Langley Castle Marks 40th Anniversary in NE Tourism and Dining Sector

Langley Castle Hotel and Restaurant has celebrated its 40th anniversary as a hospitality business, with a deep ‘thank you’ to the community and environment in which it has thrived.

A special celebratory event was staged on May 6 and attended by VIP guests including the Mayor of Hexham, Derek Kennedy, and Councillor Alan Sharp, Chairman of Haltwhistle Town Council.  Mr Kennedy delivered a speech to all the invited guests, highlighting Langley Castle’s importance to the local economy, North East tourism and employment.  Many other invited guests have long supported the castle in one way or another.

The 4-star (AA Silver), 2 AA Rosette hotel and restaurant, located near Haydon Bridge and Hexham, was opened in 1986 by American owner, Dr Stuart Madnick.  During his ownership, it has grown, from what was originally an eight-bedroomed hotel, into an award-winning accommodation provider with 29 rooms and a Luxury Toll Bar Villa self-catering accommodation.  

Langley Castle has also become one of the most desirable wedding venues in the region, whether that is for an exclusive-use wedding, a woodland wedding or a wedding for two.  It now hosts a wide range of special events, from star-gazing to murder mystery nights, and welcomes guests from locations worldwide.

As part of the celebrations, to show gratitude to the wider community that has supported the hotel and restaurant over the past four decades, the castle, led my general manager Mohamed Serag and deputy manager Bob Rutherford, sought out 40 community knights.  Each one has made a significant contribution to the lives of charities, young people, the county, its tourism economy or something else.

All 40 were invited to the official 40th anniversary celebrations at Langley Castle, which were delivered thanks to months of planning by the entire Langley Castle team.  The Baron and Baroness of Langley, Dr Stuart and Dr Mariann Madnick, paid tribute to the 40 representatives of community-focused causes that have enriched life in the local area. Dr Mariann received many compliments for a specially designed dress that reflected the hugely popular Langley Castle peacocks.

Community knights included representatives of Young & Sweet Charity, Hexham Youth Initiative, Haydon Bridge Football Club, Haydon Bridge Parish Council, North of Tyne Mountain Rescue Team, Eden Hexham, Tynedale u3a, Allendale Youth Ambition, Haltwhistle Walking Festival, Allendale Youth Club, Tyne Green Parkrun, Allendale Youth Club, Allendale Football Club, Warm Welcome Haltwhistle, the Nurture Project, and Adapt NE.

Amongst the knights was Dudley Robinson, the son of Molly Robinson, the 92-year-old customer of Langley Castle, who visited the castle every week, for 37 years, becoming known nationwide as Britain’s Most Loyal Customer.  Molly’s weekly treat, on her 30-mile round trip, was soup, plus fish and chips and two glasses of champagne.

Another person amongst the community knights was Chris Parkes, who demonstrated great resilience as a former army soldier and amputee, when he created the world’s biggest wedding skydive at Langley Castle.  He skydived in, with 9 groomsmen, in July 2023.

Various contributors to Northumberland’s tourism sector were also knights, including Nigel and Catherine Jarvis and Sonja Gregory.  Alongside them was Judy Willis, the former organiser of Northumberland County Show and a major support for Langley Castle’s launch of Northumberland Day.

Then there was the youngest community knight, Thomas Leadbitter, who has set himself 8 challenges of hikes and 5-mile bike rides, to raise money for his school’s playground.  Thomas, aged 5, is a pupil at Wark Primary School.

All community knights each took a turn at ringing one bell to signify a year in Langley Castle’s history, before all 40 rang their bells simultaneously.  The bell-ring was orchestrated by the Hexham Town Crier, Helen Barrow, who played a role as a master of ceremonies.

Each community knight had a story to tell, but their celebration was not the only thing taking place at Langley Castle.  On the same day, four pupils from Haydon Bridge’s Shaftoe Trust Academy, planted four of 40 trees that will help nurture the local environment and wildlife around Langley Castle.

Guests were able to abseil down the 90-foot castle walls, enjoy historic story-telling from the Time Bandits, see archive footage of Langley Castle projected inside the castle, watch Northumberland clog dancing, hear a Northumbrian piper and enjoy castle tours.

The occasion also provided Langley Castle to say a big ‘thank you’ to many long-serving staff who help create the ‘one Langley family’ feel that underpins a stay or visit to the hotel and restaurant.  Long service in the hospitality sector is rare-to-find but Langley Castle seems to have an allure that allows it to buck the trend.

Picking up long-service awards from Dr Madnick were deputy manager, Bob Rutherford (32 years), head housekeeper Lorraine Findlay (29 years), housekeeping supervisor Julie Kerrigan (26 years), reception manager Jessica Rutherford (23 years), food and beverage manager Aiden McGuinness (15 years), kitchen porter Danny Harris (12 years), housekeeper Natalie Findlay (11 years), assistant food and beverage manager Daniel Watson (9 years), assistant food and beverage manager Adam Urwin (7 years), waitress Barbara Young  (7 years), groundsman Stephen Clemmitt (5 years) and head kitchen porter Matthew Wilson (5 years).  

Speaking about the fabulous celebrations, Langley Castle and Restaurant’s general manager, Mohamed Serag, says, “We have celebrated all the factors that have made us such a vibrant business within Northumberland, from the moment we opened our doors in 1986.  This includes our interaction with our local community and the dedicated service provided by our loyal employees.

“We have a whole year of celebratory initiatives planned, so our message is that, ‘if you have not yet discovered Langley Castle, after 40 years, it’s time to put that right.  Our medieval castle, built in 1350 and the most authentic fortified medieval castle hotel in England, will soon cast its spell over you.  All you need do is allow us to extend our legendary warm welcome to you.”

More information is available at www.langleycastle.co.uk                

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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.