NORTHUMBERLAND CASTLES
Jim Scott
Photography isn’t always about art, often it's about making a record, capturing a moment in time or documenting a piece of history.
The Northumberlander Project is setting out to create the first ever photographic record of all of Northumberland’s historic castles. At 70, Northumberland has more castles than any other English county. And, perhaps surprisingly, these have never been catalogued in one collection of images for people to enjoy or for historic record.
Being the landing ground for Viking invaders and the borderland between Scotland and England, the county has seen a turbulent past with battles raging here for centuries. The remaining castles, some over 1400 years old, are legacies of this dramatic and bloody past. These strongholds range from small remote ruins, to grand fortresses on top of hills and in lavish country estates, which are still inhabited today. Steeped in history and intrigue, a handful of them have featured in blockbuster Hollywood movies such as Harry Potter, Transformers, and Indiana Jones, as well as TV shows like The Last Kingdom, Vikings, Downton Abbey and even Black Adder. But many more are forgotten ruins or earthworks which are quickly being lost to time, and may never be appreciated by future generations.
Being a proud Northumberian, committing these places to record using the medium of photography is important and exciting in equal measure. Moreover, I feel like my work needs to reflect the rugged nature of the landscape, and the inclement conditions of the region, and most importantly it has to do justice to the dramatic history of its subjects.
35 of the 70 castles are catalogued so far and the following for it on social media demonstrates the interest of people not only from the region, but from around the world.
There is a lot to do, but the project is well underway.
This article first appeared in PRISMA, Issue 9.