Acclaimed landscape architect Alistair Baldwin has been brought in to redesign the extensive public areas around Raby Castle’s landmark new development, The Rising, which will see several historic buildings sympathetically restored to their former glory and be made available to the community and the wider public.
The Richmond based specialist has been retained by Raby Estate owners, Lord and Lady Barnard, to recapture the sociable community feel of Old Raby village, which existed beyond the castle walls.
The extensive redevelopment of the buildings that will comprise The Rising will be tied together with thoughtfully designed landscaped areas.
The Duchess’ Walk – a corridor of statuesque trees and soft planting that will connect the restored buildings to the new visitor arrival hub The Round House, and lead to the rest of the castle, park, and gardens.
A central terraced garden which will be surrounded by buildings including the new Round House and Vinery restaurant, has views of the spectacular 700-year-old castle beyond and will draw visitors in through a new entrance, bringing a village centre to the scheme.
Alistair Baldwin said: “Our plans focus on providing the local community with beautiful spaces to meet and mingle, and the way we have designed those spaces evokes the sense of a traditional village connecting the various elements of The Rising together, providing sociable spaces where people can come together, shop, dine, meet and enjoy the gardens.
“The scheme will utilise reclaimed materials from around the estate to create a space which is authentic and sympathetic to its surroundings. Raby Castle is a dramatic landscape, and the scheme aims to open up a whole new vista to the castle which hasn’t been seen before. It holds a special place for me as a local lad, so it has been an absolute honour to bring Lord and Lady Barnard’s vision to life with these new designs.”
Lady Barnard said: “We have been working together on these plans since 2018 and hours of planning and thought have gone into these designs, so I will take great pride in seeing them come to life. I want to create something beautiful in an area of the castle that has been relatively neglected for decades.
“This is an incredibly important piece of the development work for Raby and carries with it a great deal of responsibility. This is not only my family’s legacy, but a legacy for the local community as well.”
World-class Italian garden designer Luciano Giubbilei has also been selected to lead the extensive remodelling of historically important Walled Garden at Raby Castle.
The garden was originally designed to supply the castle with fresh produce but was later developed more formally into a pleasure garden for the family. The plans will redesign and develop the ornamental gardens to provide a magical outdoor space where visitors can move through exquisite planting or attend performances and events.
Lady Barnard explains: “The planting and structures have now been agreed and Luciano has travelled across Europe to find the very best plants for the garden. The iconic yew hedges within the current garden will remain, as they are a real talking point and fortunately Luciano loves them.”
