Walworth Castle

Walworth Castle is a 16th century mansion house, built in the style of a medieval castle, which is now occupied as an hotel, situated at Walworth, near Darlington, Co. Durham. It is a Grade 1 listed building [http://www.imagesofengland.org.uk/Details/Default.aspx?id=110911&mode=quick English Heritage: Images of England, listing and architectural details] ] .

The Manor of High Walworth was acquired by Thomas Jennison, Auditor General of Ireland in about 1579 by purchase from the Ascough family. "An Historical ,Topographical and Descriptive View of the County of Durham" McKenzie and Ross (1834) p171 Google Books] . The Jennisons were a strongly Catholic family ["Dictionary of National Biography" Editor Sidney Lee (2001) p293 Google Books] .

Jennison ( who died in 1589) built the present mansion on the site of an early castle and later manor house . The south front of five bays and three storeys, is flanked by two four storey round angle towers, the most westerly of which probably has medieval origins . In 1769 Francis Jennison sold the estate and emigrated to Europe

The house passed to the Harrison family and then, by marriage, to General Arthur Aylmer, whose son John Harrison Aylmer ( who succeeded in 1831) was High Sheriff of Durham in 1864. ["A Genealogical and Heraldic History of the Commoners of Great Britain and Ireland" Vol I, John Burke (1835) p177 Google Books]

The Aylmers sold the estate in the 1930s. During World War II it was used as a Prisoner of War Camp and in 1950 it became a Girls' School. More recently it was renovated and converted for use as an hotel

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