Northumberland Castles & Beaches Road Trip

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This 55-mile road trip takes you to Northumberland’s most beautiful castles and beaches, combining history, dramatic coastlines, and breathtaking scenery. Perfect for history lovers, photographers, and beach explorers!

Northumberland Castles & Beaches Road Trip Itinerary Summary

Warkworth Castle – Start at this impressive medieval castle, with panoramic river views and a charming village nearby.

Alnmouth Beach – A beautiful sandy bay, perfect for a peaceful walk or picnic with views over the estuary.

Alnwick Castle – One of England’s most famous castles, known for its Harry Potter filming locations and grand gardens.

Sugar Sands – A hidden gem beach near Craster.

Dunstanburgh Castle – A dramatic castle ruin, accessible by a scenic coastal walk from Craster.

Embleton Bay – A stunning beach, offering golden sands.

Bamburgh Castle – One of Britain’s most iconic castles, standing majestically above the beach with a rich history.

Bamburgh Beach – A vast stretch of sand, perfect for a relaxing beach walk. You can also see the Farne Islands from here.

Lindisfarne Castle – End your trip at this mystical island castle, located on Holy Island, which is only accessible at low tide via a causeway.

Total Distance: Approx. 55 miles

Recommended Time: 3-5 days

📸 Photos & Info are located further down. Keep scrolling to see all these places. ⬇️

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Additional Information and Highlights

📍 Warkworth Castle

📍 Alnmouth Beach

📍 Alnwick Castle

Home of the Duke and Duchess of Northumberland, Alnwick Castle is one of the most iconic castles in Britain and has a lot to offer to visitors.

🅿️ The castle has a dedicated car park (NE66 1YU). There is a £3.50 charge for the entire day.

🧙Harry Potter: Alnwick Castle was used as a filming location in Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone and Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets. The most iconic scene took place in the outer bailey, when Harry and his friends learned to fly broomsticks.

🎟️ Tickets can be booked here. It also gives you access to a lot of activities inside.

⌛ Opening dates: The castle is open from the end of March to October.

💡 My Top Tip: While Alnwick Castle is not the cheapest, it is definitely the one that gives you access to the most activities. I highly recommend making the best of what you get. There are walking tours (including a filming location one), broomstick flying lessons, medieval soap making and plenty more.

❤️ I absolutely loved the variety of activities that was on offer, especially considering they were pretty much all included. You can easily spend the entire day in the castle if you want to. If you are a Harry Potter fan, make sure to take the broomstick flying lesson as you can recreate the scenes and take loads of photos!

🐶 Dogs are not allowed in the castle or the grounds.

📍 Sugar Sands

📍 Dunstanburgh Castle

Located near Craster, Dunstanburgh Castle is set in an idyllic location with beautiful sea views.

🥾 How to get there: Walk from Craster along the coast. It’s a flat 1.3 mile walk which takes around 20-30 minutes.

🅿️ You can park at Craster Quarry Car Park or Craster Turn Field Car Park. Both are pay and display

🎟️ This is an English Heritage site which means it’s free for members. Alternatively, tickets can be booked here.

⌛Opening dates: The castle is open all year round but only on weekends in winter.

💡 My Top Tip: Make sure to go to the fishmonger in Craster as their kippers are delicious!
Also, the walk to the castle is by the sea which means it can be quite windy so make sure to wear a good windbreaker.

🐶 Dogs on leads are allowed.

📍 Embleton Bay

📍 Bamburgh Castle

Built 1,400 years ago, Bamburgh Castle is one of the most iconic and largest inhabited castles in Britain. It was the first castle in the world to fall to gunpowder (during the War of Roses) and now belongs to the Armstrong family.

🅿️ There is a dedicated car park by the entrance of the castle (£6/day charge). Alternatively, you can park in Bamburgh and walk up to the castle.

🎟️ Tickets can be booked on the official website or on-site.

⌛Opening dates: The castle is open all year round.

💡 My Top Tip: Check the event schedule as Bamburgh Castle often has special events on (especially for Christmas). 

❤️ The views from Bamburgh Castle are unbeatable! You can fully see how big Bamburgh beach is and can see as far as the Farne Islands. I also recommend going for a walk on the beach after visiting the castle as it will give you a completely different perspective.

🐶 Dogs are allowed in the castle ground but not inside. The café is dog-friendly too and set in the old stables which is quite nice.

📍 Bamburgh Beach

📍 Lindisfarne Castle

Located on Holy Island, Lindisfarne Castle is another National Trust site in Northumberland.

🚗 How to get there: You can drive to Holy Island via the causeway but make sure you check the tide times!
🅿️ Park at Holy Island Chare Ends Car Park. From there it takes about 10 minutes to get to the castle on foot. Another carpark closer to the castle is available for blue badge holders.

🎟️ Tickets can be booked on the official website or directly on-site.

⌛ Opening dates: The castle is open from March to November.

❤️ The views from the castles are absolutely stunning. I also recommend walking around the island towards Stony beach as you’ll get a completely different point of view.

🐶 Dogs are not allowed.