Bamburgh Castle
BAMBURGH CASTLE
Listed on the National Heritage List for England. Search over 400,000 listed places
Overview
- Heritage Category:
- Listed Building
- Grade:
- I
- List Entry Number:
- 1280155
- Date first listed:
- 04-Jan-1952
- List Entry Name:
- Bamburgh Castle
- Statutory Address:
- BAMBURGH CASTLE
Location
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Images of England Project
- Date:
- 2006-02-22
- Reference:
- IOE01/15211/01
- Rights:
- © Mr Steve Miller. Source: Historic England Archive
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Official list entry
- Heritage Category:
- Listed Building
- Grade:
- I
- List Entry Number:
- 1280155
- Date first listed:
- 04-Jan-1952
- List Entry Name:
- Bamburgh Castle
- Statutory Address 1:
- BAMBURGH CASTLE
The scope of legal protection for listed buildings
This List entry helps identify the building designated at this address for its special architectural or historic interest.
Unless the List entry states otherwise, it includes both the structure itself and any object or structure fixed to it (whether inside or outside) as well as any object or structure within the curtilage of the building.
For these purposes, to be included within the curtilage of the building, the object or structure must have formed part of the land since before 1st July 1948.
The scope of legal protection for listed buildings
This List entry helps identify the building designated at this address for its special architectural or historic interest.
Unless the List entry states otherwise, it includes both the structure itself and any object or structure fixed to it (whether inside or outside) as well as any object or structure within the curtilage of the building.
For these purposes, to be included within the curtilage of the building, the object or structure must have formed part of the land since before 1st July 1948.
Location
- Statutory Address:
- BAMBURGH CASTLE
The building or site itself may lie within the boundary of more than one authority.
- District:
- Northumberland (Unitary Authority)
- Parish:
- Bamburgh
- National Grid Reference:
- NU 18319 35114
Details
BAMBURGH BAMBURGH VILLAGE NU 13 NE 4/28 Bamburgh Castle 4.1.52 GV 1 Castle, divided into apartments. C12; ruinous when acquired by Lord Crewe in 1704 and made habitable after his death by Dr. Sharpe, the trustee of the charitable trust endowed by his will. Acquired by Lord Armstrong, who had extensive restoration and rebuilding of high quality by C.J. Ferguson, 1894- 1904. Squared sandstone and ashlar.
A huge castle, c.¼ mile long and covering 8 acres on a volcanic outcrop in extremely dramatic-situation. It has C12 keep and 3 wards.
Main entrance on east side is largely C12 with rounded towers flanking tunnel- vaulted archway. Inside, high walls protect approach to inner gateway which has C12 vault but is largely C19 above.
East ward: Extensive buildings by Ferguson on south side, incorporating medieval masonry (cf interior); these include Captain's Lodge and King's Hall in elaborate Perpendicular style. Buildings left of these, also by Ferguson in more restrained early Tudor style. In centre, ruins of C12 chapel with apse.
Keep, between east and west wards: high, multi-moulded plinth; C12 ground- floor doorway with 2 round arches and 2 orders of renewed columns. Broad angle pilasters rise as higher turrets; battlemented parapet; many round- headed windows, mainly of the C18.
West ward has 2 gatehouses; the Smith Gate on north-east is largely C19; the Neville tower on north-west incorporates medieval vault and masonry. Extensive C19 apartments along south side in Tudor style, ending on right in round clock tower which is medieval in lower parts. West side has late C19 stables, 5 bays with octagonal corner towers.
Outer ward to west contains the windmill (q.v.) and extensive fragments of medieval curtain wall.
Interior: Keep; ground floor vaulted with 2 parallel tunnel vaults on huge square piers; mural stair to 1st floor; armoury, possibly originally a chapel with vaulted apse on east side; groin-vaulted ceiling. Captain's Lodge: C14 barrel-vaulted basement (now the shop) with 10 chamfered transverse ribs; all work above by Ferguson, including vaulted lobby and staircase and fine cantilevered stair with Art Nouveau balusters. Kings Hall and Cross Hall, on site of medieval hall, the 3 service doors of which remain: Perpendicular style with 2 large oriels, huge fireplace with joggled lintel, panelled overmantel and stone tracery above. 6-bay false hammerbeam roof, elaborately carved in teak. Much Arts and Crafts detail including window recesses down sides of hall; screens passage and musicians' gallery. Former pantry, buttery and kitchen remain. Pantry and buttery have high, pointed tunnel vaults. The kitchen has 3 huge segmental-arched fireplaces and 4 pointed-arched medieval doorways, 2 now blocked.
Northumberland County History; Vol. I. History of the King's Works: Brown, Colvin & Taylor: H.M.S.O. 1963.
Listing NGR: NU1837335053
Legacy
The contents of this record have been generated from a legacy data system.
- Legacy System number:
- 237848
- Legacy System:
- LBS
Sources
Books and journals
Northumberland County History in Northumberland County History, Vol. 1, ()
Allen Brown, R, Colvin, H M, Taylor, A J, History of The Kings Works in History of the Kings Works the Middle Ages, (1963)
Legal
This building is listed under the Planning (Listed Buildings and Conservation Areas) Act 1990 as amended for its special architectural or historic interest.
Map
This map is for quick reference purposes only and may not be to scale. This copy shows the entry on 14-Jun-2026 at 17:43:33.
Download a full scale map (PDF)End of official list entry
All text content is available under the Open Government Licence v3.0 , except where otherwise stated. Any supplied maps are © Crown Copyright [and database rights] 2026 OS AC0000815036 and may not be reproduced without permission.