9th August 2020 Aydon Castle – a journey through time

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It’s been a while since I last visited Aydon Castle. Situated 2 miles outside Corbridge in beautiful countryside, it’s recently reopened after the lockdown and I thought it would be a good time to visit again. It was a warm day (though cloudy) and so we set off in the Spider with the roof down.

Most of the site is open again, so we followed the one-way system around this stunning fortified manor house. Swifts had taken up residence in the solar, and it was mesmerising watching them swoop around the roof rafters. The wall-walk was closed but luckily my favourite part, the orchard, is still open.

By this time, the sun was shining, and so we had lunch in the orchard, where the crab-apple trees were laden with fruit.

Ofter visiting the castle, we took the walk into the deep Cor Burn ravine which surrounds the castle. The dappled sunlight through the trees was beautiful, and a massive fallen tree presented a good photo opportunity.

Back at the car park, in an adjacent field a mare was watching over her new-born foul. A lovely end to a great visit.

History of the Site

Documentary evidence shows that a timber hall first existed on this site. The manor house was built by Robert de Reymes, a wealthy Suffolk merchant, starting in 1296, adjacent to the steep valley of the Cor Burn.  At this time the building consisted of a two-storeyed hall house with a solar, dining hall and kitchen on the upper floor. In 1305 he obtained a licence to crenellate his property and added battlements and curtain walls. It was captured by the Scots in 1315 and again in 1346. In the middle of the 16th century it was renovated and in the middle of the 17th century it was converted into a farm. The building remained in use as a farm until 1966 but has since been restored to its medieval appearance. It is managed by English Heritage.