Berrick Castle is located in the north of England in the county of Northumberland on the border with Scotland . One of the most important border fortresses of England in the past. Over the centuries of conflict with Scotland, the castle often passed from hand to hand, was repeatedly besieged, assaulted and destroyed.
| Castle | |
| Berik Castle | |
|---|---|
| English Berwick castle | |
 | |
| A country | England |
| City | Berik upon Tweed |
| condition | Ruin |
| Site | |
Content
Castle History
In 1124 , Berik and the surrounding settlement were controlled by the Scottish King David I, who had recently entered the throne. In those days, it was a busy port city with a royal residence and its own mint. When in 1174 the Scottish king William I Leo was captured by the English army near the castle of Alnik , Berik, along with the castles of Edinburgh and Roxburgh , passed to the British. At the end of the XII century. Richard the Lionheart sold the castle to the Scots to replenish the treasury before the third crusade .
In 1296 , Berik and the surrounding city were again captured by the British. King Edward the Leggy , intending to turn Berik into a military stronghold, from where his troops could go to Scotland, significantly strengthened the castle. In 1297 - 1298 years. between the castle and the river, the White Wall was built, the ruins of which have survived to this day.
At the beginning of the XIV century. for four years, Isabella McDuff, Countess of Buhan, was imprisoned in the castle’s dungeon, guilty of providing military support to Robert Bruce .
The Scots again captured the castle in 1318. They erected a new wall between the castle and the city, and also strengthened the main gate of the castle. In addition, Robert Bruce repaired the castle - bills for the services of a merchant from Bruges , who supplied wall paint to Berik, were preserved.
Around 1330 , the castle was besieged and taken by the English king Edward III . In those days, Berik was an impregnable fortress - there were 5 gates and 19 towers in the wall surrounding the castle. Due to constant raids on both sides, the castle had to be constantly rebuilt. It was a rather ruinous occupation for the treasury - numerous records have survived to this day, in which the chroniclers, regrettingly, list the amounts spent on repairs.
Over time, the castle gradually lost its important strategic importance. The city surrounding Berik began to grow rapidly. For the construction of new houses used stones from buildings in Berik, as a result of which the castle almost disappeared. In addition, in the XIX century. through the territory of what was left of the once powerful castle, a railway was laid. Only the White Wall and the Constable Tower have survived to this day.
Visitor Information
Open around the clock throughout the year.
See also
- List of castles in England