Etal Castle, Nr Cornhill-on-Tweed (Northumberland)

Explore the ruins and visit the award winning exhibition at Etal Castle.

Summary 14th century buildings Gift shop Information provided Audio guide

Food and Drinks Picnic area

Introduction

Etal was built in the mid-14th century by Robert Manners as a defence against Scots raiders, in a strategic position by a ford over the River Till. It fell to James IV's invading Scots army in 1513, immediately before their catastrophic defeat at nearby Flodden. An awardwinning exhibition tells the story of Flodden, and the Anglo-Scottish border warfare which ended with the accession of James I in 1603.

History to the present day

Etal Castle's location near the border with Scotland made it very vulnerable to attack, and in 1341 its owner Robert Manners acquired a licence to fortify the three-storey tower house. Once completed, the now crenellated tower house formed one corner of a courtyard enclosed by curtain walls. The tower house was opposite a gatehouse, and towers occupied the remaining two corners.

By the 16th century, the local constable had taken control of Etal Castle and in 1513 the castle was seized by the invading army of James IV of Scotland. During the unsuccessful invasion, James was killed at the nearby Battle of Flodden and the castle was returned to English control. In 1549 the Crown took over the running of the castle, hoping to improve the state of repair of such a strategically important castle. However, with the 1603 Union of the Scottish and English crowns, the castle was no longer important from a military perspective and the neglect and decay of the building was allowed to rapidly worsen.

Arrival information and how to find us

Address: Etal Castle, Northumberland, , United Kingdom

Opening times:

 

1 Apr-30 Sep 11am-4.30pm

 

Admission prices:

 

Adult:£3.50

Children:£1.80

Concession:£3.00

Family Ticket: £8.80

 

 

Photographs copyright of English Heritage Photographic Library.