The castles in Northumberland are some of the most historic and scenically located in all of England.
Did you know that the first Viking landing in England happened at Holy Island in Northumberland where Lindisfarne Castle now resides?
Northumberland is full of history and these are the main castles in Northumberland to visit when there.
Important: There are links to the official sites for each castle under their respective section and if you plan to visit you should check there to make sure the castle will be open.
Tip: Many of these castles are run by English Heritage and if you are an overseas visitor you can get an English Heritage Pass that will get you into over 100 English Heritage sites in England, including many castles.
Bamburgh Castle
Let’s start with the big gun of the Northumberland castles, Bamburgh Castle. If there was just one castle to explore in the county then make it this one or Alnwick Castle (see further down the article).
Bamburgh Castle is scenically, and in the past strategically, located by the coast. The origins date back to the late 11th-century when William the Conqueror built a castle there after conquering England.
It’s open for visitors.
Lindisfarne Castle
Lindisfarne Castle is situated on Holy Island only a short distance from Bamburgh Castle so you should visit both on the same day. You can access it at low tide when you can walk across to it.
Originally there was a priory on the site but it was converted into a castle for defensive purposes from the 16th-century onwards.
As mentioned at the beginning of the article, Lindisfarne is the first place in Britain where the Vikings landed at.
It’s open for visitors.
Alnwick Castle
Harry Potter castle anyone? Alnwick Castle has been used as part of the setting for Hogwarts Castle in the first two Harry Potter movies.
But Harry Potter aside, it is easily one of the best castles in Northumberland to visit and has a history dating back to the late 11th-century. During the War of The Roses, the castle was used extensively.
It’s open for visitors.
Tip: If you’re visiting Northumberland from Edinburgh there is an excellent day tour from Edinburgh to Alnwick Castle and Lindisfarne Castle you can do.
Warkworth Castle
Warkworth Castle is in a partially ruined state but it’s still one of the best castles in Northumberland to see.
It’s located by the River Coquet and along the coast and has a history going back to the 12th-century. In the early 14th-century, the castle was strengthened and survived two sieges from the Scots.
It’s open for visitors.
Chillingham Castle
Chillingham Castle has been described as the most haunted castle in England and with a history dating back to the 13th-century, it’s easy to see why that may be.
During its time the castle has been host to kings and queens and has seen quite a few battles around it.
There is a torture chamber to take a look at adding to the eerie claim as the most haunted castle! Be careful in the kitchen area where the “White Pantry Ghost” is said to roam.
It’s open for visitors.
Dunstanburgh Castle
Dunstanburgh Castle dates to the 14th-century and was in a perfect natural defensive location during its time.
It’s in ruins these days but still worth taking a look at, and it’s also in a very scenic area by the coast.
It’s open for visitors.
Edlingham Castle
Edlingham Castle is a tiny ruined castle dating to the 14th-century and is set in a picturesque valley.
The main reason to possibly visit this castle is that it’s only several miles away from Warkworth Castle, so you could combine the two.
It’s open for visitors.
Norham Castle
Norham Castle is located by the border with Scotland and overlooks the River Tweed. Being located at the border meant that this castle saw a lot of battles between the English and Scottish.
Its origins date to the late 11th-century when the Bishop of Durham ordered it to be constructed to protect it from attacks by the Scots.
It’s open for visitors.
Etal Castle
Etal Castle dates to the 14th-century and like many castles in Northumberland is in a ruined state.
It was built for defence against attacks from the Scots and had a curtain wall defence and towers.
It’s set in a charming estate area and there are often good exhibitions to see there.
It’s open for visitors.
Prudhoe Castle
Prudhoe Castle is a medieval castle dating to the late 11th-century after the Norman conquest of England and is the only castle in Northumberland not to fall to the Scottish attackers.
Its picturesque setting along the Tyne River adds to the charm of the place.
It’s open for visitors.
Berwick-Upon-Tweed Castle
The Berwick-Upon-Tweed Castle is in a ruined state of affairs these days but has some very good ramparts remains to wander over that stretch around the entire town.
It was, in fact, one of the best town defences in all of England during its time.
Norham and Etal castles are only several miles from this castle so you could essentially do all three in the same day for a long trip out for castles.
It’s open for visitors.
Mitford Castle
Mitford Castle is located near the village of Mitford and is set in the wild and free to visit. Get to Mitford village and then it’s just a short stroll up to the castle which is upon a small hillock with views of the River Wansbeck.
It’s in a ruined state and dates to the late 11th-century.
Aydon Castle
Aydon Castle has been around since the 13th-century and is an English manor house set in a lovely woodland. It passed hands between the English and Scots several times, especially in the 14th-century.
It is in a good state of repair and is in fact one of the best examples of a manor house from its time.
It’s open for visitors.
Bothal Castle
Bothal Castle started life as a manor house in the late 11th-century but by the mid-14th-century was transformed into a castle.
It’s not open for visits as it’s on a private estate run by the Cavendish-Bentinck family, but you can get nearby to see it from a distance.
Belsay Hall Castle & Gardens
Belsay Hall Castle is famed for its gardens and is essentially an elegant country house with an interesting Grecian style architecture that also has a medieval castle on the grounds dating to the 14th-century.
There is an excellent Victorian tea room to enjoy a bite to eat when there.
It’s open for visitors.
Castles In Northumberland
And those are the best castles in Northumberland to help you decide on which one(s) to see.
For more castles in Britain take a look at the 15 best castles in the Scottish Highlands to visit.
As said before, if you want just one or two castles in Northumberland to visit then go to Bamburgh Castle (combined with Lindisfarne) and Alnwick Castle.
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