Norham Castle
Encyclopedia
Norham Castle is a partly ruined castle in Northumberland
, England
, overlooking the River Tweed
, on the border between England and Scotland
. It is a Grade I listed building and a Scheduled Ancient Monument
. The castle saw much action during the wars between England and Scotland.
, Bishop of Durham from 1099 to 1128, gave orders for its construction in 1121, in order to protect the property of the bishopric in north Northumberland, from incursions by the Scots.
In 1136 David I of Scotland
invaded Northumberland and captured the castle. It was soon handed back to the bishopric, but was captured again in 1138 during another invasion. This time, the structure of the castle was substantially damaged. It remained derelict until Hugh de Puiset
, Bishop of Durham from1153 to 1195, had the castle rebuilt. The work was probably directed by Richard of Wolviston, who was the bishop’s architect.
In 1174 Hugh de Puiset supported the rebels in a revolt against Henry II
, during which the Scottish king, William the Lion
invaded Northumberland. The rebels were defeated and as a result, Bishop Hugh was forced to relinquish Norham Castle to the crown. The castle was administered by a constable appointed by the crown and garrisoned by royal soldiers. This continued until 1197, two years after Hugh’s death, when it as restored to his successor, Philip of Poitou
. The latter showed himself to be loyal to King John
. When Philip died in 1208 the castle reverted to royal control.
, son of William the Lion, besieged the castle for forty days without success. In 1217 the castle was once again restored to the bishopric of Durham.
Edward I
, known as “Hammer of the Scots”, visited the castle more than once. He did so in 1292 when John Balliol
, King of Scotland did homage to him there. In 1296 Edward invaded Scotland, and during his campaign, his queen, Marguerite of France, remained at Norham Castle.
besieged the castle for nearly a year. The Scottish army succeeded in occupying the outer ward for three days but were then driven out. The siege did not succeed. In 1319 the Scots returned and the castle successfully withstood a siege of seven months. In 1322 there was yet another unsuccessful Scottish siege. During all three sieges, the castle was under the command of Sir Thomas Grey of Heton, a knight who had been captured by the Scots at the Battle of Bannockburn
in 1314.
In 1327 a Scottish army managed to storm Norham, but the castle was soon restored to the Bishop of Durham, when peace was declared.
(1455–1487). In 1462 Norham Castle was held by the Yorkists
on behalf of Edward IV
. The following year a Lancastrian
army besieged the castle for eighteen days until it was relieved by Yorkist forces. In 1464 the forces holding Norham castle changed sides to support the Lancastrians but were then forced to surrender to a force of Yorkists.
Later in the century, Bishop Richard Foxe
of Durham (1494–1501) had the castle’s defences strengthened once more. In 1497 the castle was besieged for two weeks by an army led by James IV of Scotland
. The siege included the use of artillery to try to breach the walls but the garrison was finally relieved by an English army. Following this latest siege the castle was repaired again. One of the guns used in the siege was a 22 inch (56 cm) calibre cannon called Mons Meg
, which is now located at Edinburgh Castle
.
, near Branxton
in Northumberland, and Norham fell into English hands again.
The castle was inspected by Cardinal Wolsey's chaplain William Frankelayn on 29 August 1515. He found it "well fortitified with contremurs
and murderers
." The wall from the "dungeoun" (the Keep) running south west towards the kitchen was 28 feet thick. At this time, Scotland's Regent Albany
was planning to bring an army against the Hume family on the Scottish borders.
Bishop Thomas Ruthall
of Durham inspected the castle and began restoration work. This continued until 1521. William Dacre, 3rd Baron Dacre
(c. 1493-1563), was Captain of Norham Castle in 1522-23.
The castle was maintained in a state of good repair, with a strong garrison during the remaining conflicts with Scotland in that century. Sir Richard Lee
with Sir Thomas Palmer and Sir Robert Bowes
surveyed the castle in 1550, and in 1554 Bishop Tunstal
carried out repairs. However when an extended state of peace existed between the two countries, the garrison was reduced and the defences were allowed to deteriorate. By the end of the century the castle had already fallen into a state of disrepair. In 1596 Queen Elizabeth
gave the Captain, Sir Robert Carey
, her 'resolute answer' that she would spend nothing on Norham. It was destined not to see any further fighting, but the castle and manor was given to George Home, 1st Earl of Dunbar
by James VI of Scotland on his accession to the throne of England. The castle was left to fall into ruin.
In the nineteenth century, Norham Castle became well known far and wide from the paintings of J.M.W. Turner
. He first painted the castle in 1797, but returned to paint it many times. Several examples of his work can be seen in the Tate Gallery in London.
, high above the river, so that the north side is protected by a steep slope. A deep ravine protected the east side and an artificial moat was dug round the west and south sides to complete the protection. The castle had and inner and outer ward. The inner ward stood on a mound and was separated from the outer ward by a moat, crossed by a drawbridge.
The main entrance to the castle was the strongly fortified West Gate leading into the outer ward. There was an additional gate to the south of the outer ward, known as the Sheep Gate.
The inner ward was entered by crossing a drawbridge across the moat and entering through a fortified gate on the west side. The drawbridge has now been replaced by a wooden bridge. On the north side of the inner ward was the bishop’s hall, measuring 60 ft by 30 ft (18.3m by 9.1m), now in ruins. To the east side of the inner ward stands the keep, measuring 84 ft by 60 ft (25.6m by 18.3m) and 88 feet (26.8 m) high. The keep is said to have been built by Hugh de Puiset
.
Norham Castle is now in the care of English Heritage
and is open to visitors.
Northumberland
Northumberland is the northernmost ceremonial county and a unitary district in North East England. For Eurostat purposes Northumberland is a NUTS 3 region and is one of three boroughs or unitary districts that comprise the "Northumberland and Tyne and Wear" NUTS 2 region...
, England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
, overlooking the River Tweed
River Tweed
The River Tweed, or Tweed Water, is long and flows primarily through the Borders region of Great Britain. It rises on Tweedsmuir at Tweed's Well near where the Clyde, draining northwest, and the Annan draining south also rise. "Annan, Tweed and Clyde rise oot the ae hillside" as the Border saying...
, on the border between England and Scotland
Scotland
Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
. It is a Grade I listed building and a Scheduled Ancient Monument
Scheduled Ancient Monument
In the United Kingdom, a scheduled monument is a 'nationally important' archaeological site or historic building, given protection against unauthorized change. The various pieces of legislation used for legally protecting heritage assets from damage and destruction are grouped under the term...
. The castle saw much action during the wars between England and Scotland.
Early history
The castle was originally founded when Ranulf FlambardRanulf Flambard
Ranulf Flambard was a medieval Norman Bishop of Durham and an influential government minister of King William Rufus of England...
, Bishop of Durham from 1099 to 1128, gave orders for its construction in 1121, in order to protect the property of the bishopric in north Northumberland, from incursions by the Scots.
In 1136 David I of Scotland
David I of Scotland
David I or Dabíd mac Maíl Choluim was a 12th-century ruler who was Prince of the Cumbrians and later King of the Scots...
invaded Northumberland and captured the castle. It was soon handed back to the bishopric, but was captured again in 1138 during another invasion. This time, the structure of the castle was substantially damaged. It remained derelict until Hugh de Puiset
Hugh de Puiset
Hugh de Puiset was a medieval Bishop of Durham and Chief Justiciar of England under King Richard I. He was the nephew of King Stephen of England and Henry of Blois, who both assisted Hugh's ecclesiastical career...
, Bishop of Durham from1153 to 1195, had the castle rebuilt. The work was probably directed by Richard of Wolviston, who was the bishop’s architect.
In 1174 Hugh de Puiset supported the rebels in a revolt against Henry II
Henry II of England
Henry II ruled as King of England , Count of Anjou, Count of Maine, Duke of Normandy, Duke of Aquitaine, Duke of Gascony, Count of Nantes, Lord of Ireland and, at various times, controlled parts of Wales, Scotland and western France. Henry, the great-grandson of William the Conqueror, was the...
, during which the Scottish king, William the Lion
William I of Scotland
William the Lion , sometimes styled William I, also known by the nickname Garbh, "the Rough", reigned as King of the Scots from 1165 to 1214...
invaded Northumberland. The rebels were defeated and as a result, Bishop Hugh was forced to relinquish Norham Castle to the crown. The castle was administered by a constable appointed by the crown and garrisoned by royal soldiers. This continued until 1197, two years after Hugh’s death, when it as restored to his successor, Philip of Poitou
Philip of Poitou
Philip of Poitou was Prince-Bishop of Durham from 1197 to 1208, and prior to this Archdeacon of Canterbury.- Life :...
. The latter showed himself to be loyal to King John
John of England
John , also known as John Lackland , was King of England from 6 April 1199 until his death...
. When Philip died in 1208 the castle reverted to royal control.
Thirteenth century
In 1209 the castle accommodated both King John and William the Lion, on an occasion when William did homage for his English lands to the English king. Between 1208 and 1211, King John maintained the castle defences in good order and provided a strong garrison. The strong defences were needed in 1215, when Alexander II of ScotlandAlexander II of Scotland
Alexander II was King of Scots from1214 to his death.-Early life:...
, son of William the Lion, besieged the castle for forty days without success. In 1217 the castle was once again restored to the bishopric of Durham.
Edward I
Edward I of England
Edward I , also known as Edward Longshanks and the Hammer of the Scots, was King of England from 1272 to 1307. The first son of Henry III, Edward was involved early in the political intrigues of his father's reign, which included an outright rebellion by the English barons...
, known as “Hammer of the Scots”, visited the castle more than once. He did so in 1292 when John Balliol
John of Scotland
John Balliol , known to the Scots as Toom Tabard , was King of Scots from 1292 to 1296.-Early life:Little of John's early life is known. He was born between 1248 and 1250 at an unknown location, possibilities include Galloway, Picardy and Barnard Castle, County Durham...
, King of Scotland did homage to him there. In 1296 Edward invaded Scotland, and during his campaign, his queen, Marguerite of France, remained at Norham Castle.
Fourteenth century
During the early fourteenth century, the Scots invaded Northumberland several times, but did not always attack Norham. In 1318 Robert the BruceRobert I of Scotland
Robert I , popularly known as Robert the Bruce , was King of Scots from March 25, 1306, until his death in 1329.His paternal ancestors were of Scoto-Norman heritage , and...
besieged the castle for nearly a year. The Scottish army succeeded in occupying the outer ward for three days but were then driven out. The siege did not succeed. In 1319 the Scots returned and the castle successfully withstood a siege of seven months. In 1322 there was yet another unsuccessful Scottish siege. During all three sieges, the castle was under the command of Sir Thomas Grey of Heton, a knight who had been captured by the Scots at the Battle of Bannockburn
Battle of Bannockburn
The Battle of Bannockburn was a significant Scottish victory in the Wars of Scottish Independence...
in 1314.
In 1327 a Scottish army managed to storm Norham, but the castle was soon restored to the Bishop of Durham, when peace was declared.
Fifteenth century
Although the first half of the fifteenth century proved to be quieter than the previous one, the castle’s defences were kept in good repair. The next major activity that the castle saw was during the Wars of the RosesWars of the Roses
The Wars of the Roses were a series of dynastic civil wars for the throne of England fought between supporters of two rival branches of the royal House of Plantagenet: the houses of Lancaster and York...
(1455–1487). In 1462 Norham Castle was held by the Yorkists
House of York
The House of York was a branch of the English royal House of Plantagenet, three members of which became English kings in the late 15th century. The House of York was descended in the paternal line from Edmund of Langley, 1st Duke of York, the fourth surviving son of Edward III, but also represented...
on behalf of Edward IV
Edward IV of England
Edward IV was King of England from 4 March 1461 until 3 October 1470, and again from 11 April 1471 until his death. He was the first Yorkist King of England...
. The following year a Lancastrian
House of Lancaster
The House of Lancaster was a branch of the royal House of Plantagenet. It was one of the opposing factions involved in the Wars of the Roses, an intermittent civil war which affected England and Wales during the 15th century...
army besieged the castle for eighteen days until it was relieved by Yorkist forces. In 1464 the forces holding Norham castle changed sides to support the Lancastrians but were then forced to surrender to a force of Yorkists.
Later in the century, Bishop Richard Foxe
Richard Foxe
Richard Foxe was an English churchman, successively Bishop of Exeter, Bath and Wells, Durham, and Winchester, Lord Privy Seal, and founder of Corpus Christi College, Oxford.-Life:...
of Durham (1494–1501) had the castle’s defences strengthened once more. In 1497 the castle was besieged for two weeks by an army led by James IV of Scotland
James IV of Scotland
James IV was King of Scots from 11 June 1488 to his death. He is generally regarded as the most successful of the Stewart monarchs of Scotland, but his reign ended with the disastrous defeat at the Battle of Flodden Field, where he became the last monarch from not only Scotland, but also from all...
. The siege included the use of artillery to try to breach the walls but the garrison was finally relieved by an English army. Following this latest siege the castle was repaired again. One of the guns used in the siege was a 22 inch (56 cm) calibre cannon called Mons Meg
Mons Meg
Mons Meg is a medieval bombard which can be classed as a supergun, now located at Edinburgh Castle, Scotland. There are conflicting theories about its origins, but it appears from the accounts of Philip the Good, Duke of Burgundy that it was made to his order around 1449 and sent as a gift 8 years...
, which is now located at Edinburgh Castle
Edinburgh Castle
Edinburgh Castle is a fortress which dominates the skyline of the city of Edinburgh, Scotland, from its position atop the volcanic Castle Rock. Human habitation of the site is dated back as far as the 9th century BC, although the nature of early settlement is unclear...
.
Sixteenth century
In 1513 James IV of Scotland invaded England again with a powerful army that included artillery. He crossed the border and moved on Norham. His guns pounded the outer defences for several days until the outer ward was taken by the Scots. Soon after, the castle surrendered. By then most of the outer walls had been destroyed. Weeks later, James was defeated and slain at the Battle of Flodden FieldBattle of Flodden Field
The Battle of Flodden or Flodden Field or occasionally Battle of Branxton was fought in the county of Northumberland in northern England on 9 September 1513, between an invading Scots army under King James IV and an English army commanded by the Earl of Surrey...
, near Branxton
Branxton, Northumberland
Branxton is a village and civil parish in northern Northumberland, England. It lies about from the England-Scotland border and about from the Scottish border town of Coldstream, just off the A697 Newcastle-Edinburgh road...
in Northumberland, and Norham fell into English hands again.
The castle was inspected by Cardinal Wolsey's chaplain William Frankelayn on 29 August 1515. He found it "well fortitified with contremurs
Contramure
In military fortification, a contramure, or countermure, is a wall raised behind another, to supply its place when breached or destroyed.The term was also used to refer to an outer wall, built around the wall of a city....
and murderers
Breech-loading swivel gun
A breech-loading swivel gun was a particular type of swivel gun and a small breech-loading cannon invented in the 14th century. It was equipped with a swivel for easy rotation and was loaded by inserting a mug-shaped device called a chamber, pre-filled with gunpowder and projectiles...
." The wall from the "dungeoun" (the Keep) running south west towards the kitchen was 28 feet thick. At this time, Scotland's Regent Albany
Regent Albany
Regent Albany can refer to several Dukes of Albany who served as regent of the Kingdom of Scotland:*Robert Stewart, Duke of Albany *Murdoch Stewart, Duke of Albany *John Stewart, 2nd Duke of Albany...
was planning to bring an army against the Hume family on the Scottish borders.
Bishop Thomas Ruthall
Thomas Ruthall
Thomas Ruthall was an English churchman, administrator and diplomat. He was a leading councillor of Henry VIII of England.-Life:...
of Durham inspected the castle and began restoration work. This continued until 1521. William Dacre, 3rd Baron Dacre
William Dacre, 3rd Baron Dacre
William Dacre, 7th Baron Greystock, later 3rd Baron Dacre of Gilsland was an English peer, a Cumberland landowner, and the holder of important offices under the Crown, including many years' service as Warden of the West Marches....
(c. 1493-1563), was Captain of Norham Castle in 1522-23.
The castle was maintained in a state of good repair, with a strong garrison during the remaining conflicts with Scotland in that century. Sir Richard Lee
Richard Lee (engineer)
Sir Richard Lee was a military engineer in the service of Henry VIII of England, Edward VI and Elizabeth I. He was a commander of Henry VIII of England| and appointed surveyor of the King's works.-Surveyor of Calais:...
with Sir Thomas Palmer and Sir Robert Bowes
Robert Bowes (lawyer)
Sir Robert Bowes was an English lawyer and military commander.-Life:He was son of Sir Ralph Bowes and Marjory Conyers of South Cowton, Yorkshire, and studied law in his early years; but his ancestral connection with the Border country marked him out for employment in border affairs, where he did...
surveyed the castle in 1550, and in 1554 Bishop Tunstal
Cuthbert Tunstall
Cuthbert Tunstall was an English Scholastic, church leader, diplomat, administrator and royal adviser...
carried out repairs. However when an extended state of peace existed between the two countries, the garrison was reduced and the defences were allowed to deteriorate. By the end of the century the castle had already fallen into a state of disrepair. In 1596 Queen Elizabeth
Elizabeth I of England
Elizabeth I was queen regnant of England and Ireland from 17 November 1558 until her death. Sometimes called The Virgin Queen, Gloriana, or Good Queen Bess, Elizabeth was the fifth and last monarch of the Tudor dynasty...
gave the Captain, Sir Robert Carey
Robert Carey, 1st Earl of Monmouth
Robert Carey, 1st Earl of Monmouth was an English nobleman and courtier. He was the youngest son of Henry Carey, 1st Baron Hunsdon and Anne Morgan, daughter of Sir Thomas Morgan and Anne Whitney.As a young man he accompanied several diplomatic missions abroad and took part in military expeditions...
, her 'resolute answer' that she would spend nothing on Norham. It was destined not to see any further fighting, but the castle and manor was given to George Home, 1st Earl of Dunbar
George Home, 1st Earl of Dunbar
George Home, 1st Earl of Dunbar, KG, PC was, in the last decade of his life, the most prominent and most influential Scotsman in England. His work lay in the King's Household and in the control of the State Affairs of Scotland and he was the King's chief Scottish advisor...
by James VI of Scotland on his accession to the throne of England. The castle was left to fall into ruin.
Nineteenth century
The surrounding area of Norham was, until 1844, an outlying part of the County Palatine of Durham, and with the shires of Island (including Holy Island and the Farnes) and Bedlington was known as North Durham.In the nineteenth century, Norham Castle became well known far and wide from the paintings of J.M.W. Turner
J. M. W. Turner
Joseph Mallord William Turner RA was an English Romantic landscape painter, watercolourist and printmaker. Turner was considered a controversial figure in his day, but is now regarded as the artist who elevated landscape painting to an eminence rivalling history painting...
. He first painted the castle in 1797, but returned to paint it many times. Several examples of his work can be seen in the Tate Gallery in London.
Description of the castle
The castle stands on the south bank of the River TweedRiver Tweed
The River Tweed, or Tweed Water, is long and flows primarily through the Borders region of Great Britain. It rises on Tweedsmuir at Tweed's Well near where the Clyde, draining northwest, and the Annan draining south also rise. "Annan, Tweed and Clyde rise oot the ae hillside" as the Border saying...
, high above the river, so that the north side is protected by a steep slope. A deep ravine protected the east side and an artificial moat was dug round the west and south sides to complete the protection. The castle had and inner and outer ward. The inner ward stood on a mound and was separated from the outer ward by a moat, crossed by a drawbridge.
The main entrance to the castle was the strongly fortified West Gate leading into the outer ward. There was an additional gate to the south of the outer ward, known as the Sheep Gate.
The inner ward was entered by crossing a drawbridge across the moat and entering through a fortified gate on the west side. The drawbridge has now been replaced by a wooden bridge. On the north side of the inner ward was the bishop’s hall, measuring 60 ft by 30 ft (18.3m by 9.1m), now in ruins. To the east side of the inner ward stands the keep, measuring 84 ft by 60 ft (25.6m by 18.3m) and 88 feet (26.8 m) high. The keep is said to have been built by Hugh de Puiset
Hugh de Puiset
Hugh de Puiset was a medieval Bishop of Durham and Chief Justiciar of England under King Richard I. He was the nephew of King Stephen of England and Henry of Blois, who both assisted Hugh's ecclesiastical career...
.
Norham Castle is now in the care of English Heritage
English Heritage
English Heritage . is an executive non-departmental public body of the British Government sponsored by the Department for Culture, Media and Sport...
and is open to visitors.
External links
- Information at English Heritage
- Risk assessment information for teachers : English Heritage
- Castle Explorer: Norham Castle
- Visit Northumberland - official site
- Find public transport to Norham Castle - buses stop close to the castle