WARKWORTH CASTLE | STRONGHOLD of England’s Most REBELLIOUS Family

WARKWORTH CASTLE | STRONGHOLD of England’s Most REBELLIOUS Family

Hey everyone and welcome back to the channel. 
In this episode, we’re visiting one of the most mighty and impressive strongholds in Northern 
England. The magnificent ruins are steeped in history with atmospheric walls and towers offering 
breathtaking views over the river Coette and its surrounding landscape. From its Anglo-Saxon 
origins to its rise in power throughout the TUDA dynasty, this true castle on a hill commands 
your attention. Walkworth Castle invites you to explore and roam its rooms, unlocking secrets from 
desperate battles, tales of the kings and rebels, and perhaps even to catch a glimpse of the 
spectral figures said to still linger here. Our story starts back in Anglo-Saxon times when 
there was more than likely a wooden residence at Walkworth occupied by the kings of North Umbrea 
such as King Osbert and later. King Osbert would be killed by the invading Danes in 867 which 
was a constant threat to the area before 1066. There is some debate with regards to when the 
actual first stone castle was built, but there is a written record dated to 1157 to 1164 of Henry 
II granting Roger Fitz Eustace a castle with an accompanying manner. Roger was a wealthy baron 
with estates throughout the kingdom, but it seems that he didn’t think much of the king’s gift. 
Believing the ditches and earthworks to be feeble, he didn’t bother defending it during an invasion 
by the Scottish King William the Lion. In 1174, the castle would be attacked by Duncan, the Earl 
of F on the 13th of July. But this time, with the castle already in ruin, the Scots set fire to 
Walkworth Village. The villagers were rounded up and slaughtered and not even sparing those who 
sought shelter in the church of St. Lawrence. It would appear that Roger’s son would take a greater 
interest in Walkworth as it is believed that he established the present castle between 1199 and 
1214 following the classic Mott and Bailey design. The revamp must have been substantial because 
it earned the praise of the 13th century when it was described it as a noble castle. But 
it was during the later middle ages that the castle came into the hands of the family who would 
elevate it to the pinnacle of its medieval glory. Life in medieval times in the northeast 
of England was one full of danger with a constant threat of war. Viking raids as well as 
raids from Scotland were a regular problem and from time to time the kings of England came to 
this area to consolidate their power. Enter the powerful Percy family who for over 600 years 
preferred it to the much larger Anic Castle. The Percy’s were arguably the most influential 
family in the north of England. Their vast estates and military might gave them royal power 
on the volatile Anglo Scottish border. Fiercely loyal to the English crown when it suited them. 
They were equally ambitious and often rebellious, frequently challenging royal authority. It 
was under their patronage that the castle was transformed into the magnificent structure 
that we see today, dominated by its unique and imposing keep. The Percy’s were also renowned for 
taking some poor decisions in dramatic wars and losing their lives as well as their properties 
and titles. In 1213, 2 years before his death, Walkworth was visited by King John, who made 
Roger’s son, Robert Sheriff of Northland, and one of John’s officials with appropriate 
power. It was Robert who built the gate house, Carrick Fergus tower, the Poston Gate, and 
the East Curtain Wall. In 1290, Edward I, also known as Edward Longshanks and the hammer of the 
Scots, was recognized as overlord of Scotland. But his choice of king of Scotland, John Balor, was 
unpopular. He stayed for a night at Walkworth in 1292. And by 1296, he had had enough and decided 
to invade Scotland. The following year in 1297, the English lost to the Scots at the Battle of 
Sterling and Walkworth’s owner Robert and his son John were both captured by the Scots. In 
the late 1290s, the Grey Mar’s Tale Tower was built and a garrison was now based there with the 
role of deterring raids as well as supplying men to make incursions across the border. In 1327 
during the reign of Edward III, Walkworth was actually besieged by the Scots. Although it was 
unsuccessful, the Scots came back in 1341 and ransacked the Walkworth village once again. In 
1328, Edward III granted the castle to Henry, the second Lord Henry Percy, and this recognized 
Henry was on the up because he had already owned the larger Anic Castle. Throughout this 
video, it’s worth noting that there were a lot of Henry Percy’s, and so chronologically, 
it can easily become quite confusing. In 1377, the fourth Henry Percy achieved further status by 
being made the first Earl of Northland. It is said that in order to celebrate this achievement 
or his rise in power, that he would go on to build the great tower. It was the first who was 
the father of Harry Hotspur. Harry was probably born in Ank in 1364, although some sources 
state that it was at Walkworth. Aged 8, Harry would accompany his father to Britany to fight 
in the Hundred Years War. In 1376, he was with his father in yet another Anglo Scottish war. Then 
another year later, he was kned by Edward III. And in 1385 he was fighting the Scots along with the 
new monarch Richard II. It was here that he would acquire the nickname hotspur from the Scots after 
getting the reputation to always to be ready for attack and be quick to act. His reputation as a 
great knight developed. Although in 1388 he and his father were captured by the Scots and then 
ransomed, knights and their equipment were worth more alive than dead, and chivalry dictated 
that they should be ransomed for an amount that reflected their status rather than simply be 
executed. The growing status of the Percy’s led to more power and influence. In 1399, father and 
son together conspired with Henry Bowling Broke, the later Henry IV, to overthrow King Richard 
II. With Richard removed, the two of them soon fell out with Henry IVth and rebelled again. After 
the Percy defeat at the Battle of Susbury in 1403, the Earl attempted another uprising. Walkworth, 
heavily garrisoned, became a key target. The king brought formidable artillery to bear, 
including a massive cannon known as London, capable of firing stone balls weighing over 200 
lb. Despite the castle’s inherent strength and the determination of its defenders, the sheer might 
of the royal army and the devastating bombardment reportedly just seven cannon shots eventually 
forced the ‘s quick surrender. This siege underscores Walkworth’s brawl as a formidable 
military stronghold capable of resisting all but the most overwhelming forces. Walkworth Castle was 
now taken over by the crown only to be returned in 1416 to Hotspur’s son Henry who was also made the 
second Earl of Northumberland by King Henry V. He died in 1422 leaving a baby to rule England. 
By 1455 there was chaos in England resulting in the Wars of the Roses. the second Earl of 
Northland and his son the third Earl supported the Lancastrian side. In the ensuing battle of St. 
Alburn’s the second l was killed and in the battle of Talton in 1461 the third died. Walkworth Castle 
was therefore taken over by the Yorkists. In 1470, the Yorkist King Edward IVth restored the fourth 
l of Northland and he was given various government posts. He would show loyalty to the next king, 
Richard III. And it was at the battle of Bosworth that saw Richard’s death, but the Earl failed to 
commit any troops to support Richard. The winner, Henry VIIIth, briefly imprisoned the Earl, but 
soon restored the Earl to his old status and gave him various duties to carry out on behalf of the 
king, only to be murdered by the rioting citizens of York, who opposed to Henry VIIth’s taxation. 
From here, the castle began to decline naturally. And during the English Civil War, more damage 
occurred when parliamentarian soldiers attempted to make it indefensible by removing their doors. 
Some restoration would take place, especially in the 19th century, but its days of national 
importance, being besieged, and the base for the Percy’s endeavors were over. Walkworth’s defenses 
were both impressive and brutal at the same time. They were also evidence of medieval military 
engineering that were designed and created to withstand prolonged battles and deter the constant 
threats from the Scottish border. Beyond its thick stone curtain walls and crucially placed towers, 
the castle leveraged its natural surroundings to great effect. The deep man-made ditch across the 
neck of the headland combined with the natural loop of the river Coette on three sides created 
a formidable watery barrier. The gate house was ingenious in its own right. It was a landwood 
entrance featuring a drawbridge, multiple gates with a mighty heavy port cullis and murder 
holes in its vaulted passage allowing unpleasant substances to be poured through the holes down 
onto the enemy whoever approached the door. These holes would allow the defenders to stab 
invaders with spears and pour various hot and disagreeable things onto the invaders. The worst 
substance that we have heard about was quick lime, which is a strong alkaline substance that would 
burn people’s skin, especially their faces as they looked up. Water would not help the victim. 
It needed to be an acid that would neutralize the alkaline quick lime. Where could a victim get 
acid? It would only be from a fellow soldiers urine. But it might all be too late. If quick lime 
got into the eyes of an enemy, it would burn to the bone. Arrow slits, also known as loopholes, 
were carefully positioned throughout the curtain walls and on the towers. You’ll notice them as 
we wander around. This would provide archers with protected vantage points from where they 
were able to fire upon approaching enemies. The keep itself served as a final impregnable refuge, 
a castle within a castle designed to hold out even if the outer defenses were breached. With its own 
independent water supply and plenty of provisions, the overall design ensured that any assault would 
be met with a relentless and multifaceted defense, making Walkworth a truly resilient stronghold. 
The architectural brilliance of Walkworth is evidenced throughout its design, showcasing a 
blend of early medieval defensive principles and later more sophisticated residential comforts. The 
castle is a living textbook of medieval building techniques from its earliest Norman influences 
to its refined Gothic details of the Percy era. The keep is a true masterpiece of medieval 
English architecture and it’s worthy spending your time here. Built in the last quarter of the 14th 
century likely by the master mason John Leuen, it stands on an earlier M. Its distinctive plan 
is that of a Greek cross square with a large projecting polygonal lobes at each face, giving 
it an almost octagonal appearance from a distance. This innovative design allowed for both formidable 
defense and surprisingly luxurious accommodation for the Earl and his household. Internally, the 
rooms are ingeniously arranged around a central light well or a lantern, which not only provided 
daylight to the inner chambers, but it also served to collect rainwater, channeling it to hold tanks 
in the basement, which was a significant luxury for a medieval castle. The Great Tower, three main 
stories, housed a complete suite of apartments, reflecting again that castle within a 
castle concept. On the ground floor, a warren of vaulted service and storage chambers 
would have been found, including wine cellers and possibly a guard room with an ooliet or dark and 
evil pit dungeon. The first floor was home to the great hall within the keep itself distinct from 
the Bailey’s great hall. The main kitchen buttery which was a room for storing and serving beer and 
the chapel. The chapel even had an upper floor allowing the l to perform devotions in private. 
The second floor would contain the ear’s most important upper chambers and withdrawing rooms 
complete with fireplaces and private latrines. A lookout tower on top of the keep provided a 360 
degree vista essential for vigilance. The varying size and ornaments of his external windows subtly 
indicates the importance of the rooms that they illuminated. Originally, the keep was crowned with 
a battlement, possibly adorned with decorative statues and still features impressive carvings on 
the angels carrying shields and a large heraldic Percy lion that overlooks the town from the north 
side, a bold declaration of the family’s power. From its troubled history, the castle also serves 
the center stage for folklore and ghost stories, which add another layer of mystery to its already 
dramatic past. The ghost of Margaret Neville, who is more known as the Grey Lady, is said to live 
inside the castle. Her sorrowful figure is usually said to wander around the great keep and where 
the former domestic quarters are. Various stories of her tales exist, but she is often linked to 
a tragic love affair that ended in heartbreak, which was a lost child that she endlessly searches 
for, or even a betrayal that led to her demise within the castle walls. Some have reported 
sensing a sudden, inexplicable, cold presence, hearing faint, mournful whispers carried over 
the wind. Beyond the gray lady, people mention the sounds of battle in the distance. This could 
be the distant clash of swords, the heavy thud of siege engines turning around, the shouts 
of men, or even the cries of those wounded still lingering and not resting. These sounds 
are often described as residual hauntings and imprints of intense historical events that will 
replay themselves, particularly around the areas of the outer bailey and the gate house that would 
have seen the majority and the brunt of attacks. Mostly the feeling of being watched by unseen eyes 
truly adds to the castle’s profound and sometimes unsettling atmosphere. admits its beauty. When you 
do visit Walkworth, you are able to step directly into centuries of compelling history. Its imposing 
presence, which is visible from miles around, immediately sparks your imagination. Unlike 
some more heavily restored sites, Walkworth retains a powerful sense of its authentic past, 
allowing us to truly connect with its story. Whether that’s by exploring the unique 
Greek crosskeep with its intricate internal layout of halls, chambers, and service rooms, 
which provide us a fascinating glimpse into the luxurious yet self-contained world of a medieval 
earl. Not to mention the dramatic views from the castle walls overlooking the winding river and 
out to the coast which are just breathtaking. So that’s it for this week and we hope that you’ve 
enjoyed a visit to Walkworth with us. If you did, please be sure to hit the like button, click 
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Warkworth Castle, dramatically perched above the River Coquet in Northumberland, is one of the most impressive medieval fortresses in northern England. Originally founded in the late 12th century, the castle rose to prominence under the powerful Percy family, Earls of Northumberland, who transformed it into a grand residence.

It’s most striking feature is the massive cross-shaped keep, built in the 14th century, which dominates the site and reflects the wealth and status of the Percy’s during the turbulent years of Anglo-Scottish warfare.

The castle played a central role in the border conflicts and rebellions that shaped northern England’s history, including the Wars of the Roses and the Percy uprisings against the Tudor crown.

Though it fell into decline after the 17th century, Warkworth Castle remains remarkably well preserved. You can explore the soaring keep, medieval chambers, and outer defences, as well as the nearby Warkworth Hermitage, a unique riverside chapel carved into rock.
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