27 Iconic Buildings to Explore in Northumberland

Alnwick Castle is the second largest inhabited castle in the country and has been home to the Duke of Northumberland’s family, the Percys, for over 700 years. The Castle’s rich history is brimming with drama, intrigue and extraordinary people; from a gunpowder plotter and visionary collectors, to decadent hosts and medieval England’s most celebrated knight: Harry Hotspur. t is a Grade I listed building[1] and as of 2012 received over 800,000 visitors per year when combined with adjacent attracti

Aydon Castle was one of the finest and most unaltered examples of a 13th century English manor house. Set in a beautiful and secluded Northumberland woodland. An existing timber hall house was transformed into an impressive stone-built residence but, as the war turned against the English, it suffered from numerous attacks which financially ruined its owner. This classic castle is perfect for family games and picnics and is a great starting point for some woodland walks.

Bamburgh Castle is a castle on the northeast coast of England, by the village of Bamburgh in Northumberland. It is a Grade I listed building. The site was originally the location of a Celtic Brittonic fort known as Din Guarie and may have been the capital of the kingdom of Bernicia from its foundation in c. 420 to 547. After passing between the Britons and the Anglo-Saxons three times, the fort came under Anglo-Saxon control in 590.

Belsay Castle is a 14th-century medieval castle situated at Belsay, Northumberland, England. It is a Scheduled Ancient Monument and a Grade I listed building. The main structure, a substantial three-storey rectangular pele tower with rounded turrets and battlements, was constructed about 1370, and was the home of the Middleton family. In 1614 Thomas Middleton built a new manor house attached to the tower.

Berwick Castle was a ruined 12th-century castle built by David I of Scotland but, alongside the town, it regularly changed hands between the English and Scots. In 1292 Edward I declared his verdict on the Scottish succession within the castle's Great Hall. Much of the fortification was destroyed by the construction of the railway in the nineteenth century. The magnificent defences of Berwick testify to the important role played by the town throughout history.

Brinkburn Northumberland is a rustic yet elegant 12th-century manor house and Priory, Grade 2 listed stable block and private estate grounds nestled in a secluded wooded ravine on the banks of the River Coquet.The 12th-century church of the Augustinian Priory was completely reroofed and restored in the mid-19th century. It is one of the best examples of early Gothic architecture in Northumberland. Stepping inside will transport you back in time. See the striking stained glass windows and William

Chillingham Castle is a 13th century, Grade 1 Star-listed stronghold in Northumberland, famed for action and battles. See Chillingham's alarming dungeons as well as active restoration in the Great Halls and State Rooms which are gradually brought back to life with tapestries, arms and armour. A large enclosed park in the castle grounds is home to the Chillingham cattle, a rare breed, consisting of about 90 head of white cattle.

Edlingham Castle is a small castle ruin, having Scheduled Ancient Monument and Grade I listed building status, in the care of English Heritage. It has been described as "...one of the most interesting in the county", by Nikolaus Pevsner, the architectural historian. Edlingham itself is little more than a hamlet with a church alongside the castle.

Etal Castle is a majestic castle is the ideal location for a family day out set in the charming village of Etal by a ford over the river Till. The castle was involved both in local feuding and the border wars between England and Scotland. There was a battle between the rival Manners and Heron families outside the walls in 1428, and in 1513 it was briefly captured by King James IV of Scotland during his invasion of England.

Featherstone Castle, a Grade I listed building, is a large Gothic style country mansion situated on the bank of the River South Tyne about 3 miles southwest of the town of Haltwhistle in Northumberland, England. It has played an important role in the battles between the English and the Scots. Originally a 13th-century hall house, a square three-storey pele tower was added in 1330 by Thomas de Featherstonehaugh.

Hexham Abbey is a majestic Grade I listed place of Christian worship dedicated to St Andrew, in the town of Hexham, Northumberland, in Northeast England. Originally built in AD 674, the Abbey was built up during the 12th century into its current form, with additions around the turn of the 20th century. Since the Dissolution of the Monasteries in 1537, the Abbey has been the parish church of Hexham.

The Hexham Old Gaol is in the town of Hexham, Northumberland, England. It is reputed to be the oldest purpose-built prison in England. The gaol was built under the order of Margot and William Melton, the Archbishop of York, in 1330–33. It held prisoners from Hexhamshire and also, in the 16th century, from the English Middle March, before their trial in the Moothall Court Room nearby.

Howick Hall Gardens & Arboretum is the ancestral seat of the Earls Grey since 1319. Discover the history of the 2nd Earl, after whom the famous tea is named, wander through the beautiful gardens created by the 5th Earl Grey and his family or for the more energetic explore the arboretum a united nations of shrubs and trees covering over 65 acres. Take a rest from exploring in the Earl Grey Tea House for a bite to eat and a cup of Earl Grey Tea.

Kirkley Hall is a 17th-century historic country mansion and Grade II listed building in Northumberland, England. The estate is over 190 acres and adjoins the River Blyth at Kirkley. It zoological garden has over one hundred species of animals including ring tailed and ruff lemurs, meerkats, coatis, marmosets, capybara, kookaburra, wallaby and a wide range of domestic, exotic and avian species including our petting barn.

Lady Waterford Hall was once the village school. It was built in 1860 for the Marchioness Waterford. The main hall was decorated from 1861-83 by the Marchioness with a series of paintings, done on paper and stuck to the wall, like murals. They all represent biblical scenes. All the figures used in them are portraits of village people and castle servants.

Lindisfarne Castle was built in the mid-1500s, on top of a volcanic plug known as Beblowe Crag, using stones robbed borrowed from Lindisfarne Priory. It was occupied by Parliamentary forces during the Civil War and it was seized and briefly held by two Jacobites in 1715. In the early twentieth century it was transformed into a stylish residence by the owner of Country life magazine.

Lindisfarne Priory, the original home to the Lindisfarne Gospels, was one of the most important centres of early Christianity in Anglo-Saxon England. Founded by St Aidan in AD635, the site owes its fame to St Cuthbert, the greatest of Northumbrian holy men, who lived and died there. Stroll around the Monastic buildings which formed the living quarters of the monks, the remote setting adds to the unique atmosphere of the Priory.

Morpeth Chantry is a superb 13th Century Grade I listed building situated adjacent to the site of the ancient bridge across the River Wansbeck at Morpeth, parallel to the 19th century road bridge built by Thomas Telford. It showcases local authors, paintings, photography, and music.There are lovely collections of handmade jewellery, glass and ceramics, and stitched fabric, that make wonderful presents, and local produce.

Cragside was the home of an extraordinary man, William George Armstrong (1810-1900). He was a scientist and technical innovator of genius. It was the first house in the world to be lit by hydro-electric power, using man-made lakes and underground piping. The grounds of the Cragside Estate offer up a host of activities that will keep you and your family busy and fit. There's a play area, a rhododendron maze, a waterfall and the Trim Trail, where the whole family can test their agility.

Dunstanburgh Castle stands on a remote headland in Northumberland. The castle was built at a time when relations between King Edward II and his most powerful baron, Earl Thomas of Lancaster, had become openly hostile. Lancaster began the fortress in 1313, and the latest archaeological research indicates that he built it on a far grander scale than was originally recognised, perhaps more as a symbol of his opposition to the king than as a military stronghold.