Tynemouth Castle

Also known as, or recorded in historical documents as; Tynemouth Priory; Tiefort; Tynemuth

In the civil parish of Tynemouth.
In the historic county of Northumberland (Modern Authority of North Tyneside, 1974 county of Tyne and Wear).

Very strongly fortified monastery, usual described as Castle, on headland with fortification dating from 1095, maintained as coastal fortification after Dissolution. Remains include of curtain of 1296, ruinous gatehouse of 1390's, stone cased ramparts of Elizabeth I. Probably originally a motte. In 1296 Edward I granted the prior and convent a formal licence to crenellate.

This site is a scheduled monument protected by law.

The Ordnance Survey Map Grid Reference is NZ372694

Sources of information, references and further reading

PastScape number; 1162269

Web site links

http://www.theheritagetrail.co.uk/priories/tynemouth%20priory.htm
http://www.english-heritage.org.uk/server/show/conProperty.136
http://www.castleuk.net/castle_lists_north/88/tynemouthcastle.htm

Books

Harrison, Peter, 2004, Castles of God (Woodbridge; Boydell Press) p67, 85
Brooke, C.J., 2000, Safe Sanctuaries (Edinburgh; John Donald) p5, 9, 92, 96, 114, 148, 155, 169-175, 190, 343, 360-3, 366
Dodds, John F., 1999, Bastions and Belligerents (Keepdate Publishing)
Salter, Mike, 1997, The Castles and Tower Houses of Northumberland (Malvern) p100-1
Emery, Anthony, 1996, Greater Medieval Houses Vol1 (Cambridge) p141-3
Pettifer, A., 1995, English Castles, A guide by counties (Woodbridge) p196
Bonde, S., 1994, Fortress-Churches of Languedoc (Cambridge: Cambridge University Press)
Jackson, M.J.,1992, Castles of Northumbria (Carlise) p152-5 [plan]
Rowland, T.H., 1987 [reprint1994], Medieval Castles, Towers, Peles and Bastles of Northumberland (Sandhill Press) p5, 7, 78-80
King, D.J.C., 1983, Castellarium Anglicanum (London: Kraus) Vol2 p342
Colvin, H.M., Ransome, D.R. and Summerson, John, 1982, The history of the King's Works Vol4: 1485-1660 (part 2) (London) p682-8
Fry, P.S., 1980, Castles of the British Isles (David and Charles) p311
Renn, D.F., 1973 (2edn), Norman Castles of Britain (John Baker) p336
Graham, Frank, 1976, The Castles of Northumberland (Newcastle-upon-Tyne: Frank Graham) p331-3
Long, B., 1967, Castles of Northumberland (Newcastle-upon-Tyne) p164-5
Pevsner, N., 1957, The Buildings of England: Northumberland (London, Penguin) p300-1
Hugill, R.,1939, Borderland Castles and Peles [1970 Reprint by Frank Graham] p207-10
Armitage, Ella, 1912, The Early Norman Castles of the British Isles (London: John Murray) p228
Craster, H.H.E. (ed), 1907, Northumberland County History (Newcastle-upon-Tyne) Vol8 p131-204
Mackenzie, J.D., 1897, Castles of England (Heinemann) Vol2 p424-5
Timbs, J. and Gunn, A., 1872, Abbeys, Castles and Ancient Halls of England and Wales Vol3 (London) p360-4
Turner, T.H. and Parker, J.H., 1859, Some account of Domestic Architecture in England (Oxford) Vol3 pt2 p404
Latimer, J., 1857, Local Records of Northumberland and Durham p373
Gibson, 1847, History of the Monastery founded at Tynemouth Vol2 p111-25
Buck, Samuel and Nathenial, 1774, Buck’s Antiquities (London) Vol1 p222
Grose, F., 1756, Antiquities of England and Wales Vol4 p143-52

Journal Articles

Thompson, M.W., 1986, 'Associated monasteries and castles in the Middle Ages: a tentative list' Archaeological Journal Vol143 p310
Fairclough, Graham, 1983, ‘Tynemouth Priory and Castle — excavation in the outer court, 1980' Archaeologia Aeliana [ser5] Vol11 p101–33
Coulson, C., 1982, 'Hierarchism in Conventual Crenellation: An Essay in the Sociology and Metaphysics of Medieval Fortification' Medieval Archaeology Vol26 p69-100
Oman, C., 1979, 'Security in English Churches, AD1000-1548' Archaeological Journal Vol136 p90-98
Cambridge, E., 1976, ‘Tynemouth Priory' Archaeological Journal Vol133 p217-20 [plans]
Jobey, G., 1967, 'Excavation at Tynemouth Priory and Castle' Archaeologia Aeliana [ser4] Vol45 p33-104 [on the battery]
Hunter Blair, C.H., 1944, 'The Early Castles of Northumberland' Archaeologia Aeliana [ser4] Vol22 p127-9 [plan]
Hadcock, R.N., 1936, 'Tynemouth Priory' Archaeologia Aeliana [ser4] Vol13 p122-38
Hodgson, J.C., 1916, 'List of Ruined Towers, Chapels, etc., in Northumberland; compiled about 1715 by John Warburton, Somerset Herald, aided by John Horsley' Archaeologia Aeliana [ser3] Vol13 p15
Knowles, W.H., 1910, 'The Priory Church of St Mary and St Oswin, Tynemouth, Northumberland' Archaeological Journal Vol67 p1-50
1902, Archaeologia Aeliana [new ser] Vol23 p36-40
1896, Archaeologia Aeliana [new ser] Vol18 p61-82
Adamson, 1892, Archaeologia Aeliana [new ser] Vol15 p218-24
Hodgson, 1822, Archaeologia Aeliana Vol1 p216-8

Guidebooks

1999, Tynemouth Priory and Castle (English Heritage)
Saunders, A., 1993, Tynemouth Priory and Castle (English Heritage)
Hadcock. R.N.,1986, Tynemouth Priory and Castle, Tyne and Wear. (London: HMBCE)
Hadcock. R.N.,1952, Tynemouth Priory and Castle (HMSO)

Primary (Medieval documents or transcriptions of such documents - This section is far from complete and the secondary sources should be consulted for full references.)

1415 list of Northumberland Castles [Click here]
Calendar of Patent Rolls (1292-1301) p197
The Anglo-saxon Chronicle; Laud Chronicle AD1095

Antiquarian (Histories and accounts from late medieval and early modern writers)

William Camden, 1607, Britannia [http://www.philological.bham.ac.uk/cambrit/nhumbeng.html#nhumb17]
Chandler, John, 1993, John Leland's Itinerary: travels in Tudor England (Sutton Publishing) p342

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