An iconic North East castle is toasting a special birthday in style with the launch of two anniversary beers dedicated to the remarkable Victorian philanthropist who helped save it from ruin.
The special brews are dedicated to local hero Lord Armstrong who, 125 years ago, put both his fortune and foresight to good use when he bought Bamburgh Castle in Northumberland, transforming it from a run-down shell into the breathtaking and beautifully restored stronghold it is today.
Lord Armstrong Amber and Bebbanburg Gold are a collaboration between Alnwick Brewery and the descendants of the 19th century Tyneside-born industrialist who bought the crumbling fortification in 1894 for the princely sum of £60,000 - £7.6m in today’s money.
William Watson-Armstrong, the fifth generation of the family to own Bamburgh Castle, said: “The two beers are a very special and unique way for people to toast the important part the first Lord Armstrong played in the history, both past and present, of a place that regularly tops the polls as one of the UK’s most recognisable and best loved castles.”
Lord Armstrong started out his working life as a lawyer before going on to become one of the Victorian age’s greatest entrepreneurs, whose firms employed 35,000 people across Tyneside. He built up a vast fortune, but was renowned for his acts of generosity.
William said: “But for his intervention, Bamburgh Castle may well have been a lost cause. Instead, Lord Armstrong’s legacy has been to leave us a spectacular and powerful reminder of the important part this corner of Britain played in the nation’s history over many centuries.
“Given that Lord Armstrong was a man of the people who came from humble beginnings, I can’t think of a better way to celebrate his 125-year association with Bamburgh than by raising a glass or two of beer brewed in his name.”
William worked closely with Alnwick Brewery’s head brewer Phil Bell to develop the two beers with their striking labels.
Lord Armstrong Amber depicts a painting of the man himself set against an arresting blue background.
The Bebbanburg Gold - Bebbanburg was Bamburgh’s Saxon name - uses the classic image of the castle perched on its rocky outcrop overlooking a wide expanse of dune-fringed sands.
Jannick Genouw, Alnwick Brewery’s sales executive, said: “It would have been easy to just stick a label on a couple of our existing beers and market them under the Bamburgh Castle name, but that isn’t what anyone wanted.
“Instead, we have two truly unique beers. We are a small Northumberland microbrewery with a proud Northumberland heritage, and wherever possible we like to support local.”
The launch of the beers is just one of many Lord Armstrong-focused 125th anniversary events planned for the coming months.
Lord Armstrong Amber and Bebbanburg Gold cost £2.95 a bottle and are available to buy from the Bamburgh Castle shop or to enjoy alongside food in the Clock Tower Café.
Bamburgh Castle is open every day until November 3 between 10am-5pm, and weekends only from November 4 to February 7, 2020, 11am-4.30pm.
