William II ordered the first castle in 1092, a Norman motte-and-bailey. Henry I ordered the stone rebuild, dated to 1122, and the existing keep dates from between 1122 and 1135. David I of Scotland largely rebuilt it after 1138. A Roman fort beneath it is dated by dendrochronology to AD 72. The article calls it one of 104 recorded tower keep castles, and gives no dimensions.
Henry VIII had it converted for artillery, with the engineer Stefan von Haschenperg. It was neglected after 1746, and parts were demolished in the 19th century for building materials. It served as barracks from the mid-19th century.
English Heritage manages it, and it houses Cumbria's Museum of Military Life. It is a Scheduled Ancient Monument, and Army Reserve units still use parts of it.
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