Northumberland in north east England is one of the most beautiful and unspoilt counties in England, with long golden beaches, miles of rolling countryside, sparkling rivers and vast dark skies. It also boasts more castles than any other county in England.

Bamburgh Castle (photo credit: Bamburgh Castle)

Once part of the ancient Anglo-Saxon kingdom of Northumbria, from which the county gets its name, Northumberland borders Scotland to the north and the North Sea to the east. Whilst it is one of the largest counties of England, it is the least populated, so provides ample opportunity for travellers to get off the beaten path and away from the crowds.

With its turbulent border history, it’s no surprise that many castles have been built over the centuries to defend this strategic region from invaders by land and sea. To this day, there are over 70 castles for the visitor to explore, and while many are now only ruins, they offer an incredibly romantic insight into a thousand years of history.

Alnwick Castle

Alnwick Castle

Perhaps the most recognisable castle in Northumberland is Alnwick Castle, which has starred in dozens of TV and movie productions. Perhaps most famously, it has appeared as Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry in the Harry Potter films. It also featured as the magnificent Brancaster Castle in Downton Abbey.

Known as the ‘Windsor of the North’, the castle is the second largest inhabited castle in England and has been home to the Dukes of Northumberland for over 700 years. The magnificent medieval architecture combines with a sumptuous Italian style interior to make this one of the most celebrated heritage destinations in the north of England. The castle’s rich history is packed with drama, intrigue and extraordinary people, from a gunpowder plotter to medieval England’s most celebrated knight: Harry Hotspur.

Alnwick Castle

The Alnwick Garden, a complex of formal gardens adjacent to Alnwick Castle, had a long history under the dukes of Northumberland, but fell into disrepair until revived at the turn of the 21st century. Redevelopment of the garden was instigated by Jane Percy, Duchess of Northumberland in 1997, and today, the multi-award winning garden is one of Britain’s most popular contemporary gardens.

Bamburgh Castle

Bamburgh Castle is England’s most iconic coastal castle, standing guard over the rugged Northumberland coastline for 1,400 years. Whether it’s the thrill of seeing the coast open out beneath you, with sweeping views towards the Farne Islands, Holy Island and Bamburgh village, or its treasure filled staterooms, including the castle’s centrepiece – The King’s Hall, Bamburgh Castle is a fortress like no other.

Bamburgh Castle

Follow in the footsteps of Uhtred into the real Last Kingdom of Bebbanburg, an Anglo-Saxon citadel where saint kings ruled the Kingdom of Northumbria. Discover a Norman stronghold, royal seat and the first castle in the world to fall to gunpowder.

Bamburgh Castle remains the private, family seat of the Armstrong family to this day and has starred in countless films and small screen productions, from Transformers: The Last Knight, to Netflix hit Frontier and of course, The Last Kingdom.

Bamburgh Castle, where The Last Kingdom was filmed (photo credit: Bamburgh Castle)

Lindisfarne Castle

The incredible ‘Holy Island’ of Lindisfarne, with its long and important role in the development of Christianity in Britain, is home to one of the most romantic castles in Northumberland. Dating back to the 16th century, Lindisfarne Castle was strategically vital during the Scottish Wars of the mid-1500s, and later saw action in the English Civil War and the Jacobite Rebellion of 1715.

Lindisfarne Castle

In the early 20th century, renowned Arts and Crafts architect Edwin Lutyens was commissioned to refurbish the castle, and the enchanting gardens were redesigned by Gertrude Jekyll, to create a fabulous holiday home for a wealthy Edwardian bachelor, and their work remains largely unchanged to this day.

Dunstanburgh Castle

An iconic castle ruin, once one of the largest and grandest fortifications in Northern England, Dunstanburgh Castle dominates one of the most beautiful stretches of Northumberland coastline, close to the Scottish Borders.

Dunstanburgh Castle (photo credit: Visit Northumberland)

Built in the second decade of the 14th century by Thomas, Earl of Lancaster, the wealthiest nobleman in England, who was later executed for his role in the Barons’ Rebellion against King Edward II, the castle was extended and modernised in the 1380s and was a Lancastrian stronghold in the Wars of the Roses. It fell into disrepair at the end of the Middle Ages, but the romantic ruins went on to inspire many artists in later centuries, including JMW Turner.

Dunstanburgh Castle

The castle is reached on foot with a beautiful 1.3 mile walk along the rugged Northumberland coast from the village of Craster, and visitors can explore the great gatehouse and the imposing Lilburn Tower, which commands stunning views north towards Bamburgh Castle.

The seaside village of Craster (photo credit: Visit Northumberland)

Warkworth Castle

Located in the delightful Northumberland village of Warkworth, with its well-preserved medieval buildings, is Warkworth Castle, a mighty hilltop fortress in a loop of the River Coquet, less than a mile from the coast.

Warkworth Castle © English Heritage

Dating back to the 12th century, the castle was a key defensive structure in the long-running war between England and Scotland, although it was besieged by the Scots in 1327. Warkworth Castle eventually passed into the hands of the Percy family, who also owned nearby Alnwick Castle, and the great tower, or keep, which is to this day almost complete, was added by Henry Percy, 1st Earl of Northumberland.

Warkworth Castle © English Heritage

The nearly intact circuit of castle walls offers spectacular river and coastal views, and striking new sculptures have been installed in the castle grounds to create a series of interactive trails which reveal the lives of people who lived in or near the castle in the early 15th century.

Chillingham Castle

Chillingham Castle has been continuously owned by one family since the 1200s and is lived in to this day. Reputedly Britain’s most haunted castle, the castle dungeons and torture chamber have many gruesome tales to tell!

Chillingham Castle

Originally a monastery, the castle was fortified in the 13th century and King Edward I stayed at the castle on his way to Scotland to do battle with a Scottish army led by William Wallace. The mediaeval castle remains as it was, but with galleries added in Tudor times for the visit of King James VI of Scotland, who stayed there en route to his English coronation as James I of England. 

The castle boasts formal gardens dating back to the 18th century, and the famous white cattle, which live in the enclosed grounds, are said to be the only survivors of the wild herds that once roamed Britain’s forests.

Lindisfarne Priory © English Heritage

Of course, there are many more castles to visit in Northumberland as well as those we have highlighted here, and Northumberland boasts dozens of other attractions and heritage sites, from Hadrian’s Wall, Britain’s most famous Roman structure, to Lindisfarne Priory, the cradle of Christianity in northern England.

Northumberland offers a diverse range of quality accommodation for all tastes and budgets and delicious dining in first-class restaurants, many of which proudly source the best local and seasonal ingredients.

If you or your group would like to explore the magnificent castles of Northumberland on a tailor-made Heritage Tour of England, please do contact our friendly team today. 

With thanks to Visit Northumberland.