Walled garden and amphitheatre key to Raby Castle revamp

Work will continue over the next six months on the new beds and pathways at Raby Castle

A redesigned walled garden and tiered grass amphitheatre are at the heart of a 14th Century castle's development programme.

The work at Raby Castle, Staindrop, County Durham, started last year and is expected to be completed in 2024.

The amphitheatre will be used as a venue for plays and music performances.

The idea behind the redevelopment, known as The Rising, came from Lady Barnard working with garden designer Luciano Giubbilei.

Work will see parts of the parkland at the estate, which has been home to the Vane family since 1626, given a new look.

Lady Barnard worked with Italian-born garden designer Luciano Giubbilei on her ideas for the walled garden scheme

Lady Barnard said: "At the outset of this project, we had in mind something extraordinary, which would showcase both the formality and natural beauty embedded in this historic landscape.

"We wanted something unique to Raby and with the addition of the amphitheatre, as a gathering space amongst the colourful planting, we hope that in time, the Walled Garden will be a beautiful place for the local community and visitors to enjoy all year round."

Forming part of the design is a sculptural yew hedge, which has sat at the heart of the Walled Garden since the 19th century.

The grassed amphitheatre will host performances such as plays and music concerts once completed

Mr Giubbilei said: "The sense of past played such an important part in our design decisions when we embarked on this journey.

"There is so much history that came before us at Raby, and we needed to decide how to move forward with a design that embodied the atmosphere, honouring the iconic shadow of Raby Castle in the background."