Dunstanburgh Castle is a beautiful stately castle, once the largest in the county, standing on a remote headland in Northumberland. The construction of this massive fortress began under the leadership of the Earl Thomas of Lancaster, cousin of Edward II, King of England. However, Lancaster had disagreements with the king over the royal favorite, Pierre Gaveston, and also took part in rebellions against the crown. As a result, he failed to escape the revenge of the king, and in 1322 he was executed. By the time of his execution, the castle was almost completed.
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| Dunstanburgh Castle Northumberland |
In 1362, Dunstanburgh was presented to John of Ghent, the fourth son of King Edward III, who significantly rebuilt the castle.
During the War of the Scarlet and White Roses, Dunstanburgh Castle was located in the very center of fierce fighting, it was twice besieged and captured by York forces, and was destroyed as a result of shelling. Over time, the castle continued to fall into disrepair, other buildings of the county were built from its stone. The last private owner of the castle was Sir Arthur Sutherland, who donated the castle to the British Ministry of Public Works in 1929.
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| Dunstanburgh Castle Northumberland |
The famous artist Turner depicted Dunstanburgh Castle many times in his paintings, usually in the dawn rays of the sun. One of his paintings is on display at the Dunedin Art Gallery and another is at the National Gallery of Victoria.