Britain - Ireland - Castles . com
Castles and Historic Buildings of Scotland, England, Wales and Ireland

 Castles of England - Bowes Castle






Map by mapchart.net - Some rights reserved.


Location
near Bowes, Co. Durham, England

Description
Bowes Castle is situated in the village of Bowes in County Durham. The ruins of the keep are all that remains, and the ruins are now managed by English Heritage, a body responsible for protecting the historical environment

History
The castle was built around 1136 on the site of an old Roman fort guarding the Stainforth Pass through the Pennines. The castle was built by Alan, Count of Brittany, but after the death of Alan's son, ownership of the castle passed to the crown. King Henry II built a massive stone keep in the 1170s. In 1173 Bowes Castle was attacked and damaged by King William I of Scotland. The castle was besieged in 1322 in a local feud, and the castle fell into ruin.


Other Castles in the Area
  Auckland Castle, Co. Durham
  Barnard Castle, Co. Durham
  Bolton Castle, North Yorkshire
  Brough Castle, Cumbria
  Middleham Castle, North Yorkshire
  Pendragon Castle, Cumbria
  Raby Castle, Co. Durham
  Richmond Castle, North Yorkshire







Richmond Castle
Bowes Castle. Originally a Norman earth and timber ringwork and bailey fortress, founded by Alan, count of Brittany. Built within the Roman fort of Lavatrae and divided into two baileys by a wide L-shaped ditch, it guards the Stainmore pass.

Photograph by Darren Haddock. Some rights reserved.  (view image details)

© OpenStreetMap contributors licensed as CC BY-SA