A castle, a priory and WW2 military defences in the North East - Tynemouth Priory
On a rocky outcrop at the mouth of the River Tyne in the North East stands a site that has a wealth of heritage from the medieval period to the Second World War, Tynemouth Priory. On entering the English Heritage property you are first met with a chunky medieval defensive keep. There has been a castle on this site since at least 1095, but this would have been of earth and timber construction. The castle that stands today, all be it in a ruinous state, was constructed between 1296 - 1390. The Priory is the next impressive structure you will come across. The priory was founded in the early 7th Century and what is left today is limited but still rather impressive. Much of the east wall and it's large arched window openings still stand tall - make sure to look down as well, you can see the footprint of an early presbytery. Beyond the priory is a large graveyard, littered with grave stones of varying periods, and off to the left (right in the photo above) is a more recent addit...