MonoMonday: Landmark

Well you can't get a better landmark for Newcastle upon Tyne than its eponymous castle, can you...?!

...Well maybe you can, as this stone castle isn't actually the castle which gave the city its name. The "New Castle" was actually of the motte-and-bailey type, a wooden tower on top of an earthen mound (motte), surrounded by a moat and wooden stockade (bailey). It was built by Robert Curthose (son of William I) in 1080 - just 14 years after the Battle of Hastings.

The current castle (a Grade 1 Listed Building) pictured here was a replacement for the 1080 castle, built by Henry II between 1172 and 1177 at the "enormous" cost of £1,444. It was built with a rectangular stone keep and a stone bailey in the form of a triangle.

Some of the crumbling stonework had to be replaced between 1960 and 1980 - hence the newer appearance of some of it particularly on the left side as viewed here

(Note: In case you're worried, it's not really falling over as it appears - I had to use my fisheye lens to get it all in the photo.)

I thought it was particular appropriate to use our local castle as the subject of today's blip, as Jensphotos (our current MM host) lives in Newcastle DownUnder (New South Wales). Many thanks for hosting, Jenny!