Bewcastle Castle Ruins

A castle has stood in Bewcastle since the 11th century, although it has been destroyed and rebuilt various times during its history and was originally constructed on the site of a Roman fort. The castle had many infamous owners over the centuries, including King Richard III and the prominent Musgrave family.

Today, the castle is a fragment of its former self. Surrounded by peaceful nature, the ruins are used to graze sheep.

The ruins of Bewcastle Castle lie mysteriously tucked away in the northeastern corner of an old Roman fort in Cumbria. The original castle was built around 1092 on the foundations of the Fanum Cocidii fort and served as a border defense against Scottish incursions. Destroyed in 1173, it was rebuilt in the 14th century by John de Strivelyn, a general of King Edward III.
The castle had a square plan of 27 meters, surrounded by a dry moat that partially utilized Roman ditches. Within the walls were buildings surrounding a small courtyard, with a gatehouse added later. The walls are up to 9 meters high, with visible windows and fireplaces on the second floor.
Bewcastle Castle was strategically located on the Maiden Way, a Roman road leading to Hadrian's Wall, and played a role in conflicts with the notorious Border Reivers. Today the ruins are unstable and partly inaccessible, but they remain a powerful symbol of border defense and medieval architecture.