A Year of Reasons to Stay at Langley Castle Hotel

Langley Castle Hotel, in Langley-on-Tyne in Northumberland, celebrates 670 years of history in 2020 and most definitely has something to offer to guests all year round.

To help underline this point, as well as highlighting why it is the perfect place to break a journey or to use as a base for exploration, the castle has put together a year of reasons to stay at Langley in 2020.

January

January 2020 will see the Vindolanda Roman Fort staying open to visitors, as the Vindolanda Trust celebrates its 50th anniversary. Whilst the museum is closed, there will be daily introduction tours to the archaeological site around it and there is also an added bonus of a specially priced afternoon tea at Langley Castle, costing just £15 for anyone quoting ‘Vindolanda’.  What a perfect way to warm up in Langley’s mesmerising drawing room.

February

Langley Castle is the ideal location for a romantic Valentine’s Day away, with everything loved-up couples could desire – a fairy-tale setting, roaring log fire and atmospheric window seats set into Langley’s seven-feet-thick, ancient walls.  Did you also know that 15% of people who took part in an independent survey said they would definitely say ‘yes’ if their loved one proposed here?

March

A spring visit in March could coincide with the Spring Raceday at Hexham Racecourse, just a few miles away. The racing action takes place on March 24, 2020, but on many other dates during the year too, at what is often described as England’s most beautiful racecourse.

April

Langley is just a little over 1.5-hours away from the Lake District village of Grasmere, where there will be huge celebrations in 2020, as the 250th anniversary of England’s favourite poet, William Wordsworth, is celebrated.  The results of a Reimagining Wordsworth project will be unveiled at his former home of Dove Cottage and, depending on the weather, you may also be able to see some of his golden daffodils in the landscape.  

May

May sees a two-day jazz festival being staged at Hexham Abbey on May 15 and 16, giving music lovers every excuse to book themselves into Langley Castle and make the short journey to the 12th century, stunningly beautiful Abbey.  Sophistication + syncopation … what more could you want?

June

If you are planning on taking in the rural and food delights of Edinburgh’s Royal Highland Show (June 18-21), make Langley your stop-off point, if travelling up through England to get to the event, or heading back south having visited the acclaimed show.  Travelling distance to Edinburgh from Langley Castle is just 2.5 hours.

July

July was the birth month of children’s author and illustrator, Beatrix Potter, but did you know that you can reach her former home at Hill Top, in little more than two hours, if travelling from Langley?  Summer is the perfect time to imagine Peter Rabbit hopping around Mr McGregor’s vegetable patch, so make a date to visit both Beatrix Potter’s Lake District and Langley Castle, especially if you are combining a Lake District visit with a trip to Edinburgh.

August

Both the Edinburgh Fringe Festival and the Royal Edinburgh Military Tattoo take place in August, so if you are looking for a stop-off en route, Langley could be your ideal place to soak up some English history and culture, as well as that of the folk north of the border.

September

This is a perfect month in which to explore Hadrian’s Wall and Roman history and with Langley being so close to the Roman fortification, you could choose nowhere better, if you want walking by day and luxury by night.  The Wall is less crowded in September, but the weather should still be good enough to make exploration a joy.  You could also book a tour with guides Ancient Britain and be picked up at Langley’s door, before heading off to have history interpreted in a truly unique way.

October

Autumnal colours bring a new dimension to Langley’s woodland areas, through which you can stroll on a route that will lead you around the Langley 10-acre estate. Watch out for those cheeky squirrels!

November

The dark skies above Langley Castle are something to behold as winter draws in and stargazing becomes truly addictive.  Gaze up at the stars, whether booking on to a stargazing event at the castle, or just enjoying a less formal opportunity to wonder at the galaxy.

December

Winter at Langley can complete the fairy-tale idyll with even just a dusting of snow, whilst the arrival of Christmas decorations and the stoking up of the drawing room’s roaring log fire add a unique ambience to life within the castle.  Even Santa cannot resist popping in!

Stays at Langley Castle start at £99 per person, per night, inclusive of a full Northumbrian breakfast.  More information about the castle hotel is available at www.langleycastle.co.uk

Ends

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.