Yup, most of what you see on the exterior was built post 1800 At the end of the 19th century, William 1st Lord Armstrong purchased the castle and rebuilt the living quarters of the castle on a lavish scale
They filmed Harry Potter scenes here - from the first film when they get their brooms. Well worth a visit, the beach is incredible too. You can do this and lindesfarne in a day (roses allowing).
Without modern equipment or tools it took 6 years to build this beauty. In today's world we would be lucky if it was built in 10 years. Oops, sorry, with all the government red tape make that 20 years.
they started building it in the 1200s and it's final form was only realised in 1900 after a major restoration project that "drastically changed the castle's appearance, adding Victorian elements while preserving its medieval structure."
Not to be that girl but it's not entirely 1000 years old, just wanna point that out. The extended curtain wall and internal accommodation adjacent to the main keep were added later.
Its quite beautiful though, I mean we have many great castles in Britain but I'd have to say it's one of the most impressive.
Although there are more elaborate ones elsewhere I think the imposing nature of its topographical location is what makes it one of the best.
I'm someone who delights in building fortifications on strategy games and in siegecraft to take them; Bamburgh just looks like it would be a joy to defend and a complete ball ache to take.
Oh yeah, there's some gorgeous castles out there. If you want a real goldmine of preserved and underappreciated castles, there's a ton of 13th century ones spread throughout Greece and the Aegean in phenomenal condition.
And most of it wasn't built a thousand years ago. Castles are very rarely 'built on X date'. They are added to over centuries as money allowed and defensive requirements dictated.
Yeah, if remember right, only one of the small sections/building is original and near a thousand. Rest was built over time and a lot.of it within the last few hindered years.
Mystery solved.... The first I heard of 'fried' Snickers was while in Nepal late '90's early 2000's, and wondered who came up with such an abomination. Did I miss something good or are they as bad as they sound ?
Thieves and pillagers aren't as bold and organized because of laws. Cities are protected by civility. In Brazil, rare are houses without tall walls (3m+), and barbed wires or electrocuted fences. In western northern hemisphere you guys can live with doors directly to the street, huge windows without bars, uncanny.
Archaic techniques that we have to research by doing, which takes years or decades of on-site work. Also a fundamental loss of trade knowledge that goes into the hundreds of jobs around and in a medieval construction project like this. For comparison, it took us a little while to figure out the various forms of wattle and daub mixtures after quite a while not using them. Lime wash too. Chemical and professional analysis takes a lot of work.
If you want to know more there's currently an archaeological project that's constructing a historically accurate castle, methods included, from scratch. The researchers and professionals live in an accurate, self-constructed settlement by it. They do their own tool making and source materials in a way that's accurate to how they would have been sourced, at least in the form they receive them. It's miserable!
It's the site of Bebbanburg in Last Kingdom. The beach it sits on is incredibl;e (but because it's north of Newcastle, it's fucking cold most of the time). You can see Lindisfarne (holy island) from the castle too. Even if you aren't a Last Kingdom fan, it's worth a visit!
I mean - it’s the site of the real Bebbanburg, most of the show was filmed elsewhere, and the cliff they climb to access the palisade of the old wooden castle is nowhere near as high and rises from the beach, not the sea. But yeah, it’s an amazing place.
If you like the source material, take a look at the Sharpe books as well. They are great too and several of them were made into TV movies with Sean Bean playing the titular character - one of the few instances where he does not get to die.
Sean Bean who played Sharpe, also played Boromir in LOTR. When he cut himself on the shards of Nardil in Rivendell, he said, “still Sharpe.” Not many people got that reference.
willpostanything
Poop chute!
Kalavier
IIRC, inspiration for Stormveil castle in elden ring
euphoricopportunity
I bet you could store a lot of cheese in there. Don't tell anyone you're bringing it.
RenaissanceFaireMan
Doesn't look a day over 800.
film888master9
I stormed that castle in AC Valhalla!
Lassannn
You ain't storming that with anything less than carpet bombing.
bstaples25
It was one of the first castles to be destroyed by cannon fire during the war of the roses, so not far off carpet bombing
Defcon2
Imagine building without arms. Wow!
PrincessWolf
Lot of plates in there last time I went. Too many plates.
JarJarDrinks
Never mind all the manor houses with cute turrets, this is a legitimate castle.
accountingservice
https://photography-travel-tours.com/bamburgh-castle/
Zapathasura
Hangonthere
I'm a drone pilot. I see this video and think: "People like drone videos but they hate drones." And sometime they're right, often not.
dashers
Drove past that a lot... in Forza Horizon 4...
GTimgur
I knew I recognised it!
Quizz25S
Pretty sure that's Trovski castle in Kingdom Come Deliverance 2
QuartzPoker
Remember: The visible parts are much younger, and the really old parts from the original castle are in the basement
shoquastican
Yup, most of what you see on the exterior was built post 1800 At the end of the 19th century, William 1st Lord Armstrong purchased the castle and rebuilt the living quarters of the castle on a lavish scale
pazuzu
Uhtred approves
HellCartoonDog
Imagine the intelligence, the vision, the money, the human power to pull this off?
paininallthediodesdownmyleftside
They filmed Harry Potter scenes here - from the first film when they get their brooms. Well worth a visit, the beach is incredible too. You can do this and lindesfarne in a day (roses allowing).
paininallthediodesdownmyleftside
*tides allowing
TheGralf
That was Alnwick Castle. About 17 miles in land.
DaffydeDick
Without modern equipment or tools it took 6 years to build this beauty. In today's world we would be lucky if it was built in 10 years. Oops, sorry, with all the government red tape make that 20 years.
KipperFillets
Having an absolute ruler does help shift things along I suppose. Probably why China builds things quick (albeit crappy quality).
DaffydeDick
Your logic supports fascism/authoritarian/dictatorship.
SigynRose
I am painstakingly recreating this castle at 3/4 scale in Minecraft atm. I got my autism diagnosis 4 years ago.
Twinklepot
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bamburgh_Castle some more info. Awesome place!
somethingnotyettaken
1000 year olds? Ah, one of the newer castles.
AmazingKS
I couldn’t imagine the cost to build something like that now days. Wow! Magnificent
RobErtE87
It's easy if you exploit your workers. The saudis are doing it all the time when building a new desert tower.
KipperFillets
They brought in workers from all over Europe. Some were paid quite well, such as masons. Often the skilled workers bought in locals on the low pay.
TheJackKetch
they started building it in the 1200s and it's final form was only realised in 1900 after a major restoration project that "drastically changed the castle's appearance, adding Victorian elements while preserving its medieval structure."
PrincessNausicaa
I have walked round Bamburgh castle and I don't remember it being that big.
XRay0976
That's what she said
YouMayFindThisMildlyInteresting
There's a couple of car parks and a tennis court here for scale
HairyBrit
Tennis courts? That's the tennis courts, a bowling green and the cricket ground as well.
rycochet
I walked around it last year - with a walking stick - and it's definitely that big 😅
ImTheMemeofTheCrop
I was thinking exactly the same!!!
PrincessNausicaa
Yeah, it seems like it would be an epic hike to walk around it from these shots but in real life it's about 10 minutes to walk around!
FrancsTireur
Not to be that girl but it's not entirely 1000 years old, just wanna point that out. The extended curtain wall and internal accommodation adjacent to the main keep were added later.
flavivsaetivs
Was about to mention this. 12th, 13th, 14th-15th, and 16th century additions are all clear.
FrancsTireur
Its quite beautiful though, I mean we have many great castles in Britain but I'd have to say it's one of the most impressive.
Although there are more elaborate ones elsewhere I think the imposing nature of its topographical location is what makes it one of the best.
I'm someone who delights in building fortifications on strategy games and in siegecraft to take them; Bamburgh just looks like it would be a joy to defend and a complete ball ache to take.
flavivsaetivs
Oh yeah, there's some gorgeous castles out there. If you want a real goldmine of preserved and underappreciated castles, there's a ton of 13th century ones spread throughout Greece and the Aegean in phenomenal condition.
userfriendly19777
This is a big ass castle!
shorey66
We've got em all over the shop here. Can't go more than 20 minutes from my door without tripping over a blummin castle
Banana369
And most of it wasn't built a thousand years ago. Castles are very rarely 'built on X date'. They are added to over centuries as money allowed and defensive requirements dictated.
ImAGrower
Yeah, if remember right, only one of the small sections/building is original and near a thousand. Rest was built over time and a lot.of it within the last few hindered years.
labyrinthconvention
Actually it's pronounced arse, dontchaknow
loma45
This is a big ass carsetle!
DefinitelyaHumanNotanAlien
Tharse irse a barse arse carstle
ThePastorWhoSaysFuck
https://media4.giphy.com/media/v1.Y2lkPWE1NzM3M2U1Nml4OG93ZjdqNjJjYTNqb2xiMXA2MzdoY2V1bTVqeGhva2JmeDR4MCZlcD12MV9naWZzX3NlYXJjaCZjdD1n/mlAxj3CEwGBjBpLVsj/200w.webp
KipperFillets
It's a shame various monarchs chose to destroy many castles here. We're lucky some are still standing. Even Edinburgh castle took a battering.
VerySmallDuck
Well the Scottish do batter everything. Even Snickers bars.
Dinwiddie
Mystery solved.... The first I heard of 'fried' Snickers was while in Nepal late '90's early 2000's, and wondered who came up with such an abomination. Did I miss something good or are they as bad as they sound ?
KipperFillets
As good and bad as they sound. Getting through a whole battered chic bar is a challenge.
WhoToldYouLifeWasFair
Ah, they just don't build 'em like they used to.
SoberToast
Why not?
Banana369
Because they'd have to pay labourers a decent wage and it would be prohibitively expensive.
ElbowDeepInAPoliceState
That's what the corvee is for!
SoberToast
Nope
Fifofu
Thieves and pillagers aren't as bold and organized because of laws. Cities are protected by civility.
In Brazil, rare are houses without tall walls (3m+), and barbed wires or electrocuted fences. In western northern hemisphere you guys can live with doors directly to the street, huge windows without bars, uncanny.
SoberToast
I thought people in Brazil lived in trees?
PectorialMuscles
Archaic techniques that we have to research by doing, which takes years or decades of on-site work. Also a fundamental loss of trade knowledge that goes into the hundreds of jobs around and in a medieval construction project like this. For comparison, it took us a little while to figure out the various forms of wattle and daub mixtures after quite a while not using them. Lime wash too. Chemical and professional analysis takes a lot of work.
SoberToast
I guess
PectorialMuscles
If you want to know more there's currently an archaeological project that's constructing a historically accurate castle, methods included, from scratch. The researchers and professionals live in an accurate, self-constructed settlement by it. They do their own tool making and source materials in a way that's accurate to how they would have been sourced, at least in the form they receive them. It's miserable!
TMCybersnark
Also less need for hereditary monarchs to defend themselves against sword-wielding infantry and siege engines.
So far, at least.
MrNobodyWTB
I guess
TheJackKetch
It's the site of Bebbanburg in Last Kingdom. The beach it sits on is incredibl;e (but because it's north of Newcastle, it's fucking cold most of the time). You can see Lindisfarne (holy island) from the castle too. Even if you aren't a Last Kingdom fan, it's worth a visit!
Isthe4thtimethecharm
Ok, but I claim it for the zombie apocalypse.
Godryc
Arseling was here
Hibbtygibitty
Let em know the location: 1/2 way between Edinburg & Newcastle. It ain’t cold all the time. Northumberlad is a unique place.
Charlawilliams70
I was wondering if this was from the Last Kingdom. Now I just may have to visit someday.
KuroFluff
I've been to Lindisfarne and Newcastle but not this castle :/ I did a lot of sight seeing but sad I missed this one
slack3rdav3
Lindisfarne was my first mead. still my favorite
Nintendam
Destiny is all!
VodkaReindeer
The Last Kingdom is a British historical drama television series. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Last_Kingdom_(TV_series)
XRay0976
I thought it looked familiar!!! Hail King Uhtred!!
TheJackKetch
I mean - it’s the site of the real Bebbanburg, most of the show was filmed elsewhere, and the cliff they climb to access the palisade of the old wooden castle is nowhere near as high and rises from the beach, not the sea. But yeah, it’s an amazing place.
XRay0976
Fair enough! Been awhile since I've seen the show!
VincitQuiSeVincit
BoblovesMac31415101
Shield WALL ! !
FiendishHarmlessFun
Filmed in Hungary mostly.
bstaples25
There is currently a display of costumes and props going on there too, ends november https://www.bamburghcastle.com/events/the-last-kingdom-tv-props-and-costume-display/?eventdate=2025-04-13
rocketdonkey
I remember when my Norse ancestors made a little “pilgrimage” to Lindisfarne. Very quaint. Cute even. Rich. A bit too rich though.
derekjohn
bloody boat people !
indyjones2010
The Last Kingdom is one of my favorite shows. I highly recommend it. My husband is currently reading the books and says they're amazing, too.
ElinPlanetCatcher
Loved the books, saw 5 minutes of the show and washed my eyes
HobbesTail
It's sooooo bloody underrated.
TheJackKetch
Yeah I got started because I was at uni with Bernard Cornwell’s nephew. He only had a few published books then - wish I’d asked for a signed copy!
indyjones2010
That's so awesome
Quixus
If you like the source material, take a look at the Sharpe books as well. They are great too and several of them were made into TV movies with Sean Bean playing the titular character - one of the few instances where he does not get to die.
indyjones2010
Yes! We own most of those books and the show, will have to enjoy them too at some point.
madeejit
Naturally I'm familiar with Sharpe sir, that's my style.
TheJackKetch
Sean Bean who played Sharpe, also played Boromir in LOTR. When he cut himself on the shards of Nardil in Rivendell, he said, “still Sharpe.” Not many people got that reference.
Quixus
Ba dum tss