Newcastle - Vampire Rabbit

Newcastle (officially Newcastle upon Tyne) developed around a Roman settlement called Pons Aelius. Later, being part of the kingdom of Northumbria, it was known as Monkchester. Conflicts with the Danes in 876 left the settlements along the River Tyne in ruins. Robert Curthose, oldest son of William the Conqueror, erected a wooden castle there in the year 1080 since then the town was known as New Castle. The wooden structure was replaced by a stone castle in 1087. After a rebellion against the Normans in 1088, the town was all but destroyed by Odo of Bayeux.Throughout the Middle Ages, Newcastle was England's northern fortress.


The Vampire Rabbit is a mysterious creature that has stood over the ornate back door of the historic building, opposite the rear of St Nicholas Cathedral, since 1901, when the building was constructed.