A short, and pleasant, drive from Alnwick lies Warkworth. The earliest record of this ancient place is from the 8th Century, whilst that of the castle comes from the mid 12th Century. Earl Henry of Northumberland, the son of King David I of Scotland built the earliest fortress on the site. At the time, this area was part of Scotland, but in 1157 Henry II recovered Northumberland from the Scots.

By 1292 Warkworth was grand enough to accommodate Edward I, who spent a night here. In 1327 the castle was twice besieged by the Scots. Edward III, perhaps realizing that Warkworth was too far from London for him to be able to defend properly, granted it to Henry de Percy II.

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