First look at The Rising project at Raby Castle, Staindrop

A historic medieval County Durham castle has offered the first glimpse into a new development which is set to open in the coming weeks - take a look at pictures here.

The Rising at Raby Castle is finally just weeks from being open to the public after four years in the making, adding a brand new 200-seater restaurant, visitor centre and gardens to its list of attractions.

The historic castle, located near Staindrop, gained planning permission for the development in late 2020 and is now adding the final touches to new builds and remodelled walled gardens as bosses hope to open in early June.

Amongst the new attractions is The Vinery café - set to be open from 10am to 5pm each day serving up coffees, cakes, salads and afternoon tea.

Inside The Round House, a ticketing and information reception, illustrations including characters drawn up from Raby's past appear on the walls, designed by Edinburgh-based artist Lucy Roscoe.

Another highlight comes in the the Grade II listed Coach House, transformed into a retail space and small exhibition of the long history of Raby Castle.

Artefacts sit pristine in cases inside the exhibition with the feature attraction being a carved wooden table in the centre of the room of the Teesdale landscape which, when an overhead projector is on, comes alive to show the passing seasons of the countryside.

Walking amongst the new luscious green gardens, Claire Jones, head of leisure and tourism at Raby Estate spoke of the anticipation felt by the staff to show off this area of the estate.

She said: "It is a nice feeling, knowing we are about to open the doors and show it off to everyone. It is amazing - we get to do the big reveal."

The Rising is not part of the ticketed Raby Castle experience, and is free to visit.

Lady Barnard, who resides at Raby Castle and has had a core part in the re-developent said: "I can't believe we have got from our drawings to real life - it is incredible and really exciting to see.

"When you walk around the place, nothing is an accident, everything has been specifically designed.

"I hope that when people visit they just have a really good day out and feel looked after - and I hope it encourages them to find out the history of where they come from.

"This history is not just ours - it's everyone's. It should be a really great day out where every generation wants to come back and visit again."

The Northern Echo: Glimpse of The Rising project at Raby Castle in Staindrop set to open in the coming weeks. Glimpse of The Rising project at Raby Castle in Staindrop set to open in the coming weeks. (Image: PAUL NORRIS)

The Northern Echo: Lord and Lady Barnard at the glimpse of The Rising project at Raby Castle in Staindrop set to open in the coming weeks. Lord and Lady Barnard at the glimpse of The Rising project at Raby Castle in Staindrop set to open in the coming weeks. (Image: PAUL NORRIS)