Morpeth Castle – A Gatehouse with a View Across Centuries

Morpeth Castle is one of those places where the layers of local history sit right next to each other, easy to spot even from the air. The structure we now call the castle is actually the 14th-century gatehouse of a much larger fortification. It was built after Scotland raided and destroyed the earlier motte-and-bailey, whose steep green mound still rises just yards away. Over the centuries the gatehouse passed through several influential families, including the de Merlays and the Howards, and its position overlooking the Wansbeck made it a strategic asset for anyone controlling this stretch of Northumberland.

Capturing it from above, the castle feels tied directly into the shape of the town around it. The motte, the trees, and the gatehouse form a small pocket of medieval landscape right on the edge of modern Morpeth. You can see rooftops, streets, and the countryside beyond all radiating out from this little hill. The red shutters add a splash of colour, and the autumn leaves frame the stonework perfectly. It’s a brilliant reminder of how the past survives not as a forgotten ruin, but as part of the living fabric of the town.