Berwick Castle

Berwick Castle
Berwick-upon-Tweed, Northumberland, England
Motte and keep wall of Berwick Castle, with the rail bridge to the right
Berwick Castle
Coordinates	55°46′26″N 2°00′42″W / 55.7738°N 2.0116°W / 55.7738; -2.0116Coordinates: 55°46′26″N 2°00′42″W / 55.7738°N 2.0116°W / 55.7738; -2.0116
Grid reference	grid reference NT992535
Type	Motte and bailey
Site information
Owner	English Heritage
Open to the public	Yes
Condition	Ruined
Site history
Materials	Stone
Events	Wars of Scottish Independence

Berwick Castle is a ruined castle in Berwick-upon-Tweed, Northumberland, England.

The castle was founded in the 12th century by the Scottish King David I. In 1296-8, the English King Edward I had the castle rebuilt and the town fortified, before it was returned to Scotland. In November 1292, King Edward announced in the great hall before the full parliament of England and many of the Nobility of Scotland his adjudication in favour of John Balliol of the dispute between him, Robert the Bruce and the count of Holland for the Crown of Scotland. 1330 "Domino Roberto de Lawedre" of The Bass, described as Custodian or Keeper of the Marches and the Castle of Berwick-upon-Tweed, received, apparently upon the termination of his employment there, £33.6s.8d, plus a similar amount, from the Scottish Exchequer. The town and castle changed hands several times during the English-Scottish conflicts.

In 1464 the Exchequer Rolls of Scotland record that Robert Lauder of Edrington was paid £20 for repairs made to Berwick Castle. In the 16th century, during the reign of Elizabeth I, the walls were strengthened with the addition of two semi-circular artillery flanking towers, one at the river's edge and the other on the angle of the curtain wall.

The castle's location in the hotly disputed border country between England and Scotland made it one of the most important strongholds in the British Isles, and it enjoyed an eventful history. As a major tactical objective in the region, the castle was captured by both the English and Scots on a number of occasions and frequently sustained substantial damage; Edward I used it as his headquarters during the course of his invasions of Scotland. The castle also changed hands in less violent circumstances when the English King Richard I sold the castle to the Scots, to help fund the Third Crusade. The castle finally fell into English hands in the last week of August 1482. After invading Scotland following a pact with the Duke of Albany, Richard, Duke of Gloucester captured the castle from Patrick Hepburn, Lord Hailes.