Askew, and Ascough.-Origins:It is thought that the name is derived from the Norse words "ask skog". Although other sources suggest that Aiskew is a corruption of the words "Eiki Skogr" translating to Oak Wood...
family. In 1563 the castle passed to her son William Ayscough, but because there were no further heirs the castle was sold.
Jenison family
In about 1579 Thomas Jennison, Auditor GeneralComptroller and Auditor General
Comptroller and auditor-general is the abbreviated title of a government official in a number of jurisdictions, including the UK, the Republic of Ireland, India, and China....
of Ireland (d.1579), purchased from the Ascough
Ainscough
Ainscough is an old Lancashire family name, also spelled Ayscough, Aiskew, Askew, and Ascough.-Origins:It is thought that the name is derived from the Norse words "ask skog". Although other sources suggest that Aiskew is a corruption of the words "Eiki Skogr" translating to Oak Wood...
family the manor of High Walworth. The manor included a manor house or medieval castle on this site; he demolished most of it apart from the medieval
Middle Ages
The Middle Ages is a periodization of European history from the 5th century to the 15th century. The Middle Ages follows the fall of the Western Roman Empire in 476 and precedes the Early Modern Era. It is the middle period of a three-period division of Western history: Classic, Medieval and Modern...
south−west tower and built the present castle, whose fabric is still identifiable as 16th century in date. It is thought that Jennison's architect was probably Thomas Holt
Thomas Holt (architect)
Thomas Holt , was a seventeenth century English architect who designed a number of buildings at the University of Oxford....
. In 1586 Jenison died, and his widow Elizabeth née
Married and maiden names
A married name is the family name adopted by a person upon marriage. When a person assumes the family name of her spouse, the new name replaces the maiden name....
Birch inherited the castle. It was during her ownership that King James VI of Scotland
James I of England
James VI and I was King of Scots as James VI from 24 July 1567 and King of England and Ireland as James I from the union of the English and Scottish crowns on 24 March 1603...
is believed to have rested here on 14 May 1603 while travelling to his coronation as king of 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...
. It is said that the king knighted her son−in−law George Freville in return for bountiful entertainment at the castle. In 1605 Elizebeth Jenison died and her son William Jenison inherited the castle. It became dilapidated because he did not live there, because he was in debt and because in 1610 and 1612 he was imprisoned for being Roman Catholic. The Jennisons were a strongly Catholic family. In 1769 Francis Jennison sold the estate and emigrated to Europe
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
, possibly because in 1678 Thomas Jenison was accused of involvement in the Popish Plot
Popish Plot
The Popish Plot was a fictitious conspiracy concocted by Titus Oates that gripped England, Wales and Scotland in Anti-Catholic hysteria between 1678 and 1681. Oates alleged that there existed an extensive Catholic conspiracy to assassinate Charles II, accusations that led to the execution of at...
to assassinate Charles II
Charles II of England
Charles II was monarch of the three kingdoms of England, Scotland, and Ireland.Charles II's father, King Charles I, was executed at Whitehall on 30 January 1649, at the climax of the English Civil War...
, arrested by Titus Oates
Titus Oates
Titus Oates was an English perjurer who fabricated the "Popish Plot", a supposed Catholic conspiracy to kill King Charles II.-Early life:...
and thrown into Newgate Prison
Newgate Prison
Newgate Prison was a prison in London, at the corner of Newgate Street and Old Bailey just inside the City of London. It was originally located at the site of a gate in the Roman London Wall. The gate/prison was rebuilt in the 12th century, and demolished in 1777...
. In 1681 the castle was divided from the rest of the estate and awarded by Chancery
Court of Chancery
The Court of Chancery was a court of equity in England and Wales that followed a set of loose rules to avoid the slow pace of change and possible harshness of the common law. The Chancery had jurisdiction over all matters of equity, including trusts, land law, the administration of the estates of...
to Robert Jenison. In 1687 the castle was reunited with its estate when Ralph Jenison bought the whole estate for £6,205. The castle was searched for arms in 1689 in response to suspicions of a potential rebellion against the Protestants
Protestantism
Protestantism is one of the three major groupings within Christianity. It is a movement that began in Germany in the early 16th century as a reaction against medieval Roman Catholic doctrines and practices, especially in regards to salvation, justification, and ecclesiology.The doctrines of the...
William and Mary
William and Mary
The phrase William and Mary usually refers to the coregency over the Kingdoms of England, Scotland and Ireland, of King William III & II and Queen Mary II...
. Ralph Jenison inherited the castle at the age of 10 years in 1704. He later renovated the castle at great expense, and died in debt, so that the castle was again sold.
Stephenson, Harrison, Aylmer and Eade families
The castle was sold for £16,000 in 1759 to wine merchant Matthew Stephenson, and then to Newcastle merchant John Harrison in 1775. His daughter Ann married Arthur Aylmer, a British ArmyBritish Army
The British Army is the land warfare branch of Her Majesty's Armed Forces in the United Kingdom. It came into being with the unification of the Kingdom of England and Scotland into the Kingdom of Great Britain in 1707. The new British Army incorporated Regiments that had already existed in England...
officer of the 68th Regiment of Foot, later promoted to Lieutenant-General; so it passed to the Aylmer family. After General Aylmer was buried in Heighington
Heighington, County Durham
Heighington is a village in the borough of Darlington and ceremonial county of County Durham, England. It is situated between Darlington and Shildon, near Newton Aycliffe. One of its most significant features is St Michael's Church that sits in the middle of an exceptionally fine and large village...
in 1831, John Harrison Aylmer inherited the castle. He repaired the roof and replaced previous soldier statues on the towers with pillars topped with balls, to look like the statues. However in 1868 he, his wife and eldest son were killed in the Abergele rail disaster. His sons Vivian and Edmund, aged 12 and 9 respectively, inherited the castle. Vivian became High Sheriff of Durham and a big game hunter
Trophy hunting
Trophy hunting is the selective hunting of wild game animals. Although parts of the slain animal may be kept as a hunting trophy or memorial , the carcass itself is sometimes used as food....
who explored Somaliland
Somaliland
Somaliland is an unrecognised self-declared sovereign state that is internationally recognised as an autonomous region of Somalia. The government of Somaliland regards itself as the successor state to the British Somaliland protectorate, which was independent for a few days in 1960 as the State of...
and crossed the Horn of Africa
Horn of Africa
The Horn of Africa is a peninsula in East Africa that juts hundreds of kilometers into the Arabian Sea and lies along the southern side of the Gulf of Aden. It is the easternmost projection of the African continent...
in 1885. He died in 1931, and he and his brother were buried in Caerleon
Caerleon
Caerleon is a suburban village and community, situated on the River Usk in the northern outskirts of the city of Newport, South Wales. Caerleon is a site of archaeological importance, being the site of a notable Roman legionary fortress, Isca Augusta, and an Iron Age hill fort...
. The castle was then sold to General Aylmer's descendants Neville and Charles Eade. In World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
, during the Eades' ownership, the castle was used as a prisoner-of-war camp
Prisoner-of-war camp
A prisoner-of-war camp is a site for the containment of combatants captured by their enemy in time of war, and is similar to an internment camp which is used for civilian populations. A prisoner of war is generally a soldier, sailor, or airman who is imprisoned by an enemy power during or...
for 200 men including German
Germans
The Germans are a Germanic ethnic group native to Central Europe. The English term Germans has referred to the German-speaking population of the Holy Roman Empire since the Late Middle Ages....
and Italian
Italian people
The Italian people are an ethnic group that share a common Italian culture, ancestry and speak the Italian language as a mother tongue. Within Italy, Italians are defined by citizenship, regardless of ancestry or country of residence , and are distinguished from people...
officers, under the command of Major Rollin Holmes. In 1950 Durham County Council
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...
bought the castle and it became a girls' boarding school
Boarding school
A boarding school is a school where some or all pupils study and live during the school year with their fellow students and possibly teachers and/or administrators. The word 'boarding' is used in the sense of "bed and board," i.e., lodging and meals...
.
Hotel ownership
In 1981 the Council sold the castle and it was opened as an hotel by John and Jennifer Wayne. By 2000 the owners were Anita and Peter Culley, and it was sold again in that year, along with the resident female parrotParrot
Parrots, also known as psittacines , are birds of the roughly 372 species in 86 genera that make up the order Psittaciformes, found in most tropical and subtropical regions. The order is subdivided into three families: the Psittacidae , the Cacatuidae and the Strigopidae...
(which was mis-named Albert). The castle was renovated in 2000−2006 by Rachel and Chris Swain who added a glass roof to the courtyard. Anita Culley reclaimed the parrot in 2003, and it was replaced by another blue-fronted Amazon
Blue-fronted Amazon
The Blue-fronted Amazon , also called the Turquoise-fronted Amazon and Blue-fronted Parrot, is a South American species of Amazon parrot and one of the most common Amazon parrots kept in captivity as a pet or companion parrot...
named Barney in the same year.
Castle building
Tudor style architecture
The Tudor architectural style is the final development of medieval architecture during the Tudor period and even beyond, for conservative college patrons...
castle, dating from around 1600, is a manor house built of partially rendered limestone
Limestone
Limestone is a sedimentary rock composed largely of the minerals calcite and aragonite, which are different crystal forms of calcium carbonate . Many limestones are composed from skeletal fragments of marine organisms such as coral or foraminifera....
rubble, and the roof is of Welsh slate
Slate industry in Wales
The slate industry in Wales began during the Roman period when slate was used to roof the fort at Segontium, now Caernarfon. The slate industry grew slowly until the early 18th century, then expanded rapidly until the late 19th century, at which time the most important slate producing areas were in...
. The west tower is older, and has gunloops
Embrasure
In military architecture, an embrasure is the opening in a crenellation or battlement between the two raised solid portions or merlons, sometimes called a crenel or crenelle...
, narrow trefoil−headed and round−headed windows. It has a main, south−facing building of five bays and three storeys between two four−storey, round, angle towers, with east and west wings on the north side, making up three sides of a square originally open to the north. However a range of early 19th century buildings on the north side of the square now encloses the courtyard. Until the early 21st century the building contained 17th century glass
Stained glass
The term stained glass can refer to coloured glass as a material or to works produced from it. Throughout its thousand-year history, the term has been applied almost exclusively to the windows of churches and other significant buildings...
, which has been removed to the Bowes Museum
Bowes Museum
The Bowes Museum has a nationally renowned art collection and is situated in the town of Barnard Castle, Teesdale, County Durham, England.The museum contains an El Greco, paintings by Francisco Goya, Canaletto, Jean-Honoré Fragonard, François Boucher and a sizable collection of decorative art,...
. Some flagstones of unknown date were discovered in situ in the cellar or basement of the castle in 2002. Internal renovation took place in 1740, so that the interior now has important mid−18th century features, such as Palladian
Palladian architecture
Palladian architecture is a European style of architecture derived from the designs of the Venetian architect Andrea Palladio . The term "Palladian" normally refers to buildings in a style inspired by Palladio's own work; that which is recognised as Palladian architecture today is an evolution of...
plasterwork and Rococo
Rococo
Rococo , also referred to as "Late Baroque", is an 18th-century style which developed as Baroque artists gave up their symmetry and became increasingly ornate, florid, and playful...
details. In 1864 the main staircase was rebuilt and the west wing was given a new front. It is now a Grade I listed building.
Walworth park
The parkland south of Walworth Castle was originally enclosed demesneDemesne
In the feudal system the demesne was all the land, not necessarily all contiguous to the manor house, which was retained by a lord of the manor for his own use and support, under his own management, as distinguished from land sub-enfeoffed by him to others as sub-tenants...
land, and as such there is still evidence of ridge and furrow
Ridge and furrow
Ridge and furrow is an archaeological pattern of ridges and troughs created by a system of ploughing used in Europe during the Middle Ages. The earliest examples date to the immediate post-Roman period and the system was used until the 17th century in some areas. Ridge and furrow topography is...
fields. This field system
Field system
The study of field systems in landscape history is concerned with the size, shape and orientation of a number of fields. These are often adjacent, but may be separated by a later feature.-Types of field system:...
may be associated with the lost settlement at North Farm, Walworth
Walworth, County Durham
Walworth is a central small village with outlying farmsteads, which together constitute a scattered village in the borough of Darlington and the ceremonial county of County Durham, England. It is a civil parish which does not have a church. It is situated to the north west of Darlington. The...
; however a possible enclosure has been identified in the park, close by. That means that besides the lost settlement near the castle at North Farm there could have been a second and possibly sequential lost settlement, or the same settlement was scattered or moved. At the southern edge of the park there is evidence of a U−shaped earthwork which may be associated with the possible enclosure.
Grounds
North of the castle there is a 19th century set of patched brick and squared stone garden walls, dressed stone gate piers with pyramid−shaped tops and a greenhouse which are listed. The glazed wooden greenhouse has a taller central section with two lower wings. A medal apparently belonging to Thomas Jennison, the 16th century builder of the castle, was found in 1937−1938 during road−widening work on Newton Lane. It was found under the north wall of the castle grounds, and it was engraved with an image of a bridge and Thomas Jennison's name. The 1870 Tudor revival castle lodge and gate is a listed building, because it imitates the medieval battlementBattlement
A battlement in defensive architecture, such as that of city walls or castles, comprises a parapet , in which portions have been cut out at intervals to allow the discharge of arrows or other missiles. These cut-out portions form crenels...
ed style to match the castle. The lodge and gate piers are both battlemented and the single−storey, L−shaped building has corner towers and rock−faced masonry with ashlar
Ashlar
Ashlar is prepared stone work of any type of stone. Masonry using such stones laid in parallel courses is known as ashlar masonry, whereas masonry using irregularly shaped stones is known as rubble masonry. Ashlar blocks are rectangular cuboid blocks that are masonry sculpted to have square edges...
dressing. Huts to the east of the castle have been identified as the possible site of the World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
prisoner-of-war camp
Prisoner-of-war camp
A prisoner-of-war camp is a site for the containment of combatants captured by their enemy in time of war, and is similar to an internment camp which is used for civilian populations. A prisoner of war is generally a soldier, sailor, or airman who is imprisoned by an enemy power during or...
. The gardens to the north of the castle, including the glasshouse
Greenhouse
A greenhouse is a building in which plants are grown. These structures range in size from small sheds to very large buildings...
, were owned separately from the castle grounds and used for market gardening
Market gardening
A market garden is the relatively small-scale production of fruits, vegetables and flowers as cash crops, frequently sold directly to consumers and restaurants. It is distinguishable from other types of farming by the diversity of crops grown on a small area of land, typically, from under one acre ...
by 2003. They were sold again as a separate unit in 2010.
Walworth Castle today
The building has been open in the past on National Heritage weekends. The castle attracts imaginative stories of ghosts, and the hotel business has taken advantage of this in the past at HalloweenHalloween
Hallowe'en , also known as Halloween or All Hallows' Eve, is a yearly holiday observed around the world on October 31, the night before All Saints' Day...
. The castle restaurant used to have variable reviews, however the restaurant earned a three−star classification from the RAC
RAC plc
RAC Limited is a breakdown company in the United Kingdom supplying products and services for motorists. Initially formed as the "Associate Section" of the Royal Automobile Club, it was incorporated as R.A.C. Motoring Services Ltd. in 1978. It was then sold by the members of the Royal Automobile...
and AA
The Automobile Association
The Automobile Association , a British motoring association founded in 1905 was demutualised in 1999 to become a private limited company which currently provides car insurance, driving lessons, breakdown cover, loans and motoring advice, and other services...
in 2002. There have been problems with reduction of public transport access to the castle. In 2001 Walworth Castle Hotel became the 100th member to join Darlington and District Business Club. In celebration of the Golden Jubilee of Elizabeth II
Golden Jubilee of Elizabeth II
The Golden Jubilee of Queen Elizabeth II was the international celebration marking the 50th anniversary of the accession of Elizabeth II to the thrones of seven countries, upon the death of her father, George VI, on 6 February 1952, and was intended by the Queen to be both a commemoration of her 50...
in 2002, there was a children's fancy dress party at the castle in aid of charity. Further charity fundraising events have been held at the castle including a car boot sale in 2002, and a Butterwick Children's Hospice event in 2003, which included staged Viking marauders. In 2007 the castle was lit up with pink light on the evening of Valentine's Day
Valentine's Day
Saint Valentine's Day, commonly shortened to Valentine's Day, is an annual commemoration held on February 14 celebrating love and affection between intimate companions. The day is named after one or more early Christian martyrs named Saint Valentine, and was established by Pope Gelasius I in 496...
. In 2008 the castle was on the route of the Quaker Triathlon charity event, organised by the local Rotary Club
Rotary International
Rotary International is an organization of service clubs known as Rotary Clubs located all over the world. The stated purpose of the organization is to bring together business and professional leaders to provide humanitarian service, encourage high ethical standards in all vocations, and help...
. In 2009 Darlington Education Village, previously Haughton School, held its formal ball at the castle. The building is used as a polling station during elections.