A great cross-shaped keep above the River Coquet, the Northumberland stronghold of the powerful Percy family
Open to visitorsan English Heritage site — check opening times and admission before you go
Substantial ruinsruined, but plenty survives above ground
Warkworth Castle stands on a hill above a tight loop of the River Coquet, with the village of Warkworth spread below it and the sea a mile or so on. The most striking part is the keep, the tall central tower where the lord lived: it was rebuilt in the late 1300s on an unusual cross-shaped plan, and it survives in good enough shape that you can walk the rooms and climb to the roof for the view.
For centuries this was a main seat of the Percy family, the earls of Northumberland, who were among the most powerful nobles in the north of England. Shakespeare set several scenes here in Henry IV, which is part of why the castle turns up on so many school reading lists. Down the river, reached by a short boat trip in season, the Warkworth Hermitage is a small chapel carved into the rock of the cliff — worth pairing with the castle if it is open.
English Heritage looks after Warkworth now. It is an easy walk up from the village, where the Church of St Lawrence sits at the far end of the main street, and the whole place makes a good stop on the Northumberland Coast. Warkworth Beach is a broad sweep of sand just to the east, and the Northumberland Coast Path runs along it.
More at the National Heritage List entry
