Northumberland Castle's ‘Hairy History’ Takes Centre Stage

 A Northumberland castle is luring families into its luxurious accommodation and visitors on to its daily Battlement Tours in 2022, by whetting their appetite with its own ‘Hairy History’ download.

In a nod to ‘Horrible Histories’, Langley Castle Hotel, built in 1350, has reached out to fact-loving kids (and the young at heart), by shaping its own remarkable history into a child-friendly format.

The castle’s history has, indeed, been hairy at times, resulting in it losing its roof for 500 years and having two of its owners – the Radcliffes - lose their heads at the Tower, some 30 years apart, having led Jacobite uprisings in support of their Stuart relatives.

Having been built in the war zone between England and Scotland, the castle has been subjected to the antics of the Border Reivers, Scottish and English kings and even Thomas Cromwell.

Its roots may well go back to Roman times, with stones in its seven-foot-thick walls being likely to have been hauled from Hadrian’s Wall, just a few miles away.  Roman history also features in Hairy History, with the appeal of the Wall’s proximity likely to be huge in 2022, as Hadrian’s fortification celebrates its 1900th birthday.

Hairy History is a free download from www.langleycastle.co.uk and is either the perfect appetiser for a Battlement Tour, or a wonderful chance to build on knowledge after a tour.  The tours are free to residents and available to non-residents too.

The booklet covers everything to which King said ‘nein’ to a pardon, to which Italian said ‘si’ to a chapel on the battlements and which Shakespearean figure, named like a football team, probably caused Langley to be set alight.  It highlights a likely mess-up by medieval builders, how its owner inspired both ballads and a new name for the Northern Lights, and how the castle has the best example of medieval loos in Europe.  There is much more besides!

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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.