Tynemouth Priory and Castle facts for kids
Tynemouth Priory and Castle is a super old and important place right on a rocky point at the mouth of the River Tyne in Tynemouth. It was once a medieval Benedictine priory, which is like a monastery where monks live and pray. This priory was protected by strong walls, tall towers, and a big gatehouse. The local area, North Tyneside, even has three crowns on its coat of arms. These crowns remember the three kings who were buried at the priory long ago.
The remains of Tynemouth Priory
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 Location in Tyne and Wear
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| Monastery information | |
|---|---|
| Order | Order of Saint Benedict |
| Mother house | St Albans Abbey |
| Dedicated to | St Oswine and the Virgin Mary |
| Architecture | |
| Status | Priory |
| Functional Status | Ruined |
| Heritage designation | Scheduled monument |
| Site | |
| Location | Tynemouth, Tyne and Wear, England |
| Coordinates | 55°01′03″N 1°25′08″W / 55.0175°N 1.4189°W |
| Public access | Yes |
Contents
Tynemouth Priory: A Look Back in Time
How the Priory Began
People have lived on this headland for a very long time. We know this from traces of old round wooden houses. Some were built by the Votadini tribe before the Romans arrived in AD 43. Others were from the Roman period in the 2nd century.
The monastery probably started with one of the Anglian kings of Northumbria. Stories say it was founded in the mid-600s. This happened when King St Oswine was buried there by his killer, King Oswiu. Oswiu started the monastery to make up for his actions.
A famous writer named Bede mentioned an abbey here. By 792, it was important enough to be the burial place of King Osred II. This made him the second king buried at Tynemouth.
Viking Raids and Rebuilding
During the 800s, the monastery was often attacked by Vikings. It was finally destroyed in 875. No buildings from this time remain today. But, we have found pieces of Anglo-Saxon crosses and signs of five rectangular wooden buildings.
Around the mid-1000s, a church dedicated to St Mary stood here. It was later destroyed by William the Conqueror.
In 1065, a body believed to be St Oswine's was found. Then, in 1083, a monk named Turchil restarted the monastery. However, in 1090, Robert de Mowbray gave his lands around Tynemouth to St Albans Abbey. This started a long argument between the monks of Durham and St Albans.
Soon after, building began on a new church. It was dedicated to St Oswine and the Virgin Mary. St Oswine's shrine became a popular place for pilgrims to visit.
Kings Buried Here
In 1093, Malcolm III, the King of Scotland, died in battle. He became the third king buried at Tynemouth. Later, his son, Alexander I, moved his father's body to Dunfermline Abbey.
On August 20, 1110, St Oswine's shrine was moved to the new church at Tynemouth. This showed that the east end of the church was finished. Work on the main part of the church continued. In 1150, a fire destroyed some of the monastery buildings.
A Time of Great Wealth
The argument between the monks of Durham and St Albans finally ended in 1174. Tynemouth Priory remained connected to St Albans Abbey. Around this time, the priory gained many rights, special benefits, and large areas of land. King Richard I confirmed these in 1189.
The huge monastic estate became known as the "Liberty of Tynemouth." The prior and monks made a lot of money from rents, farm products, and coal. This new wealth led to a period of major building and repairs from 1190 to 1260. The choir and presbytery (parts of the church) were completely rebuilt. St Oswine's shrine was covered in gold by a goldsmith. The main part of the church was made longer, and the chapter house was updated.
Challenges and Royal Visits
In the early 1200s, the prior developed North Shields as the priory's port. This caused problems with the people of Newcastle. They used to control all the coal, wool, and fish trade on the river. In 1270, the mayor of Newcastle led armed men and burned the new fishing village.
The priory wanted to be independent from St Albans. So, the abbot and the Newcastle mayor convinced King Edward I to stop Tynemouth's trade in 1290. However, Edward I and Margaret of France often visited the priory. They had a private prayer room built there. Because of the monks' kindness, the priory's trade rights were given back.
Adam FitzRoy, an illegitimate son of King Edward II, died on September 18, 1322. He was buried at Tynemouth on September 30, 1322.
Life at the Priory
From the 1200s onwards, St Albans often sent monks who caused trouble to Tynemouth as punishment. One monk wrote a letter in the mid-1300s describing the priory. He said:
- The priory was on a high rock, surrounded by the sea on almost all sides.
- The entrance was a narrow gate cut from the rock.
- The waves crashed loudly, and thick sea fog was common.
- Shipwrecks happened often.
- There were no songbirds, only grey birds that ate drowned sailors.
- The sea air damaged fruit trees, so good apples were rare.
- Despite these challenges, the church was "wondrously beautiful."
- It held the silver shrine of St Oswine, decorated with gold and jewels.
- The monks had plenty of fish to eat.
The church with the shrine was the Lady chapel, built before 1336. The Percy chapel was added in the mid-1400s.
The Priory's End
In the early 1500s, Tynemouth finally became independent from St Albans. But soon after, in January 1539, King Henry VIII closed the priory during the Dissolution of the Monasteries. He took all its lands and destroyed St Oswine's shrine, bringing the priory to an end.
Tynemouth Castle: A Stronghold on the Coast
| Tynemouth Castle | |
|---|---|
The remains of Tynemouth Castle
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| Type | Gatehouse |
| Site information | |
| Owner | English Heritage |
| Open to the public |
Yes |
| Condition | Ruined |
| Site history | |
| Built | 13th-14th century |
| Materials | Sandstone |
| Events | First War of Scottish Independence, English Civil War |
In 1095, Robert de Mowbray rebelled against King William II. When the king attacked his castle, Robert and 30 followers hid in Tynemouth. They held out for six days before being caught. This suggests the monastery already had some defenses, maybe even a small castle.
Building the Castle Walls
When King Edward I invaded Scotland in 1296, the prior was given permission to build strong walls around the monastery. These walls were built on top of an earth mound. This mound might have been part of older defenses from Norman times or even the Iron Age.
The stone walls once surrounded the entire monastery. They had towers like Whitley Tower and East Mount Tower. These walls were an extension of defenses that had been there since the time of King Henry II.
Royal Refuge and Battles
In 1312, King Edward II hid in Tynemouth Castle with his friend Piers Gaveston. They later fled by sea to another castle.
After his victory in the Battle of Bannockburn in 1314, Robert the Bruce attacked Tynemouth. But the castle was successfully defended by 80 soldiers. In 1318, the king appointed someone to look after the castle's defenses.
In 1390, King Richard II, John of Gaunt, and Henry Percy all gave money for Tynemouth's defenses. Soon, a large gatehouse was started in the middle of the earth mound. It was finished by the early 1400s.
Later Use and Changes
The castle remained under royal control after the priory closed because it was so important for defense. New cannon defenses were built from 1545 onwards. Experts like Sir Richard Lee and Italian engineers helped with this. The old medieval walls were updated with new openings for guns.
Henry Percy, 9th Earl of Northumberland was born at the castle in 1564. His father, the 8th Earl, was in charge of the castle at the time.
In 1594, two people who had stolen jewels from the Queen were captured and held at Tynemouth Castle for five weeks. They were later sent back to Scotland for trial.
In 1606, William Selby became the keeper of Tynemouth Castle. He noted that the living quarters were not good and the guns were not ready. His job also included keeping a light burning for ships.
Tynemouth's Story Continues
The Lighthouse on the Headland
For a long time, a fire was kept burning on top of one of the priory church towers. This was a navigation light to help ships. We don't know when it started, but in 1582, it was mentioned as a "continual light" for ships. The Governor of Tynemouth Castle was in charge of keeping the light going. They also collected fees from passing ships.
In 1559, the stairs to the turret collapsed, so the fire couldn't be lit. In 1665, a new lighthouse was built on the headland using stone from the priory. It was rebuilt in 1775. At first, it burned coal, but in 1802, it switched to an oil lamp.
In 1841, the lighthouse was sold to Trinity House, London, which manages lighthouses. In 1871, when a new lighthouse opened at Souter Point, the Tynemouth light changed to a revolving red light. It stayed in use until 1898. Then, St. Mary's Lighthouse was built further north, and the Tynemouth Castle Lighthouse was taken down.
Coastal Defense and Coastguard
By the late 1800s, the castle was used as a barracks for soldiers. Several new buildings were added.
In 1930, the Office of Works took over the castle after a fire. Many of the newer military buildings were removed. The castle was very important during World War II. It was used to defend the mouth of the River Tyne. It also suffered heavy air raids in 1941. Military structures remained until 1956 when the army left.
Today, you can visit the restored parts of the coastal defense areas. These include a guardroom and the main armory. Here, you can see how weapons were stored and protected.
More recently, the site had modern buildings for Her Majesty's Coastguard. A new coastguard station opened in 1980, but it closed in 2001.
Tynemouth Today
The gatehouse is the only medieval defense building that is still complete. The remaining parts of the priory, like the east end wall and its tall, narrow windows, are great examples of early Gothic architecture. The later Percy chapel is still fully intact.
Much of the original walls, which were about 3200 feet (975 meters) long, still remain. The headland was once completely surrounded by a curtain wall and towers. However, the north and east walls fell into the sea, and most of the south wall was taken down. The west wall and a part of the south wall are still in good condition. Of the modern military buildings, only the Warrant Officer's house and gun emplacements are left.
Tynemouth Castle and Priory is now looked after by English Heritage. You need to pay a fee to enter and explore this amazing historic site.
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