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Location
Bamburgh, Northumberland, England
Description
Bamburgh Castle is located on the coast at Bamburgh in Northumberland, England. It is a Grade I listed building. The castle is situated on a basalt outcrop on edge of the North Sea, with views to the Farne Islands, Holy Island and the Cheviot Hills. The castle is open to the public and features armour, porcelain, portraits, furniture displayed in the numerous rooms and passageways.
The Kings Hall was reconstructed in the late 19th century by Lord Armstrong, although retains original medieval arches under the minstrels gallery. The roof of the hall was carved from teak by Thomas Worsnop of Rothbury. The Cross Hall is up three steps at the end of the Kings Hall. The armoury is in the 12th century keep - the oldest surviving part of the castle. Some of the armour on display was loaned to the castle by the Tower of London in 1976. The walls at the base of the keep are three to four meters thick. The State Room is the main room in the keep, it now serves as a portrait gallery with paintings of the Forsters, Crewe, Sharp and Armstrong families.
Bamburgh Castle is licensed for civil weddings for up to 150 guests, and the Kings Hall may be hired for the wedding ceremony. The castle has tearoom and gift shop.
History
The Normans built a castle on the site in the 11th century. Bamburgh later became the property of the English monarchy, and Henry II probably built the keep now standing. In 1464 during the Wars of the Roses, it was captured by Richard Neville, 16th Earl of Warwick, but later returned to the Crown. The Forster family were appointed governors of the castle for about 400 years, after which ownership was as granted to Sir John Forster. The Fortser family retained ownership bankruptcy forced sale to Lord Crew, Bishop of Durham. The castle was extensively restored by Lord Crewe in the 1750s. It was bought by Lord Armstrong at the end of the 19th century who carried out further restoration. The castle is still the home of the Armstrong family.
The Arts
Bamburgh Castle was used as a shooting location for a number of films including Becket (1964) and The Tragedy of Macbeth (1971)
Other Castles in the Area
Alnwick Castle, Northumberland
Chillingham Castle, Northumberland
Dunstanburgh Castle, Northumberland
Edlingham Castle, Northumberland
Lindisfarne Castle, Northumberland
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