Warkworth

Warkworth village and its castle are situated in the neck of a tight loop in the River Coquet about 1 mile from the coast. The village was originally reached via an ancient bridge of two arches with a fortified gateway that crosses the river; we walk over this and visit the Church of St Lawrence, which dates from Norman times, before walking around the village.

Warkworth Castle took shape during the 13th century, but gained glory during the Middle Ages when the Percy family - the Dukes of Northumberland who also owned Alnwick Castle - took it over. We cross the moat (empty) and enter via the impressive Gatehouse to see the large enclosure; the huge keep, with its tall and distinctive Great Tower, is directly ahead and we explore the many rooms here (we enjoy excellent views of the village and River Coquet estuary from the first floor). The enclosure / courtyard had state rooms added to it which were accessed via the Lion Tower; this still has the Percy heraldry on it. A church was built here also, but little remains of this.

Outside, the castle has a hermitage associated with it; this is a short and pleasant walk down the River and on the opposite side, but it was unfortunately closed.Read more