Castles in Tyne and Wear

There are four castles in Tyne and Wear, a metropolitan county in North East England. One is a gatehouse, one is a keep, one is an enclosure and one is an artillery fort.

All four of Tyne and Wear's castles are scheduled monuments. A scheduled monument is a "nationally important" archaeological site or historic building, given protection against unauthorised change.

The purpose of a castle was not simply militaristic, but was also considered to be a stamp of authority over the population of an area and a status symbol. Some would have acted as centres of trade and administration for a manor.Friar (2003), p. 186, 193. The earliest castle in Tyne and Wear is Tynemouth Castle.

List of castles Castle Location Type Constructed Scheduled CoordinatesHylton CastleNorth Hylton, SunderlandGatehouse1390s–1400sYesNewcastle Castle KeepNewcastle-upon-TyneKeep1168–1178YesRavensworth CastleLamesley, GatesheadEnclosure14th century (or earlier)YesTynemouth CastleNorth Shields, TynemouthArtillery fort1095Yes

References

Bibliography