Monthly Archives: August 2024

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Two castles in one day . . .

The weather during June and July was appalling, very wet and cool. However, summer returned temporarily mid-July so we grabbed that rare opportunity to visit two castles in North Yorkshire, around 62 miles south from home.

Richmond Castle (founded in the 1070s) and 12th century Middleham Castle (just 10 miles south of Richmond) in Swaledale and Wensleydale respectively, are among the most important castles in the north of England, perhaps in the country as a whole. They simply exude history! The former was at the heart of one of the largest post-Norman Conquest estates; the other was the boyhood home and later power base of one of England’s most notorious kings.

I have to admit to being a little disappointed initially with Richmond Castle. Until viewed from the south (which we did as we headed to Middleham, but could not stop because of parking restrictions), it’s not easy at ground level to appreciate just how magnificent it must have been in its heyday. 

Richmond Castle from the south, with the residential accommodation on the right, and the later Keep behind.

Richmond Castle from the air, clearly showing the size of the enclosure which must have been full of other ‘temporary’ buildings when the castle was originally occupied. The residential accommodation is in the top right corner, with the Cockpit Garden beyond.

The original castle was built by Alan Rufus (a cousin of William I, the Conqueror) after 1071 but it wasn’t until the 12th century that the magnificent Keep was added.

An artist’s impression of how the castle must have looked not longer after its foundation in the late 11th century.

By the middle of the 16th century the castle had become derelict, but was revived centuries later and a barracks was built along the western wall in the 19th century, as well as a cell block adjoining the keep. In fact the castle was occupied during the Great War (1914-18) and housed conscientious objectors, with some kept as prisoners in the cell block.

I’m not going to describe in detail the history of Richmond Castle here. There is much more information on the English Heritage website, where you can also find a detailed site plan.

From the roof of the Keep there are magnificent views over the castle enclosure and to all points of the compass around Swaledale and the town of Richmond itself. The castle stands to one side of the market place.

The residential block (Scolland’s Hall), on the southeast corner of the enclosure is contemporaneous with the late 11th century curtain wall, but service buildings were added around 1300.

To the east of this area lies the Cockpit Garden (mainly yew shrubs and lawn) surrounded by walls built in the 12th century and some of uncertain age. English Heritage has developed an ornamental section on the north side.

On the eastern wall there is a small chapel, dedicated to St Nicholas and dating from the late 11th century.

The 19th century barracks block has long since been demolished, but a cell block adjoining the Keep, also from the 19th century still stands, and via steps on to its roof provide easier access to the first floor of the Keep rather than the very narrow and steep spiral staircase in the southwest corner of the ground floor.

There is an excellent exhibition on the floor above the visitor entrance and shop. I wish I’d taken more time to look at the various posters, especially those dealing with the incarceration of conscientious objectors in WW1. Read all about their fate on the English Heritage website. 

But we’d already decided to move on to Middleham Castle, and having enjoyed a picnic lunch beside the River Swale (reportedly one of the fastest-flowing rivers in England), that’s precisely what we did, crossing over the bridge that replaced an original medieval one.

Middleham Castle is much more impressive, and it’s remarkable how much has survived the ravages of the centuries.

Middleham Castle from the southwest, probably from the site of William’s Hill where an original fortification was constructed shortly after the Norman Conquest.

From the moment you walk through the impressive gatehouse, it’s impossible to ignore the grandeur of this castle, which was more a palatial residence than a fortification.

Close by the castle are the remains of an early castle, probably constructed after the Norman Conquest in 1066. Known as William’s Hill, it can easily be seen from the top of Middleham’s south-east turret as the cluster of trees on the skyline in the image below.

Construction of the stone castle began in the later 12th century, and was extended over several centuries. In 1260, the castle passed into the Neville family, one of the most powerful in the kingdom. Richard Neville (1428-1471), the 16th Earl of Warwick and 6th Earl of Salisbury came to be known as ‘Warwick the Kingmaker’ given the power and influence he wielded.

Middleham’s central keep was one of the largest of any castle in the country, and the oldest part of the castle. There are extensive basements with kitchens, above which were the main hall and family apartments. Surrounding the keep is a curtain wall, with several towers, only one of which is round, the Prince’s Tower on the southwest corner.

English Heritage has a detailed ground plan of the castle on its website. There is also a comprehensive historical account here and illustrations of how the castle must have looked in its heyday. It certainly has the feel of a family residence, a show of wealth and opulence. One feature that English Heritage highlights in its introduction and on ground plan is the large number of latrines, with some dedicated latrine towers. It seems that no-one was ever caught short at Middleham.

The original entrance to the castle was on the east side, but this was changed around 1400 to a gatehouse on the north wall. The entrance to the keep is via a modern stairway to the first floor. As I ascended those stairs I imagined what it must have been like all those centuries ago as guests arrived at the castle and were escorted to their rooms. And ascending to the top of the south-east turret gives a wonderful view over the ruins and the wider landscape of Wensleydale.

The gatehouse.
The modern staircase leading to the Great Hall.
The gatehouse from the entrance to the Great Hall.
The gatehouse from the south-east turret.
The remains of the chapel tower from the entrance to the Great Hall.
The east basement.
The Great Hall, looking north.
The west basement.
The west basement.
The view southeast over Wensleydale from the south-east turret.

Surrounding the central keep on the north, west and south sides, are a series of chambers that must have once been accommodation for staff.

One interesting feature inside the south wall is a large circular ‘trough’, and a raised circular platform next to it. While the left hand feature in the image below is described as ‘ovens’ on the ground plan, there is no description for the trough. 

The ovens and ‘trough’ from the south-east turret.

Both date from the 16th century when, apparently, the local folk were allowed into the castle to use the ovens and the trough. I had to ask, and the best guess is that the trough was a cider press, perhaps as shown in this illustration.

Richard, Duke of Gloucester (1452-1485) was the youngest brother of Edward IV, who spent his boyhood at Middleham (along his elder brother George, who was created Duke of Clarence). The Kingmaker’s two daughters Isabel and Anne grew up at Middleham. Isabel married Clarence, and Anne married Gloucester.

Middleham became Gloucester’s northern stronghold, a base from which to gain power and eventually the crown, becoming King Richard III in June 1483. There is a commemorative statue of Richard just inside the castle.

He was defeated by Henry Tudor (who would become King Henry VII) at the Battle of Bosworth Field (the last significant battle of the Wars of the Roses) in August 1485, where he was killed. And disappeared from history so to speak until his body was discovered beneath a car park in Leicester in 2012-13.

Two castles in one day. Being just a few miles apart it was an easy excursion for us from North Tyneside, and well worth the journey south. A highly recommended day out!

Neither castle has dedicated parking. In Richmond we chose the Fosse Car Park just below the castle. I think it was £3 for 4 hours. There is parking available in the Market Place beside the castle, but I believe it’s more time limited. In Middleham, we parked in Back Street just outside the castle, where there was space for just a handful of vehicles. Parking would be trickier, I guess, on a busier day.

Photo album for Richmond Castle

Photo album for Middleham Castle

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Conflict on the border

9 September 1513. A momentous day. Henry VIII’s reign hung in the balance.

King James IV of Scotland (right) who was Henry’s brother-in-law, had crossed the border with an army of some 30,000 aiming to draw Henry’s troops northwards, thereby cementing his commitment to the Auld Alliance with France where Henry was busy campaigning.

The Scots faced a smaller English army of around 20,000 under the command of the Earl of Surrey who had outflanked the Scots, taking his troops east and north hoping to cut off an escape route. Well, that was the plan.

The two armies met near the village of Branxton in north Northumberland just south of the River Tweed, the effective border between the two kingdoms.

The Scots were arrayed on Braxton Hill south of the English line on the opposite hill, and with their superior number of troops and heavy artillery (although rather slow to reload), victory seemed a certainty.

But defeat was snatched from the jaws of victory. Just like at Agincourt almost a century earlier, where the French found themselves mired in boggy ground and at the mercy of English archers, so the Scots encountered marshy ground when they descended Branxton Hill to engage the English army. Their long pikes were ineffective in the ensuing melee and no match for the English billhooks.

It is estimated that 10,000 Scots were killed and many more wounded, while the English lost only 4000. Among the Scots dead was James IV.

The Battle of Flodden Field as it came to be known was the last major battle between the English and Scots.

Earlier this past week (a glorious summer’s day, one of the best this year), Steph and I headed north (a round trip of 138 miles) to visit the battlefield and a couple of nearby castles at Etal and Norham (both now owned by English Heritage) that were briefly captured by the Scots before their defeat at Flodden.

And in the course of our journey, we travelled back almost 5000 years to a stone circle at Duddo.

Standing beside the Flodden monument (erected in 1913) and looking over the battlefield, it was hard to imagine that for a brief period 511 years ago this was the site of bloody carnage. Sown to wheat and barley today (and almost ready for harvest) this landscape was incredibly beautiful and tranquil, and with views miles over the border into Scotland.

Before leaving Branxton we visited the Flodden Visitor Centre in the village: a converted telephone kiosk!

Coat of Arms of the Manners family

Etal Castle, just under 5 miles from Flodden, was the family home of the Manners family. It dates from the 12th century, and finally abandoned in the late 16th century. You can read all about its history here.

Still standing today are the Tower House (built before 1341), parts of the Curtain Wall, and the impressive Gatehouse.

After the Battle of Flodden Field, the Scottish heavy artillery was sent to Etal Castle. An opening was made in the wall of the Tower House to store the guns in the basement. And the blocked-up opening can still be seen in the rearranged stonework outside, and in the basement.

Norham Castle, stands on the bank of the River Tweed, and commands a view of one of the fords across the river. It dates from the 12th century and was finally allowed to fall into ruin by the end of the 16th century when there was no longer a threat from the Scots from across the border.

Surprisingly perhaps, the castle was founded by Ranulph Flambard, Bishop of Durham from 1099 until 1128. Durham is known as the Land of the Prince Bishops, who wielded extraordinary power in the north of England in return for defending the border. Norham came under attack frequently and occupied over the centuries, including during the Scottish incursion in 1513. English Heritage provides a comprehensive history of the castle on its website.

The Great Tower is the part of the castle still standing, although derelict. Its height was increased several times, and this can be seen in the differences in stone color.

Some of the outer defences are still standing, as is the West Gate. Parts of the site are closed off to visitors.

And although it has been ruined for four centuries, it’s not hard to imagine just how magnificent and threatening the castle would have been in its heyday.

Almost equidistant between Etal and Norham, along a footpath in the middle of wheat fields, and about 1 mile northwest from the village of Duddo, the Duddo Stone Circle stands on a hillock overlooking the Northumberland landscape. Talk about wide open skies!

Dating from about 2000 BCE, the Stone Circle comprises five standing stones, with remains of others just showing above the surface of the soil. There is also evidence of burials there around 1700 BCE.

Two of the stones stand more than 6 feet.

Click on the image below to read more about access to the Stone Circle across private land, and the history of the stones.

This was certainly one of our more enjoyable excursions since moving to the northeast almost for years ago. This was the second time we’d toured this area of north Northumberland (the first time in 1998). And it won’t be our last.

I have posted all the photographs in an online album. Just click on the image below to view those.

 

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What’s on your birding bucket list?

Ever since I was a small boy, I’ve been a birder. Not perhaps as enthusiastic as many, but it’s a hobby I’ve enjoyed for almost seven decades. I’ll be 76 in November.

I guess my ‘golden years’ were those I spent between 1976 and 1980 in Costa Rica in Central America, where the bird life was out of this world. The years I spent in the Philippines between 1991 and 2010 were disappointing from a birding point of view. I’d been spoilt by Costa Rica. But if I had taken the effort, like my close friend and colleague Graham McLaren did, there were plenty of exotic species to find in the fields and forests close to our home in Los Baños, south of Manila.

Since I retired in 2010, and especially since we moved to the northeast of England four years ago, I’ve taken to birding once again, and enjoy walking the waggonways that criss-cross North Tyneside, and where the bird life is quite exceptional.

But yesterday, I fulfilled a birding dream that has taken me all my life to achieve.

With the weather set reasonably fair, Steph and I decided to head north to the Hauxley Wildlife Discovery Centre and Nature Reserve (just south of Amble), one of the best bird-watching sites on the Northumberland coast, next to the beach at the north end of Druridge Bay. It’s somewhere we have visited several times since moving north, and a walk around the lake never disappoints. There are several hides from which to quietly observe all the birds around the site.

I guess we left home around 10:15, and arrived to the Centre just before 11:00. First stop: the café for a welcome Americano (and a ‘comfort stop’, of course).

We’d just sat down to enjoy our coffees when a lady at the next table beside the window suddenly stood up, binoculars to her eyes, and exclaimed ‘blue!’.

Male kingfisher (source: RSPB).

Did I hear correctly? It could only mean one bird that I have waited all my life to see: the iconic common kingfisher (Alcedo atthis). Grabbing my binoculars, I scanned the vegetation on the other side of the lake, and finally had a male  kingfisher in view.

It’s an elusive, shy bird. Many people only ever see a flash of metallic blue-green feathers along a watercourse. But we were in luck.

Over the next 20 minutes or so we had magnificent views of this beautiful bird. This boy was fishing, choosing between two perches some 10 meters apart and just above the water. So we were able to see him diving and returning to his perch to enjoy his catch.

And those iridescent wing and dorsal feathers which we saw in their full glory as he emerged from the water, desperately flapping his wings to gain height and return to his perch, just like in this video (from YouTube).

What a start to the day, and probably one of the best for birds we’ve enjoyed at Hauxley, observing almost 30 species including a pair of Egyptian geese and a dozen herons.

I’ve seen a number of different kingfisher species in Costa Rica, in the Philippines, and Australia. But there’s no doubt about it. That sighting of a lone common kingfisher yesterday was a brilliant moment that’s now etched in my memory.