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Newcastle Castle


  • In the 2nd Century AD, the Romans built a fort to protect the Pons Aelius bridge and supply route over the River Tyne.
  • During the Anglo-Saxon age, the site was occupied and known as Monkchester. A cemetery was established on the site of the old Roman fort in the late 7th century.
  • In 1080, Robert Curthose, eldest son of William the Conqueror, began building a motte-and-bailey castle (wooden fort on an earth mound) at Monkchester, the 'New Castle', to defend the Norman England from the Scots.
  • The stone Castle Keep was built between 1172 and 1177, replacing the earlier wooden fortifications.
  • The Black Gate, part of a barbican, a great outer gateway to the castle, was built between 1247 and 1250.
  • In the mid 13th Century the notorious Heron Pit, a dark prison next to Black Gate, was built by William Heron, 'The Hammer of the Poor'.  
  • In the 13th and 14th centuries, the Town Walls, were built to defend the wider settlement. Having these outer defences eventually led to the neglect of the castle, which was described as ruinous by 1589. Today the remaining Castle Keep and Black Gate are well worth a visit.
Newcastle City Centre Newcastle Town Walls Newcastle Fortifications Castle Garth Castle Stairs Side Pons Aelius Historic Buildings and Monuments in Newcastle Quick History of Newcastle and the North East Castles Castle Keep Heron Pit Prison and Drawbridge Pit, by Black Gate South Postern Tower, Newcastle Castle The Black Gate
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060784:The Black Gate and the Castle Keep Newcastle upon Tyne Unknown c.1910
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054766:Black Gate and Castle Keep Newcastle upon Tyne City Engineers 1985
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063867:Black Gate and Castle Keep Newcastle upon Tyne City Engineers c.1990s
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027561:The Black Gate and the Castle Keep Newcastle upon Tyne Unknown 1901
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033869:Castle Keep Newcastle upon Tyne Unknown c.1900
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039141:Castle Keep, Newcastle upon Tyne, c.1930
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048524:Keep Newcastle upon Tyne City Engineers 1983
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054761:Castle Keep Newcastle upon Tyne City Engineers 1982
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062557:Castle Keep Newcastle upon Tyne City Engineers c.1980
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066392:Castle Keep Newcastle upon Tyne J. Fittler 1786
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035642:Castle Keep Newcastle upon Tyne Unknown c.1910
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056563:Castle Keep Newcastle upon Tyne F. Frith c.1881
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060337:Castle Keep Newcastle upon Tyne Unknown Undated
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039263:Castle Keep Newcastle upon Tyne Unknown c.1890
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035644:Castle Keep Newcastle upon Tyne Unknown c.1910
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041336:Castle Keep Newcastle upon Tyne City Engineers 1980
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013492:Castle Keep Newcastle upon Tyne Signey J.1962
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011813:Castle Keep Newcastle upon Tyne c.1930
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040976:Castle Keep Newcastle upon Tyne City Engineers c.1970
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066876:Castle Stairs Newcastle upon Tyne Unknown 1904
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068286:Castle Keep Newcastle upon Tyne Unknown Undated
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068260:Castle Keep Newcastle upon Tyne, Undated
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056669:Castle Keep Newcastle upon Tyne Frith F. 1888
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035643:Castle Keep Newcastle upon Tyne Unknown c.1910
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052660:Castle Stairs Newcastle upon Tyne Unknown 1904
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023687:Castle Keep Newcastle upon Tyne Unknown c.1890
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018366:Castle Garth Newcastle upon Tyne Signey J. 1969
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011188:Castle Keep Newcastle upon Tyne Unknown c.1860
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037608:Castle Keep Newcastle upon Tyne Bertram R.J.S. 1914
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003466:Castle Keep Newcastle upon Tyne Unknown 1930
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044137:Castle Keep Newcastle upon Tyne Unknown 1913
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026092:Castle Keep Newcastle upon Tyne Unknown c.1900
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Castle Garth 1881
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018365:Castle Garth Newcastle upon Tyne Signey J. 1969
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029530:Castle Keep Newcastle upon Tyne Unknown 1930
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004340:The Bailiffs Gate Newcastle upon Tyne 1882
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21051b:Black Gate Newcastle upon Tyne Unknown 1931
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003440:Black Gate Newcastle upon Tyne Unknown c.1900
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052644:Black Gate Newcastle upon Tyne Unknown c.1900
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003445:Black Gate Newcastle upon Tyne Unknown c.1890
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068258:Black Gate Newcastle upon Tyne Unknown Undated
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012018:Black Gate Newcastle upon Tyne Unknown pre 1883
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040972:Black Gate Newcastle upon Tyne Unknown 1863
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062708:Black Gate Newcastle upon Tyne Unknown Undated
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063867:Black Gate and Castle Keep Newcastle upon Tyne City Engineers c.1990s
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004228:Black Gate Newcastle upon Tyne Unknown 1860
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003449:Black Gate Newcastle upon Tyne Unknown 1915
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062563:Black Gate Newcastle upon Tyne City Engineers Undated
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Black Gate 1886
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The Black Gate
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a090a:The Black Gate
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Black Gate and Old Castle, Newcastle-on-Tyne (1913)
- "Produced by W.H.S. & S.N. Posted from Newcastle to London on September 24th 1913". Postcard from 'Pictures of Gateshead and the Surrounding Area' by Andy Williamson. The images may be …
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The Hall, Old Castle, Newcastle-upon-Tyne (1929)
- "Posted from Newcastle to Holland on February 15th 1929". Postcard from 'Pictures of Gateshead and the Surrounding Area' by Andy Williamson. The images may be used for non-commercial purposes, subject …
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Blackgate and Castle, Newcastle-on-Tyne, England-LCCN2002708006
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Image taken from page 577 of 'Allan's Illustrated Edition of Tyneside Songs and Readings. With lives, portraits, and autographs of the writers, and notes on the songs. Revised edition'
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Image taken from page 340 of 'Second series. Chiefly in the Counties of Durham and Northumberland'
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The Castle, Newcastle
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In the Castle, Newcastle upon Tyne (1814).
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Ground Floor Apartment in the Castle of Newcastle
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The Black Gate, Newcastle upon Tyne
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Image taken from page 47 of 'The Jubilee handbook of Newcastle-upon-Tyne, and places of interest in the North of England, etc'
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Black Gate and Castle Keep, Newcastle upon Tyne
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Image taken from page 34 of 'The City of Newcastle-upon-Tyne of to-day. ... With illustrations'
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Newcastle keep, Newcastle upon Tyne
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Image taken from page 28 of 'The City of Newcastle-upon-Tyne of to-day. ... With illustrations'
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The Castle, Newcastle
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Newcastle Keep
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The Keep, Newcastle upon Tyne
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The Keep
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Chapel in Newcastle keep
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Guard Room in the Castle Keep, Newcastle upon Tyne
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Chapel in the Castle Keep, Newcastle upon Tyne
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View of the Keep and River Tyne, Newcastle upon Tyne
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Image taken from page 127 of 'The Local Historian's Table Book of remarkable occurrences, historical facts, traditions, legendary and descriptive ballads, connected with the Counties of Newcastle-upon-Tyne, Northumberland, and Durham. Historical Division.
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Image taken from page 289 of 'The Local Historian's Table Book of remarkable occurrences, historical facts, traditions, legendary and descriptive ballads, connected with the Counties of Newcastle-upon-Tyne, Northumberland, and Durham. Historical Division.
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Image taken from page 655 of 'The Local Historian's Table Book of remarkable occurrences, historical facts, traditions, legendary and descriptive ballads, connected with the Counties of Newcastle-upon-Tyne, Northumberland, and Durham. Historical Division.
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Image taken from page 460 of 'The Local Historian's Table Book of remarkable occurrences, historical facts, traditions, legendary and descriptive ballads, connected with the Counties of Newcastle-upon-Tyne, Northumberland, and Durham. Historical Division.
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Fireplace in the castle, Newcastle upon Tyne
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Black Gate and Castle in Newcastle upon Tyne
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The Castle, Newcastle upon Tyne
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[Blackgate and Castle, Newcastle-on-Tyne, England] (LOC)
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043995:Castle Keep Newcastle upon Tyne Unknown 1879-80
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061770:Black Gate Newcastle upon Tyne Maybury Malcolm 1995
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003968:Bailey Gate Newcastle upon Tyne Unknown c.1880
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Newcastle Keep entrance
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The Black Gate
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Blackgate, Newcastle
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Old castle, Newcastle upon Tyne
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Guard room in Castle, Newcastle upon Tyne
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Newcastle Keep, Newcastle upon Tyne
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The Black Gate, Newcastle upon Tyne
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Black Gate, Newcastle upon Tyne
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View of Newcastle upon Tyne
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Image from page 6 of "Transactions of the Natural History Society of Northumberland, Durham, and Newcastle-upon-Tyne" (1867)
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Black Gate
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The Cathedral Church of St Nicholas and the Black Gate
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Pons Aelius
  Co-Curate Page
Pons Aelius
- Overview About Pons Aelius Remains The Romans built Pons Aelius, a bridge  to cross the River Tyne, around 122AD. A fort was built there, eventually becoming known under the same …
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Newcastle Castle Promotional Video
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Newcastle Fortifications
  Co-Curate Page
Newcastle Fortifications
- Extract from: History, Topography, and Directory of Northumberland...Whellan, William, & Co, 1855. FORTIFICATIONS, etc.   Among the fortifications of Newcastle, the Castle from which the town derives its name, claims …

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