There was a battle between the rival Manners and Heron families outside the walls in 1428, and in 1513 it was briefly captured by King James IV of Scotland during his invasion of England.

The castle passed into the hands of the Crown in 1547 and was garrisoned as part of the border defences, but fell into disrepair and was abandoned as a military fortification after 1603.

[3] Alternatively, the central tower may have been built at some point between the late 13th and early 14th centuries, complete with crenellations, in which case the licence from Edward III served only to allow Manners to extend the perimeter fortifications.

[6] De Letham was a powerful regional figure, and may have been granted the wardship by Edward III in order to retain his loyalty in the face of military advances by the Scots; he and his wife allegedly ran down the surrounding estate, resulting in a commission being established to investigate the abuses.

[18] Etal surrendered quickly in the hope of avoiding being pillaged by James' army, but nonetheless it was at least partially slighted - deliberately damaged to prevent it being used as a defence.

[19] After the English victory at the Battle of Flodden the following month, the castle was retaken, garrisoned and used by Lord Dacre to store the captured Scottish artillery, under the guard of Sir Philip Tilney.

[21] The Crown bought the castle from the Manners in 1547 in exchange for other estates in England, putting Sir John Elleker in charge of the property, along with a garrison of 100 horsemen and 200 foot soldiers.

[23][nb 1] In 1603 James VI of Scotland inherited the kingdom of England, uniting the two thrones, and Etal Castle lost its military value and soon passed into private ownership.

[4] In 1636, the Earl of Suffolk sold it to a Scottish officer Sir Robert Carr, supposedly descended from Kerr of Greenhead, Roxburgh.

[28] In the 21st century it is managed by English Heritage, and protected under UK law as a Grade I listed building and as an ancient monument.

[33] Four storeys tall, each floor of the tower was reached by a spiral staircase and comprised two rooms, one large and one small chamber.

[34] The gatehouse in the south-east corner is 36 feet (11 m) square, and its vaulted passageway was originally protected by a portcullis, gate and a drawbridge.