Bamburgh Castle's location, standing proud on a rocky volcanic crag on the rugged Northumberland coast, makes it one of the most spectacular of all the English castles.

It is built high on a cliff, 150 feet above the North Sea. Its landward sides are protected by a forbidding display of strong walls.

There have been fortifications on the site for thousands of years. There was an Iron Age fort here, and the Romans, Anglo-Saxons and Vikings all left their marks. The fortress was once called Din Guayroi and later Bebbanburh.

A visit to Bamburgh Castle for anyone interested in castles and beautiful scenery and history is an absolute must. With its fabulous beach and rolling sand dunes, with views out toward Lindisfarne and Holy Island, this ancient site has everything you could want. The castle itself is intact with plenty to explore inside and outside, from deep dungeons to stunning hall full of historic paintings, armour and weapons. Look at for the fabulous painting of King Charles I.

~ History ~

651 - Penda, pagan king of Mercia attacks King Oswald's seat at Bamburgh. Only a change in wind direction prevents the palisades from being destroyed by fire.

700's -  Bamburgh is besieged by the boy king Osred.

Osred I(c.697– 716) wasking of Northumbriafrom 705 until his death. He was the son of KingAldfrith of Northumbria. Aldfrith's only known wife wasCuthburh, but it is not known for certain whether Osred was her son. Osred did not directly succeed his father asEadwulf Iseized the throne, but held it for only a few months.

At the time that the usurper Eadwulf was overthrown, Osred was only a child, and the government was controlled by the powerful BishopWilfrid, presumably assisted byealdormensuch asBerhtfrithson of Berhtred. Osred was adopted as Wilfrid's son at this time. Wilfrid's death in 709 appears to have caused no instability at the time, which, together with the rapid rise and more rapid fall of Eadwulf, speaks to a degree of stability and continuity in early 8th century Northumbria which would not long outlast Osred's reign.

In 711 ealdorman Berhtfrith inflicted a crushing defeat on thePicts, in the area around the upperForth, but the reign of Osred is otherwise unremarkable politically. Domestically, a variety ofecclesiasticalsources portray Osred as a dissolute anddebauchedyoung man, and a seducer of nuns. WhileBedepositively referred to Osred as a newJosiah, Aethelwulf's early ninth-century poemDe Abbatibusdescribes Osred as energetic in deeds and words, mighty in arms and bold in his own strength. Æthelwulf also refers to Osred as rash, foolish, and unable to control his desires (ll. 35–51) and also as a tyrant who forced many political enemies into monastic communities (ll. 49-51 and 65).

Osred reached his majority in 715 or 716, and within a very short period he was killed. The manner of his death is unclear. TheAnglo-Saxon Chroniclestates that he was killed "south of the border". David Rollason and N.J. Higham presume that the border in question is the southern Pictish border, and that thePictsslew Osred.

876 ~ The King of Scotland Constantine is killed at the hands of Danish Vikings. A portion of this 'Great Army' return to Northumbria and expel the English from York, who are forced to flee and and establish a new seat of power of what is left of their kingdom at the old royal fortress of Bamburgh.

1006 ~ King Malcom II of Scotland invades Northumbria and besieges the newly founded city of Durham, taking advantage of the marouding Danes of Northumbria being away raiding in southern England. The English King Ethelred is unable to send help to the Northumbrian's. The Ealdorman Waltheof is too old to fight and remains in his castle at Bamburgh. His neighbouring Ealdorman Ælfhelmof York, already severely weakened by constant attacks by the Danes, refuses to help. Uhtred of Bamburgh, acting for his father, pulls an army together from across Bernicia and Yorkshire and leads them to fight the Scots, winning a decisive victory. Local women was the severed heads of the Scots, receiving payment of a cow each, and the heads of the vanquished fixed on stakes to Durham's walls.

King Ethelred rewards Uhtred with the ealdormanry of Bamburgh even though his father is still alive. He also has Ælfhelm murdered to allow Uhtred to succeed Ælfhelm as ealdorman of York, thus uniting northern and southern Northumbria under the house of Bamburgh. 

After receiving these honours Uhtred dismissed his wife, Ecgfrida, and marries Sige, daughter of Styr who is a rich citizen of York. In doing so Uhtred is trying to make political allies amongst the Danes in Deira. With Sige, Uhtred has two children, Eadulf, later Eadulf III, and Gospatric.

1013 ~ KingSweyn Forkbeard of Denmark invades England, sailing up the Humber and Trent  to the town of Gainsborough. Uhtred submits to him there, as do all of the Danes in the north. With the onset of winter King Ethelred of England is forced into exile in Normandy. After London finally submits to him, Sweyn is accepted as King of England by Christmas. However, he reigns for only five weeks, dying near Gainsborough the following February. Following Sweyn's death, Ethelred is able to return from exile and resume his reign as King of England. Uhtred, along with many others, transfers his allegiance back to Ethelred upon his return as King. Uhtred later marries Ethelred’s daughter Ælfgifu.

1016 Uhtred campaigns with King Ethelred's son Edmund Ironside in Cheshireand the surrounding shires. While Uhtred is away from Bamburgh and Northumbria his, Sweyn's son Cnut, invades Yorkshire. Cnut's forces are too strong for Uhtred to fight, and so Uhtred does homage to him as King of England.

Uhtred is summoned to a peace meeting with Cnut, and on the way there, he and forty of his men are murdered by Thurbrand the Hold at Wighill with the connivance of Cnut. Uhtred was succeeded in Bernicia by his brotherEadwulf Cudel.

1069 - Gospatrick, Anglo-Saxon Earl of Northumberland submits to the Norman King William I. After his submission King William gives him the earldom of Walcher, Bishop of Durham.

1086 - Bamburgh is given to Robert de Mowbray.

1095 - De Mowbray rebels after being summoned by King William II on a charge of plundering four Norwegian ships. The King besieges the castle but it is only surrendered after King William threatens to gouge out Mowbray's eyes in front of the defenders after capturing him in a vain attempt to escape to Newcastle. He is then imprisoned for thirty years in Windsor Castle.

1100's - Henry I gives Bamburgh castle to Eustace Fitz-John. A record 35 shillings is paid by the baron to the master-mason to re-fortify in stone.

King Stephen confiscates the castle and hands it to Henry, Earl of Huntingdon, who begins the building of the keep.

1160's - King Henry II completes the keep and retains it as a royal fortress.

1201 - King John visits the castle. Twenty years later his son the young King Henry III also pays a visit to Bamburgh.

1261 - King Edward I summons John Balliol, King of Scots, to meet him at Bamburgh.

1307 - King Edward II grants Bamburgh to Isabel de Vesci, a descendant of Eustace Fitz-John.

1312 - A survey shows the castle to be in decay. Despite this a constable names Roger de Horsley is installed to terrorise the surrounding area.

1328 - Bamburgh withstands a three month siege by the Scots.

1330 - A second survey records the keep, towers and apartments as all roofless.

1333 - King Edward III leaves his Queen Philippa at the repaired castle for the summer whilst he besieges Berwick. A Scottish force under Archibald Douglas makes an unsuccessful diversionary attack on Bamburgh castle.

1346 - After his defeat at Neville's Cross the Scottish King David II is brought to Bamburgh, two barber-surgeons are sent from York to cure him of an arrow wound. The following year King David is moved to London.

1372 - An enquiry finds the constable, Richard de Pembridge, has allowed the well to be polluted with offal from slaughtered cattle and many furnishings had been stolen by the steward.

1380's - King Richard II orders the castle to be repaired.

1461 - Although Bamburgh is surrendered to King Edward IV after the battle of Towton, a Lancastrian force manages to gain possession. King Henry VI's spouse Margaret of Anjou arrives at the castle but makes her escape with the aid of a French fleet after the Earl of Warwick arrives to besiege the castle. The garrison are soon reduced to eating their horses and, after a fortnight's siege, surrender on Christmas Eve on terms allowing the noble's to retain their lands. Sir Ralph Percy is allowed to remain in command of the castle but then allows King Henry VI and Margaret of Anjou to return. Warwick returns but is not strong enough to make the castle submit, leaving the deposed Lancastrian king to rule the surrounding area for a further nine months.

1446 - Warwick defeats the Lancastrians at Hexham, and, after King Henry escapes, Bamburgh is besieged. King Edward IV is keen for the castle to be taken undamaged but Sir Ralph Grey refuses to surrender, having been told he would be executed whether he submits or not. King Edward's large cannons pound the walls until Grey is injured by the collapse of a tower, and the castle finally taken. Grey is taken to King Edward IV and is executed.

1538 - The ruinous castle is considered having "neither lodging for man or horse". For the next two hundred years various owners allow further decay.