Castles · North East England
Bowes Castle
In or near Gilmonby.
Bowes Castle — castle in County Durham, England, UK.
Wikimedia Commons contributors — see linked file page for photographer and licence licence
Plan your visit
- Typical visit
- 1.5 h–3 h
- Free entry
- Family-friendly
- Limited wheelchair access
Getting there & planning your visit
To visit Bowes Castle in County Durham, use the postcode DL12 9LD for sat-nav. Entry is paid, and wheelchair accessibility is limited.
About
Bowes Castle is a castle in the United Kingdom — fortified architecture from the medieval, Tudor, or Victorian-revival period. Heritage designation: scheduled monument. Owned by English Heritage. Managed by English Heritage. Wikidata describes it as: "castle in County Durham, England, UK". Coordinates: 54.5167°, -2.0135°.
Photo gallery
Heritage listing
Bowes Castle is a medieval castle in the village of Bowes in County Durham, England. Built within the perimeter of the former Roman fort of Lavatrae, on the Roman road that is now the A66, the early timber castle on the site was replaced by a more substantial stone structure between 1170 and 1174 on the orders of Henry II. A planned village was built alongside the castle. Bowes Castle withstood Scottish attack during the Great Revolt of 1173–74 but was successfully looted by rebels in 1322. The castle went into decline and was largely dismantled after the English Civil War. The ruins are now owned by English Heritage and managed as a tourist attraction.
From the Historic England List Entry under OGL v3.
From English Heritage
The impressive ruins of Henry II's 12th-century keep, on the site of a Roman fort guarding the approach to strategic Stainmore Pass over the Pennines.
Read more on the official property page.
Protected designations
- Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty: North Pennines
Designations sourced from Natural England open data under OGL v3.
From the Wikipedia article
Bowes Castle is a medieval castle in the village of Bowes in County Durham, England. Built within the perimeter of the former Roman fort of Lavatrae, on the Roman road that is now the A66, the early timber castle on the site was replaced by a more substantial stone structure between 1170 and 1174 on the orders of Henry II. A planned village was built alongside the castle. Bowes Castle withstood Scottish attack during the Great Revolt of 1173–74 but was successfully looted by rebels in 1322. The castle went into decline and was largely dismantled after the English Civil War. The ruins are now owned by English Heritage and managed as a tourist attraction. There is free admission during daylight hours.
Excerpt from Wikipedia under CC BY-SA 4.0. See the source article linked in Sources below.
- Coordinates
- 54.5167, -2.0135
- District
- County Durham
- Parish
- Bowes
- Postcode
- DL12 9LD
- Parliamentary constituency
- Bishop Auckland
- Opening
- Open any reasonable time during daylight hours
- Official site
- www.english-heritage.org.uk
Sources
- wikidata: Q4950955 (CC0)
- wikipedia: Bowes Castle (CC BY-SA 4.0)
- commons: Bowes Castle - geograph.org.uk - 1060655.jpg (CC BY-SA 4.0)
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Frequently asked questions
- Where is Bowes Castle?
- Bowes Castle is in North-East England, United Kingdom (postcode DL12 9LD), in the parish of Bowes.
- What is Bowes Castle?
- Bowes Castle — castle in County Durham, England, UK.
- How do I get to Bowes Castle?
- Drivers can use postcode DL12 9LD.
- Who runs Bowes Castle?
- Bowes Castle is operated by English Heritage.
- Is Bowes Castle a listed building?
- Bowes Castle is officially recognised as scheduled monument listed.
- Is Bowes Castle a protected site?
- Yes — Bowes Castle is part of the North Pennines National Landscape (AONB).
- Does Bowes Castle charge admission?
- Bowes Castle typically charges admission. Check the official site for current ticket prices and opening hours.
- How do I get to Bowes Castle?
- Drivers can navigate to postcode DL12 9LD. It sits within the Bishop Auckland parliamentary constituency.