Newcastle-upon-Tyne Castle Keep 1:1000
This is one of the finest examples of Norman military architecture in England. The castle keep was constructed at the place of the Roman fort of Pons Aelius and a wooden castle built in 1080 by the son of William the Conqueror, Robert Curthose. On the order of King Henry II in 1168–1178 Maurice the Engineer (creator of the Dover Castle, among others) built the new stone castle including the existing rectangular keep, one of the last of this kind. The castle was a royal residence. It served as a base for the Sheriff of Northumberland, the King’s representative in the area, and became a major border stronghold during the medieval wars between England and Scotland.
Now the castle keep is a Grade 1 listed building, a Scheduled Ancient monument, and is open to the public as a heritage visitor attraction. Owned by Newcastle City Council, it is leased to and managed by the Society of Antiquaries of Newcastle upon Tyne, the second oldest antiquarian society in the world.
Now the castle keep is a Grade 1 listed building, a Scheduled Ancient monument, and is open to the public as a heritage visitor attraction. Owned by Newcastle City Council, it is leased to and managed by the Society of Antiquaries of Newcastle upon Tyne, the second oldest antiquarian society in the world.
