The Castle, Newcastle facts for kids
Quick facts for kids The Castle, Newcastle |
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|---|---|
| Newcastle upon Tyne | |
Newcastle Castle Keep, with a
railway viaduct behind at left |
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 The Castle, Newcastle
Shown within Tyne and Wear
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| Coordinates | 54°58′08″N 1°36′38″W / 54.9688°N 1.6105°W |
| Type | Norman |
| Site history | |
| Built | 1177 |
| Built by | Henry II |
The Castle, Newcastle, also known as Newcastle Castle, is a historic castle in Newcastle upon Tyne, England. It was built on the site of an older fort that gave the city its name. The most important parts you can still see today are the Castle Keep (the main stone tower) and the Black Gate (a strong gatehouse).
This spot has been used for defense since Roman times. Back then, it had a fort called Pons Aelius, which protected a bridge over the River Tyne. Later, in 1080, Robert Curthose, son of William the Conqueror, built a wooden castle here. This was a "motte and bailey" castle, meaning a wooden tower on a hill with a fence around it.
Henry II replaced the wooden castle with the stone Castle Keep between 1172 and 1177. Later, Henry III added the Black Gate between 1247 and 1250. Today, you can't see any parts of the Roman fort or the first wooden castle. The Keep is a very important historic building, protected by law.
The castle buildings are older than the Newcastle town wall, which started being built around 1265. The castle is in the middle of Newcastle, near Newcastle station. A railway bridge, built in the 1800s, now runs between the Keep and the Black Gate. The Keep and Black Gate are now a single visitor attraction called "Newcastle Castle."
Contents
The Castle's Early History
Roman Fort and Bridge
Around the mid-2nd century, the Romans built the first bridge over the River Tyne where Newcastle is now. They called this bridge Pons Aelius, named after Emperor Hadrian. To protect the bridge, the Romans built a fort on a rocky hill overlooking the river. Hadrian's Wall, a famous Roman wall, ran just north of this fort.
Anglo-Saxon Times
Later, during the Anglo-Saxon period, the area became known as Monkchester. This name suggests there might have been a monastery nearby, but its exact location is unknown. A cemetery was also set up on the old Roman fort site in the late 600s.
The First Norman Castle
In 1080, William I, the Norman king, sent his son, Robert Curthose, north to fight the Scots. After his journey, Robert came to Monkchester and started building a "New Castle." This was a "motte-and-bailey" castle. It had a wooden tower on a raised earth mound (the motte) and was surrounded by a ditch and a wooden fence (the bailey).
In 1095, Robert de Mowbray, a powerful lord, rebelled against King William Rufus. The king sent his army to stop the revolt and take the castle. After this, the castle belonged to the king. It became a key place for the king to control the northern parts of England.
Building the New Stone Castle
Today, there are no signs left of the first wooden motte-and-bailey castle. Henry II decided to replace it with a strong, rectangular stone tower, known as a keep. Building started in 1172 and finished in 1177, costing £1,144. A stone triangular courtyard (bailey) also replaced the old wooden one. The main builder, Maurice, also worked on Dover Castle.
The large outer gatehouse, called 'the Black Gate', was built later, between 1247 and 1250, during the time of Henry III.
Later, in the late 1200s, stone walls were built around the town of Newcastle to protect it. Because the town walls made the area safer, the castle was not looked after as well. By 1589, during the reign of Queen Elizabeth I, the castle was described as being in ruins. From the early 1600s, shops and houses were built on much of the castle site, making its condition worse.
The English Civil War
In 1643, during the English Civil War, the mayor of Newcastle, Sir John Marley, who supported the King, repaired the castle's keep. He likely made the whole castle stronger again. In 1644, the Scottish army, supporting the Parliamentarians, surrounded Newcastle. They attacked the city for three months. The town walls were badly damaged. The last soldiers to give up, on October 19, 1644, were inside the Castle Keep.
From the 1500s to the 1700s, the keep was used as a prison. By 1800, many houses stood within the castle's old boundaries.
Changes in the 1800s
In 1809, the Newcastle Corporation (the local government) bought the keep. They added a new roof and battlements (the top parts of the walls). The private houses inside the castle area were also pulled down. The keep was repaired several times between 1810 and 1848.
In the mid-1800s, the railway came to Newcastle. A large railway bridge was built north of the keep, crossing the castle site. Because of this, only the Keep and the Black Gate remain today.
The 1900s and Beyond
The keep was repaired again between the 1960s and 1980s. During this time, crumbling stone on the outside was replaced, and the inside was cleaned.
Exploring the Black Gate
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The "Black Gate" was added to Newcastle Castle between 1247 and 1250. It was an extra strong entrance (a barbican) in front of the castle's earlier north gate. It had two towers with a passage running between them. On each side of the passage was a guardroom with a curved ceiling. There were drawbridges at the front and back, and a portcullis (a heavy gate that could be lowered) to block the entrance.
The original Black Gate probably had a flat roof. But in 1618, King James I rented the gatehouse to Alexander Stephenson. Stephenson changed the gatehouse a lot, rebuilding the upper floors. He then rented it out to different people. One of them was a merchant named Patrick Black, who gave the Black Gate its name.
Over time, houses were built along both sides of the passageway, and part of the building became a pub. By the early 1800s, the Black Gate had become a crowded tenement building, with up to sixty people living there.
The Society of Antiquaries of Newcastle upon Tyne rented the Black Gate in the 1880s. They restored it a lot between 1883 and 1885, adding the top floor and the sloped roof. The Society used it as a museum and held meetings there for many years. The drawbridges at the front and back of the Black Gate have been replaced with wooden footbridges.
The Castle Today
The Keep is a very important historic building, protected by law. It's roughly square, measuring about 19 meters by 17 meters and 25 meters tall. The entrance leads up stairs to the second floor and into the Great Hall, the biggest room, which is about 9 meters by 7 meters. The Black Gate used to have a drawbridge over a moat, but now there's a wooden bridge. You can still see the slots where the original portcullis used to fit.
Today, the Castle Keep is owned by Newcastle City Council and managed by a group called the Heart of the City Partnership. You can visit the Castle Keep today. It's also interesting because the main East Coast railway line runs right through the middle of its grounds. From the top of the castle, you get great views of the River Tyne quayside, the cathedral, and Newcastle station. Some people believe the castle is haunted, and it has been explored by paranormal investigators. It even appeared on the TV show Most Haunted.
The Castle Keep and the Black Gate were recently updated by the Heart of the City partnership. They reopened on March 21, 2015, as "Newcastle Castle." Now, it's easier to get into the Black Gate with an outside lift. There's also an education center, a gift shop, and a museum room in the Black Gate. Inside the Keep, there are new audio and video displays that tell the story of the castle and the people who lived there over hundreds of years.
See also
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