A medieval stronghold turned Tudor mansion, brought back from ruin and famous as one of the most haunted castles in England
Open to visitorscheck opening times and admission before you go
Standing remainssubstantial fabric survives to stand in front of
Chillingham began as a 13th-century stronghold guarding the road to Scotland, and it saw plenty of the Border wars before the more settled Tudor and Jacobean centuries turned it into a comfortable mansion around a courtyard. It slid into decay in the 20th century until Sir Humphry Wakefield, connected by marriage to the old Grey family who had held it for 700 years, took it on in the 1980s and restored it room by room — deliberately keeping the worn, candlelit atmosphere that has made its reputation.
That reputation is for ghosts: Chillingham trades happily on being called one of the most haunted castles in the country, with evening tours to match.
It is privately owned and lived in, open seasonally — usually afternoons — on a paid ticket, so it is worth checking the calendar before setting out. The famous Chillingham wild cattle, a herd that has bred in isolation for centuries, graze a separate park nearby with its own guided visits. Alnwick Castle and the hills of Northumberland National Park are both close.
