A ruined border stronghold above the Tweed, fought over for centuries by the English and Scots, and painted again and again by Turner
Open to visitorsan English Heritage site — check opening times and admission before you go
Substantial ruinsruined, but plenty survives above ground
Norham stands right on the frontier, on a bluff above the River Tweed with Scotland on the far bank, and that position made it one of the most fought-over castles in the country. The bishops of Durham built it from the early 12th century, guarding their lands and the border crossing, and its tall keep (the central tower) still rises above deep ditches and worn curtain walls. The Scots besieged it many times over the medieval centuries; James IV of Scotland battered it into surrender in 1513, days before he was killed at the battle of Flodden a few miles south. By the time the border wars ended the castle was slipping into ruin, and in the 19th century Turner came back to paint the great keep and the river over and over, until it became one of his best-known subjects. English Heritage looks after the ruins now. They sit just above the village of Norham and its Norman St Cuthbert’s Church, with Etal Castle and the Union Chain Bridge both a short drive off.
More at the National Heritage List entry
