Robert Curthose, eldest son of William the Conqueror, in 1080 built a wooden motte and bailey style castle on the site of the Roman fort.

Curthose built this 'New Castle upon Tyne' after he returned south from a campaign against Malcolm III of Scotland.

The 75-foot (23 m) gap between the keep and the gatehouse is almost entirely filled by the railway viaduct that carries the East Coast Main Line from Newcastle to Scotland.

In the mid-2nd century, the Romans built the first bridge to cross the River Tyne at the place where Newcastle now stands.

It is thought likely that the Wall descended (or ascended) the sloping street called the Side,[3] just to the north of the Black Gate of the castle, described below.

[2] In 1080, the Norman king, William I, sent his eldest son, Robert Curthose, north to defend the kingdom against the Scots.

The great outer gateway to the castle, called 'the Black Gate', was built later, between 1247 and 1250, in the reign of Henry III.

[7] Additional protection to the castle was provided late in the 13th century when stone walls were constructed, with towers, to enclose the town.

[8] From the early 17th century onward, this situation was made worse by the construction of shops and houses on much of the site.

[8] In 1643, during the English Civil War, the Royalist Mayor of Newcastle, Sir John Marley, repaired the keep and probably also refortified the castle.

[12] In the mid 19th century the arrival of the railway in Newcastle led to a large viaduct being constructed to the north of the keep, crossing the site of the castle.

[13] The original building would probably have had a flat roof, but in 1618 James I leased the gatehouse to a courtier, Alexander Stephenson.

By the early part of the nineteenth century, the Black Gate had become a slum tenement, housing up to sixty people.

In particular, the battlements offer fine views over the River Tyne quayside, the cathedral and Newcastle station.

In addition to improved accessibility via an external lift to the Black Gate, new additions include an education centre, reception/gift shop and museum room in the Black Gate and audio-visual installations in the Castle Keep, telling the story of the site and the people who have lived there over the centuries.