Hello from Newcastle

[BDG]

You would need quite a few people to defend the priory, the walls are easy to climb and you used to be able to walk around the wall on the side near the river. A friend and I once free climbed from King Edwards bay up into the priory. Probably not the thing I would do for fun now, but it is doable.

Spent two summers climbing into the place when English Heritage closed it up for the day and have climbed all over it.

As you go through the gateway, look above you and you will see some holes - these were for pouring molten lead and burning tar and pitch down onto attackers. The monks certainly were not peaceful about holding out there, they used to throw boulders and the like from the battlements onto attacking Vikings.