Castles in Tyne and Wear

There are four castles in Tyne and Wear, a metropolitan county in North East England.

All four of Tyne and Wear's castles are scheduled monuments.

A scheduled monument is a "nationally important" archaeological site or historic building, given protection against unauthorised change.

[1] The purpose of a castle was not simply militaristic, but was also considered to be a stamp of authority over the population of an area and a status symbol.

Some would have acted as centres of trade and administration for a manor.