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The fortress that gave Newcastle upon Tyne its name survives today as Newcastle Castle, a pair of medieval buildings standing above the river in the heart of the city. A new castle was first raised on the site in 1080 by Robert Curthose, the eldest son of William the Conqueror, on his return from a campaign in Scotland, replacing earlier Roman and Anglo-Saxon occupation of this strategic crossing point of the Tyne, and it was from this stronghold that the growing town took its name. The stone keep that visitors see today was built in the later twelfth century by King Henry the Second, and the fortified gatehouse known as the Black Gate was added in the thirteenth century, the two structures now separated by the railway viaduct that was driven through the castle precinct in the Victorian era. Over the centuries the castle served as a royal fortress, a prison and, after its military importance faded, a tangle of crowded slum dwellings, before being rescued and restored as a monument to the city's origins. Visitors can climb the keep to its battlemented roof for panoramic views over the city, the river and its famous bridges, explore the great hall, chapel and garrison chambers, and learn about the long and often turbulent history of the site through displays and events. Its central position makes it an easy and rewarding stop. Tickets can be booked online or at the door, and the castle welcomes visitors throughout the year across every season of the calendar. The survival of the keep and gatehouse amid the railways, roads and buildings that have grown up around them offers a striking reminder of the medieval origins of a city better known today for its industrial and cultural life. Events, re-enactments and exhibitions held within the historic spaces bring the past to life and explain the castle's long evolution from royal fortress to prison and slum and finally to protected monument. For visitors, the climb to the roof rewards the effort with one of the best vantage points in the city, taking in the celebrated bridges spanning the gorge of the Tyne, while the atmospheric interiors evoke the centuries of history contained within these walls, making the castle a rewarding stop throughout the year across the seasons.