Prudhoe Castle
Begun between 1100 and 1120 to defend a strategic crossing of the River Tyne against Scottish invaders, Prudhoe Castle has been continuously occupied for over nine centuries.
After two sieges during the 1170s – the Scots attackers reportedly declaring ‘as long as Prudhoe stands, we shall never have peace’ – the mighty stone keep and a great hall were added, followed in about 1300 by two strong towers. Passing from its original Umfraville owners to the powerful Percies in 1398, it was again updated with a fashionable new great hall.
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Aerial view looking east (c) Skyscan Balloon Photography (c) Skyscan Balloon Photography |
