ts ancient castle occupies
a magnificent position close to the sea on an almost perpendicular rock,
150 ft. in height, accessible only on the south-east side.

The first erection is ascribed by the Saxon chronicles to King Ida of
Northumberland. The castle buildings are of various dates from the Norman
period and are of great strength and dignity. They include a massive keep
and the remains of an apsidal chapel dedicated to St Peter. In the village,
the church is dedicated to St Aidan, who was bishop of Lindisfarne or Holy
Island, which lies off the coast to the north, about 634. It is a fine
cruciform building, mainly of Early English date, with a crypt beneath the
chancel. In the churchyard is a monument to Grace Darling (1815-1842), the
brave rescuer of some of the crew of the ship "Forfarshire" in 1838. The
Longstone Lighthouse, where her father was keeper, stands on an outer rock
of the Farne Islands, which stretch north-eastward for 6 m. from the coast
at Bamburgh.

The town of Bamburgh (_Bebbanburgh_) sprang up round the ancient castle.
During the struggle for the crown between William Rufus and Robert of
Normandy, Bamburgh was besieged by William, who, finding the defence too
strong, erected and garrisoned a new castle before Bamburgh called [v.03
p.0303] "Malveisin" or "Evil neighbour." Earl Robert of Northumberland, who
was in command of Bamburgh, having been defeated in a sally, the castle
surrendered to William in November 1095. The first mention of Bamburgh as a
borough does not occur until 1169, when the men paid 2-1/2 marks to an aid.
Henry III. by charter of 1254-1255 granted the burgesses their town at an
annual fee farm rent of 26 marks, of which they were acquitted in 1318 and
1327 "on account of the robberies and fires inflicted on them by the
Scots." Edward III. in 1332 confirmed the charter of Henry III., and
granted further that the town should be a free borough governed by four
bailiffs, that it should be enclosed by a wall and that the burgesses
should have a gild merchant. He also altered the market-day from Sunday to
Wednesday, and gave licence for the fairs, which had been held "from time
immemorial" on the feasts of SS. Oswald and Aidan, to continue for three
extra days. During the Scottish wars of the reign of Henry V., Bamburgh
again suffered severely, so much so that in 1439 the burgesses had
decreased in number from 120 to 13. These again petitioned for a remission
of their farm, which i