Raby Castle's Walled Garden features historic new exhibition

25th March 2025

County Durham’s Raby Castle, Park and Gardens has created a new exhibition for 2025 celebrating the history and transformation of its historic five-acre Walled Gardens.  

The exhibition ‘The Story of Raby’s Walled Gardens’ takes its name from a quote from the 4th Duchess of Cleveland in 1870, who adored the historic gardens. The small, but charming exhibition is housed within the iconic conservatory in the Walled Gardens with magnificent views of the castle.  

Admission to the exhibition, which shares the story of the Walled Gardens throughout the centuries, is free with a valid Walled Gardens and Deer Park ticket. It also highlights the dedicated people who have worked within the landscape and displays some of the historic garden furniture and tools that have been used to maintain these much-loved spaces over the centuries. 

The 300-year-old Walled Gardens have recently been redesigned with heritage and modernity in mind by renowned garden and landscape designer Luciano Giubbilei and Lady Barnard, creative director and custodian of Raby Castle. They reopened to the public in 2024 and this year will be the first season visitors can see the planting scheme completely established and in full bloom. 

Julie Biddlecombe-Brown, curator at Raby Castle said: “The exhibition tells the story of the gardens through time and explores the vision of generations of Raby’s owners, who have made them what they are today. Every custodian of Raby Castle has made their mark on the gardens here and we hope the new exhibition conveys the scale of the latest transformation and the part it plays in the Walled Gardens’ legacy.” 

As well as the free-to-enter exhibition, which is included in all Park and Gardens tickets at no extra cost, visitors can immerse themselves in the Walled Gardens themselves and witness how Luciano and Lady Barnard have retained the gardens’ distinctive spirit; one in which the character of Raby and its rich history is deeply embedded. 

There are three different gardens to discover encased within the historic brick walls including the East Garden, home to a flower garden of grasses and perennials planted above the tiered grass amphitheater; the Formal Garden where guests can see the historic Raby Yew hedge; and the productive West Garden which contains raised beds, a glasshouse and a cutting gardens all set alongside the long, swaying deschampsia grasses, framing views to the castle.  

Visitors in 2025 can also time their visit with a trip to the medieval castle itself, open until October, and the Estate’s ancient Deer Park, home to two species of deer which have lived on the Parkland since Norman times.  

‘The Story of Raby’s Walled Gardens’ exhibition will be available until the end of April for all visitors and is free to enter with a Park and Gardens ticket. A beautiful destination for 2025, Raby Castle is now firmly on the map for English gardens of note.   

Daily tickets are £15 for adults, £10.50 for children (4-15 years) and £46 for a family (two adults and three children) to the Park and Gardens, or £22 for adults, £13 for children (4-5 years) and £63 for a family (two adults and three children) for entry to Raby Castle, Park and Gardens.