Chillingham
Chillingham Castle was home to The Tankerville family, a castellated mansion set in 300 acres of parkland. The earliest part of the castle dates back to the 13th century. The north and south fronts of the castle were re-designed by Inigo Jones, the 17th-century architect.
Chillingham is well-known as the home to a herd of rare wild white cattle. It is believed that there has been a herd of these cattle at Chillingham for at least 700 years. Following the break-up of the estate after the death of the ninth Earl of Tankerville in 1980 the Sir James Knott Charitable Trust purchased the park and woodlands in which the cattle roam thus preserving the future of the herd.
Chillingham is an ancient parish. It is known that there has been a church at Chillingham since at least the 12th century. The present building retains a Norman doorway. In one of the aisles of the church there is the magnificent tomb of Sir Ralph Grey and his wife who were buried in the church in the 15th century. It is one of the best examples of monuments of this period in the north east of England.
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