LIFE IN THE STRONGHOLD

From April, Tynemouth Priory and Castle will be revealing its new face lift with a re-presentation of the site’s 2000 year history from its original beginnings as an Ango-Saxon settlement, through to a monastery, artillery fort and finally a modern coastal battery.

Tynemouth sits in the strategic headland location at the mouth of the River Tyne and the new interpretation panels will explain how it has defended the entrance to the river and what life was like on the headland over four key points in history. Characters from the priory and castle’s past will bring the stories to life and show how life on the headland changed dramatically through the centuries. The characters include a monk from the monastery in the 13th century and the story of a Royalist soldier during the Civil War.

Coming soon….English Heritage is also refurbishing the Gun Battery at the Castle which was used in the First and Second World Wars. Conservation works are currently being carried out, meaning that the Battery can re-open to the public in early summer.