Monday, 19 October 2015

Norham Castle

Five miles west of Berwick upon Tweed lies the ruins of Norham Castle. These remains on the Scottish border have tonnes of history inside of them. Its huge keep dominates the land which finally fell to cannon fire in a fifteenth century siege. A fortified gateway offers entrance to the castle grounds; where the Tweed runs into the moat alongside the brewery. It’s a shame that the brewery would be abandoned while the castle was under siege; however the defenders could use the brewery to their advantage by poisoning their beer before running to the keep; which would disrupt the enemy’s frontline if the siege was to last a while. The small chapel also has its own building away from the keep alongside the Tweed; to allow the occupants to worship and to mourn the dead during peacetime. It’s funny how English Heritage have taken over the site and offer free admission; yet try to close it over the winter even though it’s an unmanned site. Yet, they’ve still got their hands on it and have fenced off the higher areas of the tower. Despite this; it’s definitely a great pace to stop and explore.   

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