An excess of photographs from the recent walk along Hadrian’s Wall. However, not all remnants were of Roman origin. This ruin is distinctly medieval.
Erected in the 1300s, Thirlwall Castle served as a fortified home for the Thirlwall family. Built from robbed stones from the Wall, its stout walls shielded them from Scottish incursions during border strife. Legend maintains that one retainer secreted a valuable golden table within a well during a skirmish, where it purportedly remains, under mystical watch!
Tranquility descended in the 1600s, though belatedly for the castle. The Thirlwalls departed, leaving the decrepit ramparts to be consumed by nature. By the 1700s, the Romantic poets and artists flocked to sketch the ruins and the nearby rustic cottages.
The ensuing centuries proved harsh for the castle. Pilferage for construction material and encroaching vegetation has weakened its structure.
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