There are four castles in Tyne and Wear, a metropolitan county in North East England. One is a gatehouse, one is a keep, one is an enclosure and one is an artillery fort.
All four of Tyne and Wear's castles are Scheduled Ancient Monuments. A Scheduled Ancient Monument is a "nationally important" archaeological site or historic building, given protection against unauthorised change.[1]
The purpose of a castle was not simply militaristic, but was also considered to be a stamp of authority over the population of an area and a status symbol. Some would have acted as centres of trade and administration for a manor.[2] The earliest castle in Tyne and Wear is Tynemouth Castle.
| Castle | Location | Type | Constructed | Scheduled | Coordinates |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hylton Castle | North Hylton, Sunderland | Gatehouse | 1390s–1400s | Yes | |
| Newcastle Castle Keep | Newcastle-upon-Tyne | Keep | 1168–1178 | Yes | |
| Ravensworth Castle | Lamesley, Gateshead | Enclosure | 14th century (or earlier) | Yes | |
| Tynemouth Castle | North Shields, Tynemouth | Artillery fort | 1095 | Yes |
|
|||||||||||