Clan Rising
Bywell Castle today

England · Partial ruin

Bywell Castle

Bywell Castle is a 15th-century castle in the village of Bywell overlooking the River Tyne in Northumberland. Built by the Neville family in 1430, the surviving element is a three-storey gatehouse and stretches of curtain wall into which a later house has been incorporated. The site is privately owned and is a Grade I listed building.

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Photograph via Wikimedia Commons

Its prime

1464

Today

Partial ruin

As it stood in 1464

What Bywell Castle looked like in its prime.

A tall three-storey stone gatehouse of coursed grey sandstone rises directly from a low curtain wall; the gatehouse has a crenellated parapet and a projecting angle turret with rectangular embrasures. Paired narrow arched windows puncture the elevation and a vaulted entrance would have passed through the ground floor. The curtain wall continues along the slope and is partly built into by a later domestic range; the castle sits above lawns and trees with the River Tyne visible beyond.

Its story

The story of Bywell Castle.

Bywell Castle was built in 1430 by the Neville family, Earls of Westmorland, overlooking the River Tyne four miles east of Corbridge, but it was never completed. What stands is the impressive three-storey gatehouse and part of a curtain wall, into which a much later house has been incorporated. King Henry VI took refuge here after the Battle of Hexham in 1464.

The castle, a Grade I listed building and Scheduled Ancient Monument, is privately owned as the seat of the Viscounts Allendale and not normally open to visitors. It gave its name to the ship that ploughed into the SS Princess Alice on the Thames in September 1878, sinking her within minutes, estimates of the lives lost range from 590 to 640.

Step inside

6 places to explore in 1464.

The record describes 6 distinct spots at Bywell Castle, including 1 interior: gatehouse entrance passage. Create your own photoreal reconstruction and explore every one, more scenes means more rooms, more angles, and more of the place to stand in.

Approach across the lawn to the base of the gatehouseOuter face of the three-storey gatehouseGatehouse entrance passagePoint where the curtain wall meets the later houseBattlement walk and roofline of the gatehouseView over the River Tyne from the castle grounds

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Recreate Bywell Castle with AI to explore it.

The artist rebuilds it as it stood in 1464, a photoreal reconstruction that belongs to you alone. Pay with coins, no subscription needed.

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Whose castle

Clans who held Bywell Castle.

The families that held Bywell Castle for a decade or more across its history, follow a name to its clan.

  • Neville

    Built the castle in 1430; the family of the Earls of Westmorland.

Nearby

Landmarks within reach of Bywell Castle.

Beamish, The Living Museum of The North, EnglandMuseumBeamish, The Living Museum of The North19 km awaySt James’ Park, EnglandStadiumSt James’ Park20 km awayTyne Bridge, EnglandBridgeTyne Bridge20 km away

Questions about Bywell Castle

What is the history of Bywell Castle?

Bywell Castle was built in the 15th century by the Neville family, Earls of Westmorland, but was never completed. King Henry VI took refuge there after the Battle of Hexham in 1464. The surviving castle consists of a three-storey gatehouse and part of a curtain wall, into which a much later house was incorporated.

What is inside Bywell Castle?

Inside Bywell Castle, the documented feature is the gatehouse entrance passage. The gatehouse has a vaulted entrance that would have passed through the ground floor. No other interior rooms or spaces are described.

Who owns Bywell Castle now?

Bywell Castle is privately owned and is the seat of the Viscounts Allendale. It is a Grade I listed building and a Scheduled Ancient Monument. The castle stands in the village of Bywell, overlooking the River Tyne, four miles east of Corbridge in Northumberland.

Where is Bywell Castle?

Bywell Castle is in the village of Bywell, overlooking the River Tyne in Northumberland. It is four miles east of Corbridge. The castle stands above the river, with views of the River Tyne from its grounds.

When was Bywell Castle built?

Bywell Castle was built in 1430, in the 15th century. It was never completed, and the surviving remains are the three-storey gatehouse and part of a curtain wall. A much later house was incorporated into the curtain wall.

Which family or clan held Bywell Castle?

The Neville family held Bywell Castle after building it in 1430. They were the family of the Earls of Westmorland. The castle was later associated with King Henry VI, who took refuge there after the Battle of Hexham in 1464.

What did Bywell Castle look like in its prime?

In its prime, Bywell Castle had a tall three-storey gatehouse of coursed grey sandstone rising from a low curtain wall. The gatehouse had a crenellated parapet, a projecting angle turret with rectangular embrasures, and paired narrow arched windows. The curtain wall continued along the slope and was partly built into by a later domestic range.

Is Bywell Castle still standing or is it a ruin?

Bywell Castle is partially ruined, but its three-storey gatehouse and stretches of curtain wall still stand. The castle was never completed. A much later house has been incorporated into the surviving curtain wall.

Can you visit Bywell Castle?

Bywell Castle is privately owned and not normally open to visitors. It is the seat of the Viscounts Allendale. The surviving building is a Grade I listed building and a Scheduled Ancient Monument.

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