WARKWORTH CASTLE

Northumbria

Warkworth is another of Northumbria's many spectacular and huge medieval Castles.  It stands on a bend in the Coquet River and is famed for the many masons' marks on its stonework.

The Castle's original building date is a little unclear.  A basic Castle may have existed here at the time Northumbria was ceded to King David of Scotland, certainly a stone Castle was constructed between that date (1139) and the time Northumbria was taken back by Henry II (1157).  Whatever the case this original Castle was of little consequence.  During the attack of William the Lion (1174) the Castle's owner, Roger FitzRichard, abandoned Warkworth in favour of Newcastle-upon-Tyne and William didn't even bother to stop here on his march southward.

The Castle was subsequently greatly strengthened and in 1311 the King signed the Castle over to the Percy family of Alnwick.  Warkworth was besieged twice by the Scots, but little damage appears to have been done.  A great rebuild was undertaken late in the 14th century, probably by Henry Percy, who became the Earl of Northumberland in 1377.  Henry and his son, Hotspur, rebelled against the King and were defeated at the Battle of Shrewsbury in 1403 when Hotspur was killed. The Castle suffered its third siege at Royal hands during the subsequent fracas with the Percy's loyal Constable.

In 1416 the Percys regained Warkworth Castle (and their Earldom).  The fifteenth Earl passed the Castle to the King in 1537 and it remained Royal for twenty years before it was restored to Thomas Percy, the sixteenth Earl.  Thomas rebelled against the King and was executed in 1569 - but just five years later the Percys were back at Warkworth.  By this time Warkworth Castle was becoming a ruin and the Percys turned their attentions more firmly on Alnwick, allowing Warkworth to slowly fall into ruination.

Today this stunningly preserved and aesthetically beautiful (not to mention unique) Castle is owned by English Heritage.

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2001