Bamburgh Castle, Grade I listed castle in Bamburgh, England
Bamburgh Castle is a medieval fortress in Bamburgh, England, sitting on a basalt crag above the shore. Thick stone walls from Norman times encircle several courtyards and towers that spread across the full length of the rock.
A Celtic fort named Din Guarie occupied this rock from the year 420 until Vikings destroyed it in 993. Normans then raised the stone fortress that stands today, which later generations rebuilt during medieval sieges and Victorian restoration.
Inside, the Armstrong family collection displays weapons and industrial artifacts that show how local craftsmen worked during wartime. Visitors walk through rooms where military engineering meets domestic life, seeing how one family shaped this coastal stronghold.
Daily tours let you walk through state rooms, dungeons, and battlements, though some areas involve stairs and uneven stone paths. Wheelchair access reaches only the ground floor and courtyard, while upper levels remain difficult to navigate.
Archaeologists digging here since the 1960s unearthed the Bamburgh Beast and the Bamburgh Sword, two finds that prove metalworking happened on this rock. These objects show that craftsmen forged weapons and tools right here, rather than importing them from elsewhere.
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