Warkworth Castle

Warkworth Castle is located on the Northumbrian coast within a loop on the River Coquet, a mile and a half upstream from the mouth where it enters the North Sea at Amble. 

Warkworth Castle

Warkworth Medieval map

History of Warkworth Castle and Hermitage | English Heritage (english-heritage.org.uk)

The origins of Warkworth Castle is thought to be a motte and bailey fortification built by Henry the son of  David I, King of Scotland, when he became the Earl of Northumberland in 1139.  The current castle structure may have been built in the 1150s to consolidate  Henry II’s repossession of Northumberland in 1157. Major construction between 1199 and 1214 defined the castle's format. 

Warkworth Castle plan

Warkworth Castle southern wall 

Warkworth Castle Entrance Gate

Warkworth Castle Outer and Inner Ward

Warkworth Castle Outer and Inner Ward

Medieval Warkworth Castle 

Warkworth Castle Medieval singers

Warkworth Castle Medieval singers

Warkworth Castle IJ

Warkworth Castle VM

The castle was  prominent in the long running conflict between England and Scotland. It passed to the Percy Family in 1332. In 1405 Harry Hotspur, 2nd Earl of Northumberland, quarrelled with Henry IV who marched north and laid siege to Warkworth with cannon, forcing its quick surrender. During the War of the Roses, the 2nd and 3rd Earls of Northumberland supported the Lancastrtians, and after they were killed St Albans (1455) and Towton (1461), Warkworth became a headquarters for he Earl of Warwick, leader of the Yorkist forces. From Warkworth he supervised the sieges of Alnwick, Bamburgh and Dunstanburgh castles, which remained centres of Lancastrian resistance.

The fortunes of the castle fluctuated with periods of building and decay. After the gunpower plot in 1605, the 9th Earl of Northumberland was imprisoned owing to his links to one of the conspirators in the Gunpowder Plot. In his absence it was leased to Sir Ralph Gray, who let the buildings deteriorate further. During the English Civil War Parliamentarian forces garrisoned the castle and when they withdrew they weakened the fortifications so it could not be used in a war. In the 19th century, stone form the castle was used to build houses in Warkworth, and the castle was left in a ruinous state. Some work was later carried out to restore the castle wall and the great tower. Rooms were maintained for the use of the Duke and Duchess of Northumberland, who would bring guests from Alnwick Castle for picnics in the summer.

Warkworth Castle Great Entrance Tower

Warkworth Castle Watch Tower

Warkworth Castle Lion Tower

Warkworth Castle Lion Tower Scuplture

Warkworth Castle Grey Mares Tower

Warkworth Castle Grey Mares Tower weapon ports

Warkworth Castle view to the R.Coquet

Warkworth Castle Keep

Warkworth Castle Keep

Warkworth Castle Keep plan

Warkworth Castle Keep Great Hall

Warkworth Castle Keep Great Hall

Warkworth Castle Keep Great Hall

Warkworth Castle Keep Upper Kitchen

Warkworth Castle Keep Upper Kitchen

River Tyne - HNLMS Karel Doorman

 Visiting the Tyne and docking at the Tyne Commissioners Quay, North Shields was the HNLMS Karel Doorman. 

HNLMS Karel Doorman Tyne Commission Quay

HNLMS Karel Doorman Tyne Commission Quay

HNLMS Karel Doorman

It is multi-function support ship for amphibious operations of the Royal Netherlands Navy, which is also used by the German Navy

HNLMS Karel Doorman

The keel of the ship was laid down on, 7 June 2011 and the vessel launched on, 17 October 2012, being commissioned 24 April 2015. The Karel Doorman can reach a speed of 18 knots (21 mph; 33 km/h), and has a range of 9,800 nautical mikes (18,100 km).

HNLMS Karel Doorman

The  ship is designed to act as a Sea Based Operations Platform. It can supporting amphibious land forces with logistic support providing supplies and is ship is equipped with two LCVP's landing craft. It has 2,000 lane metres for transport of material for tracked & wheeled vehicles or containers. A roll on/roll off facility for vehicles, and a steel beach stern construction for accommodating cargo transfer via landing craft. 

HNLMS Karel Doorman Stern for Landing Craft

It has the capability to provide helicopter support, transport and attack. It has the capability to  operate  two Chinooks simultaneously, and has  storage capacity of up to 6 medium-sized helicopters, including AH-64D Apache.

HNLMS Karel Doorman Helicopter Landing

The ships compliment numbers 159 personnel, and can carry an additional 141 support personnel.  She also command rooms for war staffs and a large hospital facility with 20 treatment areas, and two surgery rooms. Modular flexibility allows configuration of temporary areas for evacuees or prisoners.

The ships armament consists of ; 

2 × Goalkeeper Close in Weapon System

2 × 30mm Marlin WS rapid fire gun

4 × 12.7mm Hitrole NT machine gun

6–8 x 7.62mm FN GPMG machine gun

HNLMS Karel Doorman Weapon Systems

HNLMS Karel Doorman has seen service on the coast of West Africa in 2015 to deliver aid to Ebola-struck countries and in  the autumn of 2017 she was sent to the Caribbean for humanitarian aid after the region was struck by Hurricane Irma.