Built on the site of the fortress that gave the City of Newcastle its name, Newcastle’s Castle has been a Tyneside mainstay since it was built in 1177.
Initially built by the romans as a fort to protect a river crossing, the site became what we know today thanks to William I. The Norman king sent his son to defend England against the Scots and after the campaign built a ‘new castle’.
The site has played a prominent role in local history ever since. The stone keep was built in the 1170s by King Henry II and during the English Civil War it was refortified after being left in a state if disrepair.
During the time of the civil war the city was under seige for three months from Scottish Parliamentarians. The final troops to surrender did so from the castle keep.
During the 16th to the 18th century, the keep was used as a prison with the site being fully restored into what we know today thanks to work in the 1960s and 1980s.
Come with us as we take a step back into the history of the castle. All photos come from Newcastle Libraries’ collections.
1. 1990
A photograph of the Black Gate and the Castle Keep taken in the 1990s. The view shows the side of the Black Gate with one of the half-drum towers in the foreground. | NL
2. 1969
A view of the excavations in Castle Square taken in 1969. | NL
3. 1971
A view of Castle Garth Newcastle upon Tyne taken in 1971. The photograph has been taken at the bottom of the hill looking up to the Keep. | NL
4. 1901
A 1901 photograph of the Black Gate and Castle Keep taken from the General Post Office on St Nicholas Street. | NL