 From an ancient Celtic stronghold to a genius that invented modern artillery, yet also advocated for renewable energy, Bambra Castle isn't just breathtaking, it links so much fascinating history together. It was also the location of many scenes in the Netflix series The Last Kingdom, serving as the long lost home of Uhtred of Bebenburg, torn between his Saxon and Viking past. But was Uhtred a real historical figure or a fictitious character? Who were the Celtic peoples of Bambra? And who was this Elon Musk type figure of his time? I will answer these and many other questions in this video. This is the story of Bambra Castle. First up, let's look at the Celtic origins of Bambra Castle, where this site was an ancient Celtic brothonic fort known as Dinguri. Sitting on top of a volcanic rock and with great views, it's clear to see the strategic benefit of building a fort here, but what Celtic tribe built the original settlement? Well, it is thought it was a stronghold of a people known as the Gdóðinn, a brothonic people that occupied the central region of Britain after the Romans left. The Gdóðinn were one tribe and a region that was known as the Hennog Leve, or the Old North, a region that had strong connections to Wales. The people of this region would have spoke Cumbric, which is closely connected to Old Welsh. In the 6th century, Angles invaded the territory of the Gdóðinn and established the Kingdom of Burnisia. The first known king of Burnisia was Aida, who ruled from 547 until his death in 559. It is not fully clear to what extent the Gdóðinn were replaced or if they were assimilated into the new kingdom, but we know there was at least some bloodshed. A Welsh medieval poem called the A Gdóðinn tells the tale of the Gdóðinn and their allies in an epic war against the Angles at the Battle of Catraith around 600 AD. The poem tells us how a force of around 300 warriors were assembled. Some from as far afield as Pickland and ancient Wales. After spending a year feasting at what is now Edinburgh, they attacked Catraith, thought to be cataract in North Yorkshire. After several days of fighting against overwhelming odds, nearly all the warriors were killed. Around his time, Ethelrith, another king of Burnisia, passed the fort on to his wife Beba, and it is from her that the early name was derived, as it was known as Bebonbar. The Kingdom of Burnisia would later merge with its neighbour, the Kingdom of Díra, to form the Kingdom of Northumbria in the 7th century, with Bambra an important stronghold. Now given its location right on the coast, it should all become as a surprise that the Vikings soon arrived, and are thought to have completely destroyed the original fort in 993. The Viking period in England and the tension between Christian Anglosaxons and pagan Vikings was amazingly explored in the Last Kingdom Netflix series, which was inspired by a series of books called The Saxon Stories. Now let's face it, ads can be annoying. If you want ad-free content and other exclusive benefits, please consider supporting my work on Patreon, the link will be in the description below. Thank you and I will end the video. The show uses Bambra Castle for some exterior shots, although I think they built a set in Hungary for a lot of it. The main character of the show is Uhtred of Bebenberg, whose ancestral home was Bambra or Bebenberg. But was Uhtred a real character? The series of course rearranges timelines and events and adds lots of fiction. But there was a real Uhtred of Bambra, who was known as Uhtred the Bold. He was the ruler of Bambra and from 1006 to 1016, he held the title of Elderman of Northumbria, clearly connected figure. He was given the hand of the daughter of King Ethelred of England in marriage. He was probably a man of action and helped defend this region against attacks from Scots in 1006. Like in the show, Uhtred had to balance the English and Scandinavian pressures throughout his life. One version of his death also sounds like something out of a TV show. The story goes that Knut, who ruled the kingdoms of England, Denmark and Norway for a period, forced Uhtred to make a truce with him. As Uhtred met with Knut to agree the truce, Knut's men were hidden behind a curtain, stepping out the ambushed Uhtred, slaughtering him along with 40 of his men. There is another Uhtred connected to Bambra as well, who was the son of Edwulf the First of Bambra, who ruled in the 10th century. Boudre the Bold was probably the main inspiration for Uhtred in the last kingdom. Now, what about the more modern history of Bambra Castle and who was this genius inventor? Well, the castle was under Norman influence for a period before the property came under the control of the reigning English monarch. If we fast forward through time, after the castle changed hands numerous times, it was finally bought by the Victorian industrialist William Armstrong in 1894, who completed some restorations on the castle. It is still owned by the Armstrong family, a good Scottish border clan name. William Armstrong was actually a fascinating character himself. He founded Armstrong Whitworth in 1847, a major British manufacturing company that built armaments, ships and other vehicles. After giving his gun patents to the British government, Armstrong was knighted in 1859. He is often considered the inventor of modern artillery, and invented such weapons as the Armstrong gun. He seemed to have no issue in being involved in the war industry as well. He once said, If I thought that war would be fermented or the interests of humanity suffer by what I have done, I would greatly regret it. I have no such apprehension. It is our province as engineers to make the forces of matter obedient to the will of man. Those who use the means we supply must be responsible for the legitimate application. Despite being involved in designing and manufacturing weapons, he was also heavily interested in renewable energy. In collaboration with the architect Richard Norman Shaw, he built Cragside in Northumberland, the first house in the world to be lit by hydroelectricity. He once stated that coal was used wastefully and extravagantly in all its applications, and predicted in 1863 that Britain would cease to produce coal within two centuries. He was also an advocate for solar energy. I respect with what your thoughts on this matter are. It's interesting that he was thinking about such things 150 years ago. As we have seen, Bamberg Castle isn't just breathtakingly beautiful. It also links so many parts of Britain's history together. But what impact did ancient migrations have on the genetics and DNA of Britain? To find out, please click here. Thanks for watching, please subscribe and hit the bell, and tell your friends and family about this channel. Please let me know your thoughts in the comments below as well. Thanks for watching and I'll see you next time.