A major restoration and redevelopment project at Raby Castle, Park and Gardens celebrated its first birthday last month, as well as an increase in yearly visitors.
Following the opening of the ambitious scheme, Raby Castle, Park and Gardens has welcomed over 300,000 visitors in its first year and seen a 71% increase in visitor numbers from June 2024 to June 2025 compared to the previous year. Group tour visits to the historic destination, home to one of England’s finest medieval castles, are also up 26% in the same period.
‘The Rising’ project, which created over 50 permanent jobs, included the remodelling of the 300-year-old Walled Gardens with designs created by renowned garden designer Luciano Giubbilei, the sympathetic addition of two impressive new buildings including the 200-seater The Vinery Cafe, a new retail space and exhibition housed inside an 18th century Coach House, alongside the Dutch Barn and Riding School restorations which have since hosted events, product launches, conferences and artisan markets.
Claire Jones, Head of Leisure and Tourism at Raby Estates said, “It’s wonderful to see that our lifestyle destination has welcomed a significant increase in visitor numbers as more people, no matter their age or interests, enjoy the endearing charm of Raby Castle with our wealth of history, beautiful gardens, the Plotters’ Forest woodland adventure playground and more. We’re hopeful this has also translated into even more people exploring the wider County Durham area too.”
The latest tourism figures released by Visit County Durham demonstrate that the region has seen a 7% increase in visitors from 2023 to 2024 and noted Raby’s transformation as an example of one of the significant levels of investment in the county’s visitor offer which has helped to drive this continued growth.
Duncan Peake, CEO at Raby Estates and chair at Visit County Durham said, “The recent figures are a promising sign for the county, especially as the number of day visitors are now 7.6% higher than pre-pandemic figures.
In recognition of the impressive development, Raby Castle, Park and Gardens has also received numerous accolades. Raby recently retained the VisitEngland accreditation of a quality attraction, achieving a score of 94% during a recent assessment, and will now be nominated for the prestigious VisitEngland Gold award. Raby Castle was also invited to become the 11th member of the Treasure Houses of England, a small group of the country’s finest houses, palaces and castles, dedicated to bringing their history and collections to a wider audience.
For more information about Raby Castle, Park and Gardens, please visit www.raby.co.uk.
