Find the nearest History & Heritage in Northumberland
Our History and Heritage category brings all Coast Radar’s Northumberland listings related to looking for something to do or a place to visit together where they offer some form of historic or heritage based activity.
Finding the best things to see and do on a Northumberland day out with your family or friends is easy – simply explore the historic and heritage links below, hit the jump to my location button or use the search bar to plan your next Northumberland activity.
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- Paxton House is an 18th century country house in Berwick upon Tweed, Northumberland. Described as one of the finest examples of neo-Palladian architecture in Scotland, Paxton House was built between 1758 and 1763 by John Adam for Patrick Home. Paxton houses one of the foremost collections of Chippendale furniture as well as other valuable antiques and paintings. Visitors today can tour the house in all its splendour. The gardens are also well worth a visit, as the onsite gift shop and restaurant. Open from March to November.
- Lordenshaws, remains of an Iron Age Hillfort, Bronze age burials and rock carvings in open heather moorland close to the forested slopes of the Simonside Hills.
- Dunstanburgh Castle, a dramatic ruined castle in an impressive coastal setting. This dominates a lonely stretch of Northumberland’s coastline and was once one of the largest and grandest fortifications in Northern England.
- Cross-shaped keep of Warkworth, crowning a hilltop rising steeply above the River Coquet. Still roofed and almost complete, the uniquely-planned keep dates mainly from the end of the 14th century. It presides over the extensive remains of a great hall, chapel, fine gatehouse and a virtually intact circuit of towered walls. Half a mile from the castle, accessible only by boat, stands a much more peaceful building: the late medieval cave Hermitage and chapel of a solitary holy man.
- Harbottle Castle was built in the 12th century. It was a typical Norman motte and bailey castle built of earth and timber. In the 13th century, a stone castle replaced the earlier building. The castle was destroyed and rebuilt many times in the wars with Scotland between the 12th and 16th centuries. Most of the stone from the castle was reused to make later buildings, but the layout of the castle can still be seen from the form of the earthworks that survive. Some good walks to Drake’s Stone and a hilltop lake.
- Cragside House is a country house in Cartington, Northumberland. Built into a rocky hillside in 1863, the house was originally a two-storey lodge but was extended subsequently into a Tudor style mansion. It was the first house to be lit by hydroelectric power and is full of gadgets from the Victorian era, a monument to its creator and original owner, Lord Armstrong. Owned by the National Trust since the late 1970s, Cragside House is open to the public from February to November. Alongside the house, the amazing rock gardens are well worth a visit. There is a gift shop and tea room on site.
- Heddon on the Wall is a village on Hadrian’s Wall situated just outside Throckley in Northumberland. At Heddon, there is the longest stretch of unbroken parts of Hadrian’s Wall, which is up to 2 metres thick in places. This stretch is now known as Broad Wall and is popular with tourists.
- Prudhoe Castle, built to defend a strategic crossing of the River Tyne.
- Chantries, small chapels for travellers were common in medieval England. This Chantry at Morpeth is one of the few to survive and now houses a pipes museum, craft studio and tourist information point.
- Bamburgh Castle is a Norman castle situated on the Northumbrian coast at Bamburgh. The castle is a grade I listed building and was once the Royal Seat of the Kings of Northumbria. Now it is a family home. With its location on a rocky plateau overlooking the sea, Bamburgh has witnessed much turbulent history over the centuries. Owned by the Armstrong family since the late 19th century, the castle is open to the public and has also been used as a film location many times.
- Alnwick Castle is home to the Dukes of Northumberland and is very much still in use. Alnwick Castle is the second largest inhabited castle in England, and has been the home of the Percys, Earls and Dukes of Northumberland since 1309, making this year the 700 year anniversary. Houses the Northumberland Fusiliers Regimental Museum.
- Etal Castle, built in the mid-14th century on the strategic River Till ford as defence against Scottish raiders.
