NORTHUMBERLAND STRONGHOLDS, by Ed Geldard. Published by Frances Lincoln Ltd, London. (tel: 020 7284 4009). £16.99. Hardback.

THIS comprehensive survey, which features 75 castles, bastles, pele towers and battlemented country houses, explains their importance and architecture and retells their dramatic and bloody stories, accompanied by the high-quality colour photography of the author who is a professional landscape photographer.
Alongside the stalwart castles of Alnwick, Bamburgh, Warkworth and Dunstanburgh, due respect is also paid to less well known strongholds including towers at Alnham, Ancroft, Cocklaw and Longhorsley. Despite the book’s title, there is a substantial section devoted to strongholds in County Durham.