The magnificent Raby Castle has been home to Lord Barnard’s family since 1626, when it was purchased by his ancestor, Sir Henry Vane the Elder, the eminent Statesman and Politician. The Castle was built mainly in the 14th Century by the Nevill family on a site of an earlier Manor House. The Nevills continued to live at Raby until 1569, when after the failure of the Rising of the North, the Castle and its land were forfeited to the Crown. A particular highlight of the Castle is the magnificent Barons Hall, where 700 knights met to plot The Rising of the North. Architect John Carr raised the floor level by 3 metres when constructing a carriageway below in the Entrance Hall and later William Burn extended the room by 17 metres over his elaborate Octagon Drawing Room (pictured). Today it houses an impressive Meissen bird collection. Other Raby treasures include fine furniture and artworks with paintings by Munnings, Reynolds, Van Dyck, Batoni, Teniers, Amigoni and Vernet. There is a large Deer Park with two lakes and a beautiful walled garden with formal lawns, yew hedges and an ornamental pond. The 18th Century Stable block contains a horse-drawn carriage collection including the State Coach last used by the family for the Coronation of Edward VII in 1902. Parts of the Stables have been converted into a Gift Shop and Tearooms, where the former stalls have been incorporated to create an atmospheric setting.