Castles, Castles and more bloody Castles–the bloody borderland between England and Scotland is rife with castles perfect for any history buff.
Northumberland, in Northeast England, is famous for its immense beauty of rolling hills and many, many sheep. However, Northumberland is also a borderland that was hotly contested for centuries between the waring English and Scots. Therefore, there are a TON of castles here. I decided to check a few of these fair castles out for myself, along with a hotly contested town.
Google Maps The route I took on Day 9 of my 30 Days Around Great Britain adventure.
Stop 1: Warkworth Castle
The imposing gatehouse of Warkworth Castle.
Warkworth Castle is the epitome of waring countries. So much so, no one even knows what country even built the original castle here. It could be the Scottish Prince Henry or the King Henry II of England. All anyone knows is that it was a guy named Henry and that it eventually made its way into English hands, the Percy family in fact, and it stayed their hands for a very long time. The castle changed hands throughout the centuries, and went through many battles, but it actually is still indirectly (through marriage and some name changing) in the Percy family.
The keep (right) and the 15th century Lion Tower (left).
The original castle was built sometime after the Norman invasion in the 12th century. The current castle dates from the 13th century. The castle is arranged in quite an odd shape, with the keep jutting out from the back of the enclosure.
The Great Hall of the keep.
The 14th century keep has been partially restored. The ground floor was mainly used for storage and the second floor was for domestic use. The keep had a great hall that was two stories tall and a giant fireplace to heat the entire room. In the 19th century the Duke of Northumberland re-roofed and restored the second-floor rooms for his use (i.e., entertaining other rich folks). Much of the rest of the castle has fallen into ruin because the Percy family neglected the castle in favor of their main residence, Alnwick Castle (next stop). The keep was probably only used for short periods of time, since the castle was not a primary residence.
One of the second-floor rooms. Not only did he restore the rooms, but he also put some fancy furniture in it.
Stop 2: Alnwick Castle
Located in the town of Alnwick, Alnwick Castle is the seat of the Duke of Northumberland. A huge castle and country manner, the family still resides there, while putting up with the thousands of tourists that visit every year. I guess you got to do what you got to do to afford the upkeep on the place.
The stately entrance to Alnwick castle from the car park (Brit for parking lot (when in Rome)).
Alnwick Castle first dates to around 1096. The first mention of the castle is when it was captured by King David I of Scotland in 1136. (My Scottish half is smiling right now.) Over the years, the Scots continued to besiege the castle. However, in 1174 King William the Lion of Scotland was captured right outside the castle. (My German half is now laughing.)
The Percy family (the current owners) were about to acquire the barony of Alnwick all the way back in 1309. The original stone castle Henry Percy bought was fairly simple so it wouldn’t do, and he quickly embarked on a redecorating campaign. Alnwick Castle would morph into a major fortress on the Anglo-Scottish borderland.
Once you got inside the castle you were greeted by this fine chap, Sir Henry (Hotspur) Percy, 2nd Earl of Northumberland.
Alnwick Castle has had a long complex history. Thomas Percy, 7th Earl of Northumberland was executed for being a Catholic in Elizabethan England, then a capital offense. For years afterward the castle was uninhabited until the second half of the 18th century when it was modernized for more comfortable living conditions by the architect Robert Adams. His additions were partially removed by the next guy in the 19th century, the 4th Duke of Northumberland. He added the palatial accommodations and one of the towers.
The inner keep of Alnwick Castle, although just a small portion of the entire castle itself.
Today, the current Duke and Duchess still live in the house, although just in a small section of it. Visitors can stream through a section of the public rooms which are quite fancy. Alnwick Castle is actually the second largest inhabited castle in England.
Special exhibits can be found in other parts of the property. I especially liked the dungeon tour. (I may have a slight dark sense of humor, if you haven’t noticed already.) There were tools of torture and jail cells, as well as, a pit to keep vagrants, where I found this fella:
Found this sad chap down in a hole, counting the bones of his last cell mate.
Alnwick Castle also had a small museum full of artifacts that were collected by the Dukes of Northumberland who were interested in archaeology, including frescoes from Pompeii, artifacts from Ancient Egypt, and Ancient Roman objects from Britain and things that were found on the property.
The little museum, jam packed with artifacts. I just got to say, that sword is awesome.
All and all, Alnwick Castle is a great place to spend the afternoon. Don’t forget the Harry Potter experience, some parts of the movies were filmed there! There is also a garden you can go to as well nearby and pubs with great Sunday Roast.
Stop 3: Dunstanburgh Castle
I had not originally planned to stop at this castle, but I found myself with a little extra time on my hands. It was an oddly sunny late September day in Northern England, and I couldn’t pass up spending it outside, rather than in a museum at my next destination, Berwick-upon-Tweed. So I picked the nearest castle my Historic England pass (great investment, surely got my money’s worth), and that was Dunstanburgh. I absolutely loved it.
Dunstanburgh Castle is located about 1.3 mi (2 km) down a seaside path through a cow pasture outside a scenic fishing village of Craster. It really is lovely. You park on the edge of town and walk through until you get to the path and walk to the castle. It’s a bit of a hike, but it’s so beautiful and peaceful, you don’t even notice.
The lovely village of Craster, famous for its Craster Kippers, or so I’m told.
In the 14th century, Earl Thomas of Lancaster built Dunstanburgh Castle on the remains of an Iron Age fort. He was opposed to the current king, Edward II, Thomas of Lancaster only was able to visit the castle once before he was executed, not a great start for the castle.
The long peaceful coastal walk. You can just see Dunstanburgh Castle emerging in the distance.
Dunstanburgh Castle is actually the largest castle in Northumberland. The outside walls enclose an area of 9.96 acres (4.03 ha). The most striking feature is the three-story gatehouse, along with the now ruined, internal buildings. There also used to a harbor next to the castle as well, of which only the stone quay survives.
Now we are coming in a bit closer on Dunstanburgh Castle, with its imposing Gatehouse.
The castle eventually passed into the hands of the Duchy of Lancaster and became a stronghold against the peasant uprisings of 1381 and of course Scottish threats (those pesky Scots). It became a strategic stronghold during the War of the Roses and ended up being tossed around by the rival Lancastrian and Yorkist factions several times during the whole situation.
The gatehouse was the most impressive part.
Dunstanburgh Castle never recovered from being tossed around during War of the Roses. By the 16th century it was falling apart and once the Scots and the Brits had the same king, there was no point to having a castle there anymore. King James I sold the property in 1604.
It became government property again in 1930. During World War II, the castle once again was used to protect the countryside from invasion, no longer from the north, but from the sea.
I had to throw this picture in here. I just love it.
Stop 4: Berwick-upon-Tweed
Final stop for the day. I had planned to spend more time here. There is a couple of museums and other things to see in the area, but I got distracted by castles, which is insanely easy for this American.
Berwick-upon-Tweed will have a special place in my heart for all time. Not for what I saw here on this day, for what I realized I would I do months before on a train from London to Edinburgh. I realized I couldn’t leave this amazing country after studying without seeing as much of it as I could. That is when I decided I would rent a car and drive around. The enormity of driving around the entirety of the island of Great Britain in 30 days hadn’t occurred yet, but the idea was imprinted in my mind right outside the train station at Berwick-upon-Tweed. So, I at least had to see a bit of the town, even if I didn’t see the museums.
The lovely town of Berwick-upon-Tweed.
Berwick-upon-Tweed is a border town just 2 ½ mi (4 km) south of the Scottish border. The town was central to the 400 yearlong border war between England and Scotland and even passed several times between the two countries. England last took possession of Berwick in 1482 and kept its claim. Berwick is famous for its medieval town walls, having Britain’s earliest barracks buildings and its Elizabethan ramparts.
Northumberland is crazy full of castles. I barely scratched the surface (I literally drove past two I couldn’t stop at.) The intense struggle over the border between the English and the Scots in the region makes it a prime location today for any history buff of the era to visit. Scratch that, for anyone to visit, because who doesn’t love castles?
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Start at the beginning of my 30 days around Great Britain!
