A Day Among a Thousand-Year Castle
and English Roses
— A Little Journey to Rockingham Castle

Introduction

If you have ever travelled through the English Midlands, you may have heard of Corby — an industrial town in Northamptonshire. Yet just three kilometres north of Corby, perched on a hilltop, stands a castle with more than a thousand years of history. Perhaps that surprises you a little.

That castle is Rockingham Castle. On this trip we visited this quietly famous landmark, stayed overnight at a historic B&B in the village below, and also took part in a David Austin rose expert day in the castle grounds — a wonderfully indulgent one-night-two-day adventure.

From our home in the West Midlands, it was barely an hour by car. We had no idea that such richness was waiting so close to home — a very welcome surprise.

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Rockingham Castle — Walking Through a Thousand Years

The earliest record of Rockingham Castle dates to the Domesday Book of 1086, which notes that a Saxon lord named Bovi once held this land. There are also traces of a Roman mining settlement here, and Roman coins and building fragments have been found on the northern side of the castle. The ground beneath your feet holds layers upon layers of time.

It was William the Conqueror who recognised the strategic value of this high ground overlooking the River Welland. He ordered a castle built here, and for several centuries it served as a royal administrative and hunting base. In 1095, William II gathered Archbishop Anselm of Canterbury together with bishops and nobles from across the land to debate the Church's loyalty to Rome — the so-called Council of Rockingham, an early gathering that reads almost like a proto-parliament.

The words of the current owner stayed with me: "This castle was built at the command of William the Conqueror, and my family has lived here for 450 years." A family continuously inhabiting a castle for that length of time is genuinely rare in England.

Stepping into the Great Hall, I was immediately surrounded by portrait after portrait of ancestors lining every wall — a quietly overwhelming sight. To live every day alongside centuries of forebears: I suddenly understood exactly what that must feel like.

The exterior, where Norman, medieval, Tudor and Victorian styles are layered into a single structure, rewards simply standing and looking. The 18-acre gardens are a pleasure to wander. Inside, fine furniture and artworks are complemented by a strong 20th-century art collection. The castle is also well known as the inspiration for Chesney Wold in Charles Dickens's Bleak House, which he wrote after visiting here repeatedly.

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David Austin Rose Day — A Day with the Experts

Wednesday 24 June 2026 — Rockingham Castle Gardens

The Partnership Between Rockingham Castle and David Austin Roses

To explain this event, I need to start with a little background. In 2025, Rockingham Castle completed a major replanting project, carried out in partnership with David Austin Roses: every rose bed in the castle grounds was replanted with David Austin shrub roses.

The rose garden sits within the remains of the old Keep — the original inner stronghold. Thousand-year-old stone walls and David Austin roses: it is a combination you will rarely encounter anywhere else, and it creates a truly special atmosphere. The chance to walk through that garden with genuine experts is the real magic of this event.

The 13-acre gardens are divided into five areas: the Terrace, the Cross, the Rose Garden, the Jewel Borders, and the Wild Garden. Hybrid teas, climbers, and everything in between colour the ancient walls with bloom.

The Day's Programme

At 9 o'clock, rose enthusiasts gathered in the gardens and were greeted with welcome drinks. Participants were split into two groups and rotated through talks and garden tours throughout the morning.

Morning Session 1

A Senior Rose Consultant from David Austin Roses gave a special talk covering the brand's history, behind-the-scenes stories from the rose breeding programme, the world of fragrance, and practical everyday care. Tips on choosing companion plants were particularly useful — my notebook was filling up fast.

Morning Session 2

Garden consultants Kate Trullar and Deborah Barker led a detailed garden tour. The herbaceous borders were designed by Robert Myers in 2004, structured as a series of "rooms" divided by yew and box hedging. Under Kate Trullar's guidance the borders are currently being revitalised, with hydrangeas, Deutzia, tree peonies, Kniphofia, Crocosmia, peonies, and salvias being introduced. The talk wove theory and practice together beautifully, and I came away with plenty of ideas for our own garden.

Lunch (1 pm)

A two-course lunch was served in the Walkers House Tea Room. Conversation with fellow rose lovers added its own warmth to the meal.

A wonderfully fresh salad followed by a vegetarian quiche — the combination of tomato, mushroom and egg was so well balanced that I found myself smiling with every bite.

Dessert was a bavarian cream — a classic of English tea rooms, and a long-awaited pleasure.

Reflections on the Day

At £70 per person, the event included welcome drinks, two expert sessions, a two-course lunch, and a guided garden tour. When you consider everything that was included, it felt genuinely fair value.

Meeting people through a shared love of roses, exchanging words in a castle garden — even if you are not a dedicated rose enthusiast, simply spending a morning in an English summer garden is a joy in itself. I came away quietly determined to try a David Austin shrub rose in our raised beds and greenhouse. Every person I spoke to was warm and approachable, and the passion of the expert team was genuinely infectious.

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A Rest Stop — Lydia's Coffee Shop, Gretton

The Rose Day wrapped up around 2 pm, leaving two hours before our B&B check-in at four. I looked up nearby cafés and found somewhere that sounded just right.

Lydia's Coffee Shop in the village of Gretton: rated 4.7 stars (65 reviews), about eight minutes by car from Rockingham Castle, open 10 am to 4 pm that day. Something of a hidden local gem.

It is the kind of café that feels like part of village life — warm, unpretentious, and clearly loved by locals. All the cakes are homemade and of excellent quality; the tea and coffee menu is generous. It also serves as a small village shop, and you could feel immediately how important it is to the local community.

After an hour and a half outdoors at the Rose Day, settling into the cool, quiet interior with a homemade Victoria sponge and a proper pot of tea was exactly what was needed. As we get older, knowing when to build in a rest is the real art of a good day out — and this was perfect timing.

It sits conveniently along the road back towards Rockingham, so there was no detour involved — just a natural stopping point.

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Where We Stayed — Castle Farm House B&B

Castle Farm House B&B stands on the main street of Rockingham village, within easy walking distance of the castle. Built around 1674, it sits in a village that still carries the feel of a feudal settlement. Stone walls, a heavy wooden door: the moment you step inside, the air of an English country house wraps gently around you.

The Room

The Castle Room is spacious and tastefully furnished with antiques. From the bay window sofa, you look out over the garden — a beautiful view. The bathroom is equally impressive: a freestanding roll-top bath and a separate shower cubicle, almost a room in itself.

Breakfast

Breakfast the next morning was a genuine pleasure. Cereals and yoghurt, then a full English breakfast. The toast, coffee, and homemade marmalade were outstanding — you could taste the care in every element. The bed was comfortable, and both the room and bathroom were immaculately clean.

On Booking.com the property holds an overall score of 9.6 out of 10, with staff scoring an astonishing 9.9 — ranked first in the Corby area, and it is entirely deserved.

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Dinner — The Nevill Arms, Medbourne

Wednesday evening, 24 June 2026 — Medbourne, Leicestershire

Just fifteen minutes by car from Rockingham Castle, The Nevill Arms sits quietly beside a stream in the village of Medbourne. The Rose Day had finished at three; we returned to the B&B for a rest, then set off towards the pub as evening light settled over the countryside. The road wound past sheep, stone farmhouses, and the long June sunshine — the very image of an English early summer.

We parked, pushed open a heavy studded oak door, and stepped into the generous stone interior.

History and Modernity in One Place

Built in 1863 in Tudor style, the pub retains its oak-beamed ceilings and lead-paned windows while a major renovation in 2022–23 brought in a contemporary elegance that complements the history beautifully. The Times has named it one of the most comfortable places in Britain; The Daily Mail placed it in its "100 Best Pubs" list.

The bar has banquette seating and walls hung with the work of local artist Paul Wright. The taps pour locally brewed real ales.

Farm to Fork — the Belted Galloway

What makes the Nevill Arms truly distinctive is its provenance. The pub runs its own farm at Great Easton, raising rare native breeds including Belted Galloway cattle, sheep and pigs — farm-to-fork in the most literal sense.

The menu features inventive dishes built around seasonal, local ingredients: tandoori-spiced cauliflower steak, Belted Galloway rib-eye from the farm's own herd. The chef's skill — the creativity, the seasoning, the sourcing — was simply outstanding. As was the warmth of the staff.

The Josper Bar & Grill — A Summer Privilege

From spring through summer, the courtyard opens as an outdoor Josper bar and grill — an inviting Mediterranean-feeling space planted with olive trees and lavender.

Under the lingering English sky — still light at close to nine o'clock — charcoal smoke and garden flowers mingled in the warm air. A different fragrance entirely from the David Austin roses of the afternoon: wilder, earthier. I had not expected to encounter such contrasting scents within a single day.

From the riverside seating area, you could hear the quiet murmur of the Medbourne Brook. Sitting there after dinner, the day's events seemed to settle gently around us.

Driving back to Rockingham, I found the whole day threading together: the expert's words about roses, the colour of the castle garden, the flavours of this farm-to-fork dinner. It had felt, somehow, like a single continuous story.

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Looking Back

A thousand-year-old castle, a three-hundred-and-fifty-year-old inn, and English roses in full bloom. We had no idea that so many layers of experience were compressed into this corner of the country near Corby.

An overnight trip of just over an hour from home, yielding this much richness. After all these years in England, the country still manages to surprise us.

A sensible pace, rest built in at the right moments, unhurried enjoyment of the things we love. This is the kind of travel that only becomes fully available to you later in life — and we found another wonderful example of it this weekend.

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