The iconic Bamburgh castle is in the running to be named the best castle in the UK by holidaylettings.co.uk. However, the castle will need votes if it’s to emerge victorious because there are eleven other castles also included in the list i.e. Windsor, Skipton, Lincoln, Stirling, Durham, Edinburgh, Colchester, Berkeley, Dunnottar, Raby and Ludlow. Voting for the competition comes to a close on 20th June and you can also participate in the voting process.
According to the website, the Bamburgh makes good on its claim as the king of castles as it sits on top of a rocky outcrop that overlooks both the countryside and the coast. The castle is well known throughout history because it once served as the capital of Northumbria and was the home of Anglo-Saxon royalty. In addition to this, the castle is known for the important role it played during the Wars of the Roses.
The site of the castle was originally the location of a fort that would be destroyed by Vikings in 993. The core of the present castle is from when the Normans built the castle on the site of the destroyed fort. Later on, the castle was rebuilt and has served as both a school and a hospital. It was also the first coastguard station in the entire world. The castle has undergone renovation several times over its history including in the 18th and 19th centuries. The restoration was completed by William Armstrong, a Victorian era industrialist who bought the castle. The castle is still owned by the Armstrong family but is now open to the public. In modern times, the castle welcomes more than 150,000 visitors each year who come to take in the beauty provided by both the castle and the views from the castle.
Apart from the views, the castle and the area around it is known for the excellent air quality due to lack of industrial sources nearby. The castle has been featured in many books and has also appeared in many movies.
The castle’s director, Chris Calvert, is optimistic that the fan base the castle holds throughout the world will help it to get a great result. However, he also stated that even making the shortlist was quite an outstanding achievement owing to the many beautiful castles all over the UK which would have also been genuine contenders for the title.