TimeRef.com
  • Episodes
    Episode Index
    Key Dates Timelines
    By Category
    This day in history
  • People
    A..Z List of Medieval People
    Kings and Queens of England Kings of Scotland Kings of France Kings of Denmark Emperors of Byzantine Popes and Antipopes Crusader States and their Rulers
    Family Trees
  • Life
    Life in Medieval Times
    Life in a Castle The Feudal System Country Life and Agriculture Life in a Medieval Town Life in a Religious Community
  • Castles
    Castle Index Page Castle Development
    Early Fortifications Motte and Bailey Castles Square Keeps Castles of William the Conqueror Concentric Castles Castles of Edward I
    Castle Siege Tactics Parts of a Castle
    Locations of over 300 Castles UK Castles by County
  • Places
    A..Z list of Medieval Buildings 3D Virtual Reconstructions Maps Photographs
    Abbeys and Monasteries Cathedrals Medieval Architecture
  • 3D/VR
    3D Virtual Reconstructions VR Experiences
    Virtual Motte and Bailey Castle Virtual Norman Keep Virtual Siege Engines
    Bodiam Castle Skenfrith Castle Middleham Castle The White Tower Etal Castle
    Knights Training
  • More
    Test your Knowledge
    Glossary of Terms Scriptorium
    Games Early Access
    Copyright / About TimeRef.com Contact the Author
TimeRef.com
  • Episodes
    Episode Index
    Key Dates Timelines
    By Category
    This day in history
  • People
    A..Z List of Medieval People
    Kings and Queens of England Kings of Scotland Kings of France Kings of Denmark Emperors of Byzantine Popes and Antipopes Crusader States and their Rulers
    Family Trees
  • Life
    Life in Medieval Times
    Life in a Castle The Feudal System Country Life and Agriculture Life in a Medieval Town Life in a Religious Community
  • Castles
    Castle Index Page Castle Development
    Early Fortifications Motte and Bailey Castles Square Keeps Castles of William the Conqueror Concentric Castles Castles of Edward I
    Castle Siege Tactics Parts of a Castle
    Locations of over 300 Castles UK Castles by County
  • Places
    A..Z list of Medieval Buildings 3D Virtual Reconstructions Maps Photographs
    Abbeys and Monasteries Cathedrals Medieval Architecture
  • 3D/VR
    3D Virtual Reconstructions VR Experiences
    Virtual Motte and Bailey Castle Virtual Norman Keep Virtual Siege Engines
    Bodiam Castle Skenfrith Castle Middleham Castle The White Tower Etal Castle
    Knights Training
  • More
    Test your Knowledge
    Glossary of Terms Scriptorium
    Games Early Access
    Copyright / About TimeRef.com Contact the Author
  1. Home
  2. Medieval Places
  3. Warkworth Castle
Castle
Castle
Please note that the TimeRef website is currently being redesigned.

Warkworth Castle

Tweet
 County

Northumberland (15 castles) 

 Categories

Motte & Bailey / Baronial castle

 Remains

Not complete but much survives

 Access

Only open at certain times

 Comments

The keep at Warkworth is worth visiting. Many rooms, passages and staircases to explore. Parking near the castle. A visit to Alnwick Castle is also recommended.

 Location55.34562,-1.612077 (Google Maps) DirectionsDirections via Google Maps
 County

Northumberland (15 castles) 

 Categories

Motte & Bailey / Baronial castle

 Remains

Not complete but much survives

 Access

Only open at certain times

 Comments

The keep at Warkworth is worth visiting. Many rooms, passages and staircases to explore. Parking near the castle. A visit to Alnwick Castle is also recommended.

 Location
55.34562,-1.612077
 Directions
Directions via Google Maps
arkworth Castle is located to the south of the village of Warkworth in Northumberland. During the early medieval period the castle was owned by the Percy family. The Percy family was a powerful land owner who also owned the larger Alnwick Castle a few miles to the north. The third Earl was created the Earl of Northumberland and was a key player in the conflicts against King Henry IV during the revolt of Owain Glyndwr. The village of Warkworth is situated in a bend of the River Coquet and the motte and bailey castle occupys a strong defensive position on high ground. To the west of the castle is a steep drop but to the east the ground slopes more gradually. Positioned where it is the only easy access to the castle is from the south. This approach is defended by a ditch and a curtain wall with a strong gatehouse. The keep of Warkworth castle is situated on the motte on the north side of the bailey.

The southern curtain wall has two towers; the Carrickfergus tower to the west and the Montagu tower to the east. The curtain wall and the main gatehouse were probably built at the turn of the thirteenth century. Access to the gatehouse is across the ditch which originally would have been protected by a drawbridge. The central passage of the gatehouse posed a particular problem for any attacker as it not only has a gate and a portcullis but also has guard rooms on each side with arrow slits. Another gate at the far end of the passage added yet another obstacle to be overcome.

Once through the gatehouse you enter the bailey. The bailey is split into two wards by the foundations of a half-finished church. The outer ward is the larger of the two wards and around its edge are the remains of several buildings that would have stood against the curtain walls. In the south west corner of the outer ward are the remains of a chapel and domestic buildings. The main hall would have stood against the west curtain wall along with the kitchen. The only surviving parts of this range of buildings are a section of the hall and a tower known as the Lion Tower. On the tower is a carving of the Percy family lion which gives the tower its name.

Location

See Also

People

  • John (of Lancaster, Duke of Bedford)
  • James (VI of Scotland, 1567-1625, from 1603 James I of England)
  • Percy, Henry (Earl of Northumberland)
  • Percy, Henry (Harry Hotspur)
  • A .. Z List of Medieval People

Related Information

  • Why build and live in castles
  • Castle development timeline
  • Keep and bailey castles
  • Castles of William the Conqueror
  • Motte and bailey castles
  • Shell-Keeps
  • Square keeps
  • Polygonal Keeps
  • Castles of Edward I
  • Parts of a castle
  • Location of lots of castles
  • Castle construction timeline

Related Maps

  • Map of Castles

Related Episodes

Wars of the Roses Phase Three (click here)

Wars of the Roses Phase Three (click here)

An imaginative plan of the Warkworth Castle and its surrounding area

Click on the image for a larger version

Timeline

1462

...

Prudhoe Castle granted to the Duke fo Clarence

Both Prudhoe Castle and Warkworth Castle were granted by King Edward IV to his brother George Duke of Clarence. ¹

1462

December

Yorkists take back control of Northumbrian castles

The Earl of Warwick was put in charge of capturing the castles from the Lancastrian garrisons. Edward had to stay at Durham to recover from a bout of the measles. The castles were not attacked but cut off from supplies to starve the soldiers out. Just before the new year the Lancastrian soldiers surrendered and the Yorkists took control of Bamburgh and Dunstanburgh Castles. Warwick used the castle at Warkworth as his base while he monitored the sieges at the other castles. The seige of Alnwick Castle continued into January. ¹

1617

...

James I travels to Scotland

On his journey to Scotland King James I visited Warkworth Castle. He found it in a state of disrepair and there were sheep and goats living within the rooms. ¹

1644

...

The Scots invade northern England

A Scottish army Invaded northern England. They captured Warkworth Castle. ¹

1672

...

Warkworth Castle stripped

Anything of value was taken from Warkworth Castle by John Clarke. This included building materials that Clarke used to construct his own manor, Clarke was the estate's auditor and was given the materials by the late Earl's widow. ¹

3D Virtual Reconstructions

Transport yourself back up to a thousand years and explore historical buildings as they may have appeared in the past. Built using the popular game development tool Unity 3D, these reconstructions will run in the most of the popular web browsers on your desktop or laptop computer.

Medieval people

Uncover the lives of the hundreds of kings, queens, lords, ladies, barons, earls, archbishops and rebels who made the medieval people an exciting period of history to live through.

Selection of references used:

  • 1. C H Hunter Blair and H L Honeyman, Warkworth Castle Official Guide Book, 1963
  • 2. Anthony Goodman, The Wars of the Roses, ISBN:0-88029-484-1

    Location

    See Also

    People

    • John (of Lancaster, Duke of Bedford)
    • James (VI of Scotland, 1567-1625, from 1603 James I of England)
    • Percy, Henry (Earl of Northumberland)
    • Percy, Henry (Harry Hotspur)
    • A .. Z List of Medieval People

    Related Information

    • Why build and live in castles
    • Castle development timeline
    • Keep and bailey castles
    • Castles of William the Conqueror
    • Motte and bailey castles
    • Shell-Keeps
    • Square keeps
    • Polygonal Keeps
    • Castles of Edward I
    • Parts of a castle
    • Location of lots of castles
    • Castle construction timeline

    Related Maps

    • Map of Castles
    3D/VR

    Virtual Buildings

    Transport yourself back up to a thousand years and explore historical buildings as they may have appeared in the past.

    ^ Back to top

            x-small

            small

            medium

            large

            x-large

            x-x-large

            This popup will contain more information
            This popup will contain more information
            xyz
            xyz