BattlefieldsSiege of Bamburgh Castle 1462-1464
Medieval

Siege of Bamburgh Castle 1462-1464

1462–1464
Northumberland, England
Also known as: Bamburgh 1464 · First English artillery siege
Era
Medieval
Battle Type
Siege
Location
Northumberland, England
Status
Unregistered
The Combatants

Who Fought

Defeated
Lancastrians (Sir Ralph Grey)
Forces
Lancastrian (Grey) c. 200–400; artillery siege.
VS
Victor
Yorkists (Warwick)
Forces
Yorkist (Warwick) c. 2,000–3,500
Outcome
First English castle deliberately reduced by artillery; walls breached by cannon; Grey captured and executed
The Battle

History & Significance

The bombardment of Bamburgh in 1464 marked a watershed in English military history. Warwick deliberately used his guns to batter the walls rather than simply blockade — the first time in England that a castle was brought down by artillery rather than starvation. Grey was executed for causing the damage to the walls. The castle's perceived vulnerability after this changed English strategic thinking

Casualties & Losses

Heavy bombardment; Grey wounded and later executed

Questions & Answers

Frequently Asked Questions

Aubrey Research

Explore the landscape around Northumberland

Aubrey generates in-depth historical research for any location in Britain — drawing on Domesday records, scheduled monuments, Victorian OS maps, geological data and archaeological archives to tell the full story of a place.

Research a location near Northumberland