Bamburgh Castle

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Bamburgh Castle
Bamburgh, Northumberland
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Bamburgh Castle from the southwest
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Bamburgh Castle
Coordinates 55°36′29″N1°42′32″W / 55.608°N 1.709°W / 55.608; -1.709
Site information
OwnerArmstrong family
Open to
the public
Yes
Listed Building – Grade I
Designated4 January 1952
Reference no.1280155 [1]
Site history
Built11th century

Bamburgh Castle, on the northeast coast of England, by the village of Bamburgh in Northumberland, is a Grade I listed building. [2]

Contents

The site was originally the location of a Celtic Brittonic fort known as Din Guarie and may have been the capital of the kingdom of Bernicia from its foundation c. 420 to 547. In that last year, it was captured by King Ida of Bernicia. After passing between the Britons and the Anglo-Saxons three times, the fort came under Anglo-Saxon control in 590. The fort was destroyed by Vikings in 993, and the Normans later built a new castle on the site, which forms the core of the present one. After a revolt in 1095 supported by the castle's owner, it became the property of the English monarch.

In the 17th century, financial difficulties led to the castle deteriorating, but it was restored by various owners during the 18th and 19th centuries. It was finally bought by the Victorian era industrialist William Armstrong, who completed its restoration. The castle still belongs to the Armstrong family and is open to the public.

History

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Aerial photo of Bamburgh Castle - geograph.org.uk - 654112.jpg
The southwestern face of Bamburgh Castle, seen from ground level (top) and from above (bottom)

Medieval history

Built on top of a black crag of volcanic dolerite, and part of the Whin Sill, the location was previously home to a fort of the indigenous Celtic Britons known as Din Guarie. [3] It may have been the capital of the kingdom of Bernicia, the realm of the Gododdin people, [4] from the realm's foundation c.420 until 547, the year of the first written reference to the castle. In that year the citadel was captured by the Anglo-Saxon ruler Ida of Bernicia (Beornice) and became Ida's seat. [5]

The castle was briefly retaken by the Britons from his son Hussa during the war of 590 before being retaken later the same year. [6] Circa 600, Hussa's successor Æthelfrith passed it on to his wife Bebba, from whom the early name Bebbanburh was derived. [7] Vikings destroyed the original fortification in 993. [8]

Aerial photograph from 1973 showing the position of the castle, northeast of Bamburgh village Bamburgh Castle June 1973.jpg
Aerial photograph from 1973 showing the position of the castle, northeast of Bamburgh village

The Normans built a new castle on the site, which forms the core of the present one. William II unsuccessfully besieged it in 1095 during a revolt supported by its owner, Robert de Mowbray, Earl of Northumbria. After Robert was captured, his wife continued the defence until coerced to surrender by the king's threat to blind her husband. [9]

Bamburgh then became the property of the reigning English monarch. Henry II probably built the keep as it was complete by 1164. [10] Following the Siege of Acre in 1191, and as a reward for his service, King Richard I appointed Sir John Forster the first Governor of Bamburgh Castle. Following the defeat of the Scots at the Battle of Neville's Cross in 1346, King David II was held prisoner at Bamburgh Castle. [9]

During the civil wars at the end of King John's reign, the castle was under the control of Philip of Oldcoates. [11] In 1464 during the Wars of the Roses, it was subject to a nine-month siege by Richard Neville, 16th Earl of Warwick, the "Kingmaker", on behalf of the Yorkists which was marked by the extensive use of artillery. [12]

Modern history

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The State Rooms of Bamburgh Castle; in top-centre of middle image, The Card Players, by Theodoor Rombouts, c.1630

The Forster family of Northumberland continued to provide the Crown with successive governors of the castle until the Crown granted ownership (or a lease according to some sources) of the church and the castle to another Sir John Forster in the mid-1500s, after the Dissolution of the Monasteries. [13] [14] The family retained ownership until Sir William Forster (d. 1700) was posthumously declared bankrupt, and his estates, including the castle, were sold to Lord Crew, Bishop of Durham (husband of his sister Dorothy) under an Act of Parliament to settle the debts in 1704. [10]

Crewe placed the castle in the hands of a board of trustees chaired by Thomas Sharp, the Archdeacon of Northumberland. Following the death of Thomas Sharp, leadership of the board of trustees passed to John Sharp (Thomas Sharp's son) who refurbished the castle keep and court rooms [15] and established a hospital on the site. [16] In 1894, the castle was bought by the Victorian industrialist William Armstrong, who completed the restoration. [17]

During the Second World War, pillboxes were established in the sand dunes to protect the castle and surrounding area from German invasion [18] and, in 1944, a Royal Navy corvette was named HMS Bamborough Castle after the castle. [19] The castle still remains in the ownership of the Armstrong family. [17]

After the War, the castle became a Grade I Listed property. The description included this comment about the status of the building in 1952 and its history: [20]

Castle, divided into apartments. C12; ruinous when acquired by Lord Crewe in 1704 and made habitable after his death by Dr. Sharpe ... Acquired by Lord Armstrong, who had extensive restoration and rebuilding of high quality by C.J. Ferguson, 1894-1904. Squared sandstone and ashlar.

Location

An 1825 plan of the castle Bamborough 1825 plan.png
An 1825 plan of the castle

About 9 miles (14 km) to the south on a point of coastal land is the ancient fortress of Dunstanburgh Castle and about 5 miles (8 km) to the north is Lindisfarne Castle on Holy Island. Inland about 16 miles (26 km) to the south is Alnwick Castle, the home of the Duke of Northumberland. [21]

Environmental factors

Air quality levels at Bamburgh Castle are excellent due to the absence of industrial sources in the region. Sound levels near the north–south road passing by Bamburgh Castle are in the range of 59 to 63 dBA in the daytime (Northumberland Sound Mapping Study, Northumberland, England, June 2003). Nearby are breeding colonies of Arctic and common terns on the inner Farne Islands, and of Atlantic puffin, European shag and razorbill on Staple Island. [22]

Archaeology at Bamburgh

Archaeological excavations were started in the 1960s by Brian Hope-Taylor, who discovered the gold plaque known as the Bamburgh Beast as well as the Bamburgh Sword. [23] Since 1996, the Bamburgh Research Project has been investigating the archaeology and history of the Castle and Bamburgh area. The project has concentrated on the fortress site and the early medieval burial ground at the Bowl Hole, located in sand dunes to the south of the castle, evidence of which had first been revealed in a storm of 1817. [24] [25]

During excavations at the Bowl Hole between 1998 and 2007, the remains of 120 individuals from the 7th and 8th century were discovered in that graveyard. [25] The research project was led by Professor Charlotte Roberts of Durham University, and found remains of individuals who had originated from Ireland, Scotland, Scandinavia, the Mediterranean and North Africa. [25]

Finally, in 2016, they were moved into the crypt of St Aidan's Church, Bamburgh; the crypt can be viewed by visitors through a small gate. [26]

Armstrong and Aviation Artefacts Museum

The castle's laundry rooms feature the Armstrong and Aviation Artefacts Museum, with exhibits about Victorian industrialist William Armstrong and Armstrong Whitworth, the manufacturing company he founded. Displays include engines, artillery and weaponry, and aviation artefacts from two world wars. [27]

Civil parish

Bamburgh Castle was a civil parish, in 1951 the parish had a population of 18. [28] Bamburgh Castle was formerly a township in Bambrough parish, [29] from 1866 Bamburgh Castle was a civil parish in its own right until it was abolished on 1 April 1955 and merged with Bamburgh. [30]

"Bamborough Castle from the Northeast, with Holy Island in the Distance, Northumberland" by John Varley (1827; Metropolitan Museum of Art). Bamborough Castle from the Northeast, with Holy Island in the Distance, Northumberland MET DP805117.jpg
"Bamborough Castle from the Northeast, with Holy Island in the Distance, Northumberland" by John Varley (1827; Metropolitan Museum of Art).

Selected literary appearances

The castle features in the ballad The Laidly Worm of Spindleston Heugh written in circa 1270. [31] Late medieval British author Thomas Malory identified Bamburgh Castle with Joyous Gard , the mythical castle home of Sir Launcelot in Arthurian legend. [32]

In literature, Bamburgh, under its Saxon name Bebbanburg, is the home of Uhtred Uhtredson, the main character in Bernard Cornwell's The Saxon Stories . It features either as a significant location or as the inspiration for the protagonist in all books in the series, starting with The Last Kingdom , and the sequels The Pale Horseman, The Lords of the North, Sword Song, The Burning Land , Death of Kings , The Pagan Lord , The Empty Throne , Warriors of the Storm , The Flame Bearer , War of the Wolf , Sword of Kings and War Lord . [33]

The castle and also the village provide the setting for the crime novel Bamburgh written by LJ Ross. [34]

Selected film and television appearances

In addition to appearances as itself, Bamburgh Castle has been used as a filming location for a number of television and film projects:

Videogames

Bamburgh Castle and village appeared in 2018 racing game Forza Horizon 4. [47]

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Northumbria</span> Medieval kingdom of the Angles

Northumbria was an early medieval Anglo-Saxon kingdom in what is now Northern England and south-east Scotland.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bamburgh</span> Human settlement in England

Bamburgh is a village and civil parish on the coast of Northumberland, England. It had a population of 454 in 2001, decreasing to 414 at the 2011 census.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Æthelfrith</span> Bernician king

Æthelfrith was King of Bernicia from c. 593 until his death around 616 AD at the Battle of the River Idle. He became the first Bernician king to also rule the neighboring land of Deira, giving him an important place in the development and the unification of the later kingdom of Northumbria. He was especially notable for his successes against the Britons and his victory over the Gaels of Dál Riata. Although he was defeated and killed in battle and replaced by a dynastic rival, his line was eventually restored to power in the 630s.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bernicia</span> Early medieval Anglo-Saxon kingdom in northeast England (6th century – 654)

Bernicia was an Anglo-Saxon kingdom established by Anglian settlers of the 6th century in what is now southeastern Scotland and North East England.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ida of Bernicia</span> King of Bernicia

Ida is the first known king of the Anglian kingdom of Bernicia, which he ruled from around 547 until his death in 559. Little is known of his life or reign, but he was regarded as the founder of a line from which later Anglo-Saxon kings in this part of northern England and southern Scotland claimed descent. His descendants overcame Brittonic resistance and ultimately founded the powerful kingdom of Northumbria.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Norham</span> Human settlement in England

Norham is a village and civil parish in Northumberland, England. It is 7 miles (11 km) south-west of Berwick on the south side of the River Tweed where it is the border with Scotland.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">History of Northumberland</span>

Northumberland, England's northernmost county, is a land where Roman occupiers once guarded a walled frontier, Anglian invaders fought with Celtic natives, and Norman lords built castles to suppress rebellion and defend a contested border with Scotland. The present-day county is a vestige of an independent kingdom that once stretched from Edinburgh to the Humber, hence its name, meaning literally 'north of the Humber'. Reflecting its tumultuous past, Northumberland has more castles than any other county in England, and the greatest number of recognised battle sites. Once an economically important region that supplied much of the coal that powered the industrial revolution, Northumberland is now a primarily rural county with a small and gradually shrinking population.

Hussa was the seventh known ruler of the Anglo-Saxon kingdom of Bernicia, ruling for seven years from about 585 to about 592.

This timeline summarises significant events in the history of Northumbria and Northumberland.

Earl of Northumbria or Ealdorman of Northumbria was a title in the late Anglo-Saxon, Anglo-Scandinavian and early Anglo-Norman period in England. The ealdordom was a successor of the Norse Kingdom of York. In the seventh century, the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms of Bernicia and Deira were united in the kingdom of Northumbria, but this was destroyed by the Vikings in 867. Southern Northumbria, the former Deira, then became the Viking kingdom of York, while the rulers of Bamburgh commanded territory roughly equivalent to the northern kingdom of Bernicia. In 1006 Uhtred the Bold, ruler of Bamburgh, by command of Æthelred the Unready became ealdorman in the south, temporarily re-uniting much of the area of Northumbria into a single jurisdiction. Uhtred was murdered in 1016, and Cnut then appointed Eric of Hlathir ealdorman at York, but Uhtred's dynasty held onto Bamburgh. After the Norman Conquest the region was divided into multiple smaller baronies, one of which was the earldom of Northumberland, with others like the earldoms of York and numerous autonomous liberties such as the County Palatine of Durham and Liberty of Tynedale.

Eadwulf or Eadulf was ruler of Bamburgh in the early tenth century. A genealogy in the twelfth-century text De Northumbria post Britannos recording the ancestry of Waltheof Earl of Northampton, makes Eadwulf the son of Æthelthryth daughter of Ælla, King of Northumbria, but no source names Eadwulf's own father.

Uhtred of Bamburgh, was ruler of Bamburgh and from 1006 to 1016 the ealdorman of Northumbria. He was the son of Waltheof I, ruler of Bamburgh (Bebbanburg), whose family the Eadwulfings had ruled the surrounding region for over a century. Uhtred's death by assassination was described in De obsessione Dunelmi and has been interpreted as the beginning of a blood feud. Not to be confused with Uhtred the son of Eadwulf I of Bamburgh, which is why he historically has been referred to as Uhtred the Bold.

Hering, son of Hussa was a Bernician prince. He was the son of Hussa, king of Bernicia from 585 to 592 or 593. After Hussa's death the kingdom went to Æthelfrith, Hering's cousin. During the first half of Æthelfrith's reign, Hering fled to Dál Riata, where he was given refuge by their king, Áedán mac Gabráin.

Eadwulf I was king of Northumbria from the death of Aldfrith in December 704 until February or March of 705, when Aldfrith's son Osred was restored to the throne.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Joyous Gard</span> A castle featuring in the legend of King Arthur

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Thomas Forster</span> British Jacobite

Thomas Forster, of Adderstone Hall, Northumberland, was an English landowner and Tory politician who sat in the House of Commons from 1708 to 1716. He served as a general of the Jacobite army in the 1715 Uprising and subsequently fled to France.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">St Aidan's Church, Bamburgh</span> Church in Northumberland , England

St Aidan's Church is a Grade I listed Church of England building in the Diocese of Newcastle.

Philip of Oldcoates was an English nobleman and royal official.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Waren (port)</span> Port in United Kingdom

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References

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  13. Skulldugerous John Forster
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  20. BAMBURGH CASTLE
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Sources

Further reading