A View Fit for Kings - Bamburgh Castle From Above

Bamburgh Castle has stood on this dramatic stretch of the Northumberland coast for well over 1,400 years, and its location tells you everything about why it mattered. Sitting high on a volcanic outcrop, the site was once the royal capital of the Anglo-Saxon kingdom of Bernicia before merging into the wider Northumbrian kingdom. Over the centuries it has seen invasions, rebuilds, and long periods of neglect, before the Victorian industrialist William Armstrong restored it into the imposing structure we recognise today. Its walls hold layers of history that stretch from early medieval power struggles to the era when coastal defence shaped much of the region’s identity.

Seeing Bamburgh from above gives a completely different sense of its scale. The mighty curtain walls sit tight against the cliff edge while the North Sea sweeps across the sand in long, quiet strokes. The village shelters behind the fortress, and beyond it the coastline runs uninterrupted towards Lindisfarne and the Cheviots. Even from the air, the castle still feels dominant - a landmark that refuses to be overshadowed by time or tide. It’s a view that makes the past feel very present, and one that shows exactly why this spot has remained important for so long.