Once the home of the Liddell family it was a great house built on the fortunes of the coal industries. Lying between Gateshead and Whickham, it was a victim of its own size. Now it is no more than a shell. It was designed by John Nash in his Gothic style. The building commenced in 1810 and the house was still being added to in the 1850's. It was as self sufficient as possible with its own water supply and gas works. The Liddell family left the castle at the end of the First World War and it became a girls' private school for a time. The castle's last moments of glory were as the setting for two military platoons, in 1934 and 1936. By this time the building was subsiding and the greater part of it was demolished. in 1950 - 53. These pictures were taken of Ravensworth Castle in 1970.