Northumberland Castle Welcomes New Pope’s Name Choice

Langley Castle, near Hexham, has welcomed the new Pope Robert Prevost’s adoption of the name Leo, which has instantly generated interest in the previous Pope of that name, Pope Leo XIII, with which the castle has a strong connection.

The choice of papal name is often deliberate. In the case of Robert Prevost, it is said to be because he wishes to reference the social teachings and worker concern of Pope Leo XIII.  Pope Leo XIII, born in French-occupied Rome in 1810, was responsible for the Rerum Novarum, an open letter written to all Catholics in 1891, which reflected on the negative impacts of the Industrial Revolution on the lives of working people.

However, in a lesser-known fact, he was also the reason that Langley Castle came to have its own consecrated chapel on its battlements.  In 1892, the castle was bought by Cadwallader John Bates, a former High Sheriff of Northumberland, who married his French wife Josephine d’Echarvines in 1895.

Cadwallader and Josephine began to carry out an extensive programme of works to restore the castle in a way that was historically accurate and true to its medieval heritage.  This mattered to Cadwallader, a keen historian and author of the book ‘A History of Northumberland’ in 1895.  He was considered an expert on the medieval history of Northumbria, making Langley Castle a perfect home for him.

The castle had fared remarkably well, in structural terms, albeit without a roof since 1405, when it is believed the troops of Henry IV set the castle alight, as punishment for the Percy family’s support of a rival to the throne.  Its walls were all intact, along with its 12 medieval garderobes – the best example of early toilets to be found in Europe to this day.

Cadwallader’s passing in 1902 was a huge loss but Josephine continued his restoration work.  In her deep grief, she determined that she wanted a private place in which to remember him,.  As a devout Catholic, she travelled to Rome in 1902, and requested a private audience with Pope Leo XIII, to explain her reasons for wanting a chapel at Langley Castle.  Her words must have convinced the Pope, then aged 92, of her devout nature and sincerity and he allowed the chapel to be officially consecrated.  He died in July of the following year.

That chapel still exists on the Battlements today and plays a major part in the daily Battlements Tour.  It is here that those residents and non-residents taking the tour are able to watch a video explaining all about Langley Castle’s early history, in the warring lands between England and Scotland.  This concludes a tour that leads guests right through the castle and its dramatic, incident-filled history. An insight into this was recently provided in a podcast available here – https://bit.ly/4bEurFx

Whist Langley Castle believes that official consecration of the chapel expired with Josephine’s death in 1932, it is still a place popular with those wanting a little contemplation.  It is simply decorated but features some beautiful stained glass.

There is also almost something akin to an instruction manual for the chapel, written in Latin and inscribed on the wall.  Roughly translated, it suggests that Pope Leo XIII allowed Josephine to have a consecrated chapel on the basis that it was used for her sole use and not for a wider congregation.  She was only allowed to hold one mass per day, unless there was a special reason for more, such as Christmas. 

Langley Castle now feels that the igniting of interest in Leo XIII will provide added reason for guests, and tour-only visitors, to admire the chapel and make the Papal connection.  

General manager, Mohamed Serag, says, “Our Langley Castle chapel is intrinsically connected to the previous Pope Leo and the story of Josephine’s determined journey to Rome.  Josephine was a remarkable woman and is herself remembered in the name of one of our rooms and that of our 2AA Rosette dining room.  She, and Cadwallader, are also buried on the Langley estate.  

“The charming story of her love for her husband and her desire to remember him in her own private chapel is something that we think people will appreciate all the more now, thanks to the choice of name made by the new Pope.”

Anyone wishing to take the free Langley Castle Battlements Tour can do so at 10.15am each day, unless the castle is closed for an exclusive-use function.  Visit www.langleycastle.co.uk to find directions.

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Editors notes

Langley Castle, built in 1350, is located in Langley-on-Tyne, Northumberland and is one of the few authentic, fortified medieval castles in England. It has a rich history, with strong links to Jacobite rebellions, is located just a stone's throw from the World Heritage Site of Hadrian's Wall and boasts features including battlements, seven-feet-thick walls, window seats set into the walls and the best example of medieval garderobes in Europe. It is one of the most exquisite wedding venues in the north and also offers a wide range of options when it comes to exclusive use, with the castle being available for weddings, family celebrations, Bar Mitzvahs and Bat Mitzvahs, D&D-style events and a wide variety of corporate functions.