Warkworth Castle – Castle Review

Built: 1150s

Location: Castle Terrace, Warkworth NE65 0UJ

History: Warkworth Castle and Hermitage form one of the most unusual pairs of medieval monuments in Britain. The castle was probably laid out in its present form in about 1200 and was the favoured residence of the powerful Percy family from the 14th to the 17th centuries. As the Earls (and later Dukes) of Northumberland, they were among the greatest landowners in northern England. Nearby, on the banks of the river Coquet and accessible only by boat, are the remains of a chapel known as the hermitage, carved directly out of the cliff rock.

Review: This has got to be another one of my favourite castles. It’s an absolutely spectacular castle to explore.

Firstly, you have the outer part of the castle. You have the ‘secret’ room in the middle of the grounds. The outer walls with all their individual features, the ruins that are set out amongst the grounds are easy enough to be explored for a good hour. This is only the outside of the castle keep and already, I feel in love with the castle because it’s just so wonderful to explore.

The outside isn’t even the best bit. The best bit is the actual castle keep, which is in such good condition. There are so many stairs (this is only covering two floors), so many rooms – some secret, some obvious, some big, some small. There is so much to see in this keep that it will easily keep you entertained for hours, even if you’re young or old.

There is so much to see and do that this is the perfect castle to visit if you have a free afternoon. You can’t do this castle in under an hour so make sure you do have plenty of time.

There are some great photo opportunities as well that go with the castle. When you get to the top of the keep the views are really just spectacular. As with any castle, having some height really does make the views worthwhile.

Once you have done the castle, there is, even more, to do as there is also the hermitage. The hermitage is very interesting with a lovely walk along the river followed by the world’s shortest boat journey. It gives this trip something a little different to remember it by, and it’s great that it has its own little unique activities.

Back to the Keep – the one thing that I really appreciated about this is that there are no decorations or wax figures. It lets you use your imagination.

This is a very authentic castle and it’s great for children and adults for when you have a completely free afternoon and need something fun to do.

It is most definitely worth a visit!

The feature picture was taken from http://www.theamazingpics.com/eery-shot-of-warkworth-castle-in-northumbaland-uk/