Dunstanburgh Castle, Northumberland, England

Varley toured Northumberland in September 1808, executing a series of drawings in a sketchbook now in the Victoria and Albert Museum, London (inv. E.3242-1931). This sketchbook, known as the 'Northumberland Sketchbook', contains studies of Dunstanburgh made on 20 September 1808 (see C.M. Kaufmann, John Varley, London, 1984, no. 25, pp. 118-121). The ruins of the castle were also sketched by Varley's contemporaries including Joseph Mallord William Turner (1775-1851) (see Tate Britain, London, Dunstanburgh Castle from the South, inv. D00890).

Dunstanburgh Castle was first built by Thomas, 2^nd Earl of Lancaster (1278-1322) in 1313 as a large-scale fortress on the North East coast of England. It served not only as a defensive outpost, but also a bastion of the Earl's power, and his rivalry with his cousin and then King, Edward II (1278-1322).