Bamburgh’s Recorded History

Bamburgh’s Recorded History. . , 547 Bamburgh’s Recorded History Begins , Noted in the Anglo-Saxon chronicles, Ida the flamebearer conquers Din Guayrdi, Bamburgh, making it the capital of his kingdom of Bernicia., 607 – 634 Aethelfrith the Ravening Wolf , Added Yorkshire to his kingdom and created Northumbria “the very foundation stone of England”. In 615 he renames Din Guayrdi Bebbanburgh – after his wife Bebba. On his death his two sons, Oswald and Oswiu, sought refuge on Iona., 634 – 642 Oswald returns to Bamburgh , After slaying the Welsh King, Cadwallon, Oswald establishes himself as a moral and generous king. He brings Aidan, a monk, over from Iona and establishes the monastery on Lindisfarne. In 642 Oswald is killed in battle by King Penda., 700 – 800 A bloody century , A blood thirsty century as rival kingdoms fight for power and control., 993 and The Vikings , The second of two Viking raids on this coast sees Bamburgh’s forces weakened and the castle left in ruins for nearly 100 years., 1095 ‘The evil neighbor’ , William Rufus, son of William the Conqueror, besieges the castle held by Robert de Mobray, Earl of Northumbria. He builds a siege tower called a malvoisin next to the castle but endures taunts and ridicule from the defenders before eventually taking the castle., 1164 The Great Tower , The sum of £4 is given to the constable of the castle to raise a great tower, known from medieval times as a keep., 1221 Luxury , King Henry III builds a new ‘great hall’ complete with glass and chimneys instead of holes!, 1464 War of The Roses , Besieged by the Earl of Warwick, on behalf of King Edward IV, the castle becomes the first in England to fall to cannon fire., 1610 Royal Abandonment , The castle becomes privately owned for the first time, as James I gives the castle to Claudius Forster in return for a long and loyal service to the crown., 1700 A change of ownership , Lord Nathaniel Crewe marries Dorothy Forster and buys Bamburgh castle and vast tracts of land for £20,000., 1721 The Crewe Trustees , Upon the death of Lord Crewe a charitable trust is formed to look after the castle and estates., 1759 A new Doctor in the house , Dr John Sharp takes over the role of the Head Trustee at Bamburgh and introduces a pharmacy, school, cheap shop and windmill, all for the benefit of Bamburgh’s poor., 1771 The Bamburgh Coast Guard , Thought to be the world’s first, a signal system is established in case ships or vessels are perceived in distress, created by the Crewe Trustees it involved a system of flags, signal guns and horseback patrols along the beaches., 1894 A New Owner , First Lord Armstrong buys the castle from the Crewe Trustees for £60,000 with the intention of creating a convalescent home for ‘well educated people who had fallen on hard times’. He spends a million pounds creating an iconic English castle., 1900 A Family Home , Upon his death in 1900 the castle is inherited by his great nephew who, on completion of the building works, returns the castle to be the family’s private residence., 1930 Opens to Visitors , The castle opens its doors to visitors at Easter for the first time. Over the years the number of hours and days open steadily increases to the current position of being open all year round., 2012 Looking to the Future , The creation of Bamburgh Castle Viewings Ltd ensures that the estate’s focus on heritage, conservation, the community and tourism remains at the forefront of its priorities.