On a promontory overlooking the North Sea near the village of Tynemouth is Tynemouth Castle and Priory. Founded in the 7th Century by Edwin of Northumbria, the priory and the castle, built in the 11th Century, were destined to have a turbulent existence. It was to become the resting place of three kings of ancient Britain, face destruction by the Vikings, and receive mention in a play by Christopher Marlowe. After the Roman withdrawal from Britain in the 4th Century, Britain was not a unified country. It was divided into regions,…
