Historic Dilston

The Radcliffes of Dilston & the Jacobite Cause

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The ancient site of Dilston, situated between Hexham and Corbridge, is renowned for its associations with James Radcliffe, 3rd Earl of Derwentwater, who played a leading part in the Jacobite Rising of 1715 and was executed the following year. Dilston Castle and Chapel, which are all that remain of the Earl’s ancestral seat, are now part of an on-going conservation and restoration project that is being funded by the National Lottery Fund and English Heritage. The Castle and Chapel, which stand in the grounds of Dilston College (MENCAP), will be opening to the public in Summer 2003, under the management of the North Pennines Heritage Trust.

The recorded history of Dilston goes back to medieval times when the manor belonged to the lords of Divelston and a thriving township was established there. Earthworks of the lost township of Divelston can be traced in the field to the east of the castle, as can the foundations of the Earl of Derwentwater’s grand mansion, Dilston Hall – demolished in 1768.

Dilston Hall, with its extensive grounds that included two deer parks and beautiful riverside gardens, was designed to be the finest mansion in Northumberland. The ruin that stands today serves as a poignant reminder of the tragic Earl of Derwentwater and the lost Stuart cause.