Raby Castle and Garden - Middleham Castle

Onward to the next castle--Raby Castle

This is another large estate where the owner, Lord Barnard, actually resides.  Or at least he did the summer of 2015--I just read where he passed away earlier this year, he was 92, and it seems he was well-liked.  The interior did not have the same lived-in feeling that Alnwick Castle had.

There is a deer park where we spotted loads of baby deer in a protected area and beautiful walled gardens.

                                                             Gorgeous zinc planter

\

Just over that wall are the old stables turned into a little tea room where we had a good lunch.  I love  the tea room lunches one finds on some of the grounds of castles and country houses.  We usually find that the food tastes as if made by the local church ladies--delicious.

         Drove down the road a bit and toured Middleham Castle--childhood home of Richard III.

View from Middleham Castle

These ruins were very well-preserved and the surrounding town so pretty.  After this stop, we drove on to Knaresborough to stay a couple of nights and tour a few more ruins and castles--will report on those beauties, next!