Bamburgh
Bamburgh
The little of village of Bamburgh has a big history, totally dominated by its impressive castle the town itself is charming and often used as a film location. Bamburgh houses circle a pretty green and as well as the castle, it is also famous as the birthplace of the heroine Grace Darling.
Grace the lighthouse keepers daughter along with her father William put to sea in a terrible storm in a 21ft coble rowing out to Big Horcar Island were a vessel had foundered on the rocks. While her father helped survivors on board grace held the boat steady, once back at the lighthouse grace remained while her father rowed out with some of the rescued men to collect more survivors.
This selfless act attracted so much attention in Victorian England that after the rescue she was a national heroine and receive so many gifts and money that a trust was set up for her. Her grave is in St Aydan’s churchyard Bamburgh there is also an elaborate memorial to her.
The castle itself was an Anglian stronghold when in AD 547 it was given by King Ethelfrith to his wife Bebba the name Bebbas Burgh becoming Bamburgh.
The castle was captured by the Normans who developed its fortifications into a veritable impregnable fortress until the wars of the roses when for one of the first times cannons were used against it by Warwick they shattered the castle and took it.
The present day building was acquired by the Armstrong’s and it has been restored over the years into its present form. The interior now houses a museum that is open to the public with many fine displays of furniture paintings and porcelain.
Activities in Bamburgh
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