Bamburgh Castle
Standing proudly on a basalt crag overlooking the North Sea,
Bamburgh is among England's largest inhabited castles, with an
estate that spans nine acres. Bamburgh Castle also ranks among
Britain's oldest, as there has been a fort on the site since about
the 5th century AD, when the site was probably the capital of the
northern British kingdom of Bernicia. The Vikings and the Normans
also saw the strategic importance of the rocky ledge, and altered
the fortress to suit their needs. Many of the Norman alterations
form the basis of the current structure; the oldest surviving
complete building in the castle is the keep, which was built in
1164.