Exploring the 'Proud Heights' of Prudhoe Castle

Nine minutes from Prudhoe station and a short march up the steep bank opposite Princess Way, and I’m swiftly transported from busy industrial parkland to a sanctuary of leafy green silence which speaks of another age. 

Secluded by a towering barricade of trees, Prudhoe Castle sits on a small pinpoint peak rising from the south bank of the River Tyne. 

Only moments away from the busy A695 and lying in hushed woodland, the castle itself is so secretive a presence you barely realise it’s there until you’re upon it. 

The castle has however drawn local concern in recent months following its temporary closure this spring by conservation charity English Heritage, which councillor Gordon Stewart of Prudhoe South described as a 'massive blow which had been kept under wraps'.

English Heritage has said that 'a new way of operating is currently being developed' for the site, with plans in progress to recruit volunteers to provide new guided tours for the public and educational trips. 

In the meantime, English Heritage has opened the outer ward walk around the castle to the public, offering a fitting place to reflect on the site’s 900-year history at the core of Prudhoe’s ancient community.

Immersed in the natural silence that surrounds Prudhoe Castle, it’s hard not to slow down, take time to ramble, and embrace a moment to kindle curiosity about the site’s less-than-tranquil history. 

Stepping out from the stone archways that flank the castle’s entrance offers a chance to explore the abandoned 18th-century mill, a teasing glimpse of the gothic Regency mansion built inside the castle’s walls, and an unusually strong sense of character about the place. 

The mill at Prudhoe Castle was built in the 18th century and worked by local people until it ceased operation in the 1880s. (Image: ETait)

Hundreds of years of conflict, industry, and art seem to collide on this tiny spot of land, and while the castle’s architectural elements are in an obvious state of dilapidation, their endurance regardless must also be considered extremely impressive. 

Said to be the only castle on the Borders which resisted raid by the Scots, the site was once occupied by a wooden motte and bailey fortress before the stone structure was raised by Odinel de Umfraville during Norman rule, making the castle nearly 1000 years old. 

When William the Lion of Scotland invaded Northumbria in 1174, he laid siege to Prudhoe Castle for three days, but to no avail – the fortress was unassailable, and while the Prudhoe men are said to have suffered no injury, the Scots slunk away in despair and very much the worse for wear. 

By the late 1590s, it seems the castle had fallen into a state of disrepair, with one surveyor declaring it ‘old and ruinous’, yet it was continuously occupied until the 1960s before being handed over to English Heritage’s care. 

Indeed, a cursory glance may incline the hasty visitor to agree wholeheartedly with this Tudor surveyor’s conclusion today, and bar a few security fences and information boards here and there, one could quite easily be deceived into thinking the castle hasn’t moved a moment in time for more than four hundred years. 

 Yet, the fortress’s walls continue to stand strong on the land that our Northumbrian forefathers are thought to have called ‘Proud Heights’ – which the town’s name, Prudhoe, would appear to be derived from. 

Moreover, while the castle continues to appear as ‘old and ruinous’ as it was to the surveyor’s eyes all those centuries ago, crucially, in spite of appearances, the fortress continues to be as well-hidden and imposingly impenetrable as in the year of its completion. It’s a structure that seems to defy anyone to consider it completely without power or purpose. 

Prudhoe Castle’s fortress was laid siege to several times by the Scots during the Middle Ages but was never captured. (Image: ETait)

Not to be underestimated, the power of Prudhoe Castle as it is today lies in its ability to demonstrate Northumbrian evolution through the ages, and thrillingly to conjure a sense of heritage in its visitors, rarely to be summoned so astonishingly swiftly anywhere else. 

If you’ve been inspired to embrace Prudhoe’s past, the outer ward walk of Prudhoe Castle is open 10am – 5pm seven days a week.

For more information and updates on how to visit Prudhoe Castle visit the English Heritage website here.