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This once superb castle was, for over four centuries, one of the most important in a long line of defensive castle's built in the North of the country to protect England from the Scots. It has a somewhat obscure history, some say it was begun half-way through the 12th-century by Henry, Earl of Northumberland, who was the son of Kind David I of Scotland. However, that being said, the County of Northumberland was re-granted by Henry II in 1157 to Robert Clavering, an Englishman. It was his family that were responsible for the main outline of the castle as it exists today. They built the massive gatehouse, two towers and made improvements to other areas including the chapel and the Great Hall.
The castle passed to the powerful Percy family in 1332, and it is they who added the unusual square keep in 1390. They also began a large collegiate church, the foundations of which remain visible. The castle became the Percy's favourite home but at the turn of the 15th-century it was taken again by Henry IV when the Percy's became involved in a rebellion against the King led by Archbishop Scrope.
Today, the romantic ruins of Warkworth rise in all their faded splendour above the wooded banks of the sparkling River Coquet. They perfectly reflect an image of medieval strength and the fact that in spite of being kept in good repair until the 16th-century, once the Percy's had retreated back to Alnwick Castle, Warkworth remained continuously abandoned.
Interestingly, Warkworth is the setting of the opening scene in Shakespeare's play Henry VI.
The castle can be reached via the main street in the village of Warkworth and is open daily to the public for most of the year.
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