Raby Castle, the ancestral home of the Nevilles and an almost perfect specimen of a fourteenth-century castle, is situated close to the little town of Staindrop in the county of Durham. Canute, the Danish king, is said to have had a house in Staindrop; and it was he who presented Raby Castle to the shrine of St. Cuthbert. The castle passed from the possession of the monks in 1131, when they granted it to Dolphin, who belonged to the royal family of Northumberland, for the yearly rental of £4. Dominus de Raby, a descendant of Dolphin, married Isabel Neville, the heiress of the Saxon house of Balmer, and their son, Geoffrey, took the surname of Neville. The present castle was built by John, Lord Neville, about the year 1379, when he had permission to fortify. There is very little history attaching to the fortress, for, with the exception of two insignificant attacks during the Civil War, it sustained no sieges. It belonged to the Nevilles until 1570, when Charles Neville, Earl of Westmorland, lost the castle, together with all his estates, for the share which he took in the rising in the North for the restoration of the Roman Catholic religion in England. Not being situated on high ground, the chief defence of Raby Castle, apart from the strength of its walls, must have been the abundance of water which completely surrounded it. The chapel is the oldest portion; but the castle was almost entirely built in one man's lifetime, and bears scarcely any traces of earlier or later work. The interior, however, has been much altered by modern architects, who have obliterated a great portion of John Neville's work. The Baron's Hall used to be a fine room, with beautiful windows, an oak roof, and a stone music-gallery. The kitchen, which occupies the whole interior of a large tower, is one of the most interesting and perfect features of the castle, though it has no longer the original fireplaces. [Illustration: _Photochrom Co., Ltd._ RABY CASTLE. Built by John, Lord Neville, about the year 1379.] SNOWDON =How to get there.=--Train from Euston. L. and N.W. Railway. =Nearest Station.=--Llanberis (5 miles distant). This is the easiest of the ascents by a well-marked path. =Distance from London.=--257 miles. =Average Time.=--Varies between 6-1/2 to 8 hours. 1st 2nd 3rd =Fares.=--Single 41s. 6d. 23s. 7d. 21s. 4-1/2d. Return 74s. 9d. 40s. 9d. 37s. 0d. =Accommodation Obtainable.=--"Royal Victoria Hotel," Llanberis. "Castle Hotel," "Snowdon Valley," "Dolbadarn," "Padarn Villa." Snowdon Summit Hotel is 3560 feet above the sea.