Chance finds and antiquarian interest
Plan of the known medieval structures of the castle
During the slow re-building process begun at the castle in 1750, occasional chance discoveries make their appearance in the written record. In sinking the floor of the cellar within the keep, in 1770, a draw well was uncovered. This well, still on display in the ground floor of the keep, is very probably Anglo-Saxon in date, as a note in an 8th century chronicle describes a well in just this general area. Three year later the foundations of the12th century chapel constructed by Henry II was uncovered when a large volume of wind deposited sand was removed from the Inner Ward. The 7th century Basilica of St Peter which housed the right hand of St Oswald could well lie beneath this structure.
At the time of the castle’s restoration by Lord Armstrong an antiquarian called Cadwallader Bates worked diligently to record the outline of the medieval structures that survived. He wrote a history of the castle and compiled a plan which is of great importance for our understanding of the castle’s medieval appearance.
Excavations by Dr Brian Hope-Taylor
Dr Hope-Taylor is best known for his tremendous excavation at the Anglo-Saxon palace site at Yeavering (located about 24 km west of Bamburgh). At the same time as this large scale excavation he dug a number of small trial trenches within the West Ward of Bamburgh Castle. Here he uncovered evidence of the Iron Age and Roman occupation of the site mentioned earlier as well as the Anglo-Saxon strap ends and small gold plaque on display in the castle museum.