England · Restored
Aydon Castle
Aydon Castle is a fortified medieval manor house near Corbridge in Northumberland, originally built from 1296 and later crenellated and fortified in the early 14th century. It was damaged in the Scottish raids of the 1310s, rebuilt later in the 14th century, and remained in domestic use before becoming an English Heritage site and a Grade I listed building. The surviving fabric presents a compact fortified hall complex rather than a large concentric castle.
First raised
1296
Its prime
1340
Today
Restored
As it stood in 1340
What Aydon Castle looked like in its prime.
A compact rectangular fortified manor of grey-brown sandstone with low curtain walls and a crenellated parapet on a square gate/tower at one corner. A projecting, buttressed stone block rises with a cluster of tall brick chimney stacks. The east range shows a steep gabled roofline and pointed-arch windows set into thick walls. Small slit and lancet windows puncture the elevation. The building sits on a level grassy plot enclosed by a low stone boundary wall.
Its story
The story of Aydon Castle.
Hugh de Raymes and the Move to Aydon, 1293–1298
A timber hall already stood at Aydon, near Corbridge, when Hugh de Raymes, a major Suffolk merchant, bought the property from the estate of an impoverished neighbour between 1293 and 1295, hoping to raise his own social standing. Legal complications delayed the transfer, and the estate was not released until 1296 — the year after Hugh's death. His son Robert took over the property and moved his household there, making Aydon Hall his primary residence, a decision believed to be linked to opportunities opening up in the Scottish Wars of Independence. Robert fought in Scotland in 1297–1298 and is believed to have fought at the Battle of Falkirk in 1298 against William Wallace's forces.
Building in Stone and Winning the Right to Crenellate, 1296–1312
Robert began replacing the timber hall with stone in 1296; the manor as initially built had no defensive works or fortifications, and he soon added a two-storey hall range. Fortification was not thought necessary at first, but in 1305 Aydon Hall was granted permission to add crenellations — possibly sought simply to mark the family's rising status. That changed from 1311–1312, when Scottish border reivers began raiding into English territory. Aydon itself was attacked but repelled at least two known assaults by Scottish forces; the raiders damaged the surrounding land but could not take the hall.
Capture After Bannockburn and Robert's Ruin, 1314–1324
The English position in Northumberland turned dire after the Battle of Bannockburn in 1314. Aydon Castle fell to the Scots in 1315 when its governor surrendered the garrison; the castle was pillaged, burnt and severely damaged in the aftermath. English raiders looting whatever the Scots had left caused further damage in 1317. Robert de Raymes, who had been captured at Bannockburn, was financially ruined both by the destruction of his home and by the 500-mark ransom he paid for his release; he died in 1324 with little to his name, and the estate was by then considered worthless.
Rebuilding and the End of the Raymes Tenure, 1324–17th Century
Robert's son, also named Robert de Raymes, inherited the wrecked estate and rebuilt and strengthened the fortifications the Scots had destroyed. On his death in 1349 the property passed to Nicholas de Raymes, who tried to restore the family's former fortunes but was ultimately forced to sell the estate by the 15th century. Aydon then changed hands several times with little alteration to the buildings until the 17th century.
Farmhouse to Scheduled Monument, 17th Century Onward
From the 17th century Aydon was run as a farmhouse; in the early 19th century it was the residence of a George Bates. Farming use ended in 1966, when the site was opened to the public. It is now owned and operated by English Heritage, and survives as a Scheduled Ancient Monument and a Grade I listed building.
Step inside
6 places to explore in 1340.
The record describes 6 distinct spots at Aydon Castle, including 1 interior: two-storey great hall (interior). Create your own photoreal reconstruction and explore every one, more scenes means more rooms, more angles, and more of the place to stand in.
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Clans who held Aydon Castle.
The families that held Aydon Castle for a decade or more across its history, follow a name to its clan.
Raymes
Bought by Hugh de Raymes in the 1290s and made the family's primary residence by his son Robert; the de Raymes held Aydon until forced to sell the estate by the 15th century.
Nearby
