In far northeast England, the county of Northumberland has a higher concentration of castles than any other part of the country. If you’ve seen some of the most popular movies and TV shows of the last two decades—think Harry Potter, Indiana Jones, Downton Abbey, Transformers, and the Netflix series The Last Kingdom—you’ll almost certainly recognize at least a few of them.
I recently hiked from castle to castle on a self-guided trek with Inntravel. I did all the walking, and they handled everything else, including a luggage transfer between hotels so I would only need a daypack to hike. I walked about 30 miles over five days, taking ample time to explore the castles. Along the way, I also made time for a boat tour of the nearby Farne Islands, where I was lucky enough to see seals, dolphins, puffins, and a variety of other marine birds.
If you’re a movie buff, a history buff, or both, this is the trip for you. Here are five of the spectacular castles you can expect to see.
1. Warkworth Castle
I started my trip at Warkworth Castle in the town of the same name. Inntravel arranged a cab from the Alnmouth train station, which has connections to London, and set me up at the Warkworth House Hotel, just minutes away from the ruins of a castle that dates back to the 1150s. Today, the site is managed by English Heritage, which occasionally runs events like the Knights’ Tournament to show you what life was like in the Middle Ages.
2. Alnwick Castle (aka Hogwarts)
After two nights in Warkworth, I hiked north through the seaside town of Alnmouth, then inland to Alnwick. It’s basically a pilgrimage site for Harry Potter fans—it plays the role of Hogwarts in the first two films and this is where Harry first learned how to ride a broom. In honor of that bit of film history, Alnwick Castle runs free broomstick training classes daily for all ages (unless there’s bad weather).
Alnwick—pronounced Ann-ick—has also been featured in Transformers: The Last Knight, Downton Abbey, and many other films. Also worth exploring is the nearby Alnwick Garden (you’ll need a separate ticket), which feels like something straight out of Alice in Wonderland with its leafy labyrinth and hedge-tunnel walkways.
The Percy family, which includes the Duke of Northumberland, has lived in Alnwick Castle since it was built over 700 years ago. The family’s living quarters, the State Rooms, are occasionally open for visitors and are an elaborate sight worth seeing.
I stayed at the Cookie Jar, a posh hotel just steps from Alnwick Castle (yes, your room will have a cookie jar in it). It’s stylish, has an incredible breakfast, and is super-convenient to walk around town.
3. Dunstanburgh Castle
From Alnwick, I took a bus to the seaside town of Craster. Just beyond the town, the ruins of Dunstanburgh stand tall and serve as quite the backdrop for a nearby golf course. Construction on the castle was begun in the early 1300s. Today, the land is owned by the National Trust, and the property is managed by English Heritage. If you’re traveling with a family and planning to visit more than a few such sites, you could save money with an annual membership, even if you don’t live full-time in the U.K.
From Dunstanburgh, I hiked onward across beaches with nesting Arctic terns to the town of Beadnell. I stayed two nights there at the beautiful Beadnell Towers hotel, which has an excellent dinner service.
4. Bamburgh Castle
Perhaps the grandest of them all, the privately owned Bamburgh Castle has changed hands extensively over its 1,400-year history. (You read that correctly. Construction on the castle started in the 500s.) More recently, you may have seen the castle in the opening scenes of Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny, which was just released in June.
It was also featured in Transformers: The Last Knight and is the real-life inspiration for the Netflix series The Last Kingdom. Bamburgh Castle and Alnwick Castle are separately and independently opened but both are part of the Historic Houses network. So, if you plan to visit other castles, homes, or gardens in their collection, membership could save you a bit of cash.
5. Lindisfarne Castle
The Holy Island of Lindisfarne, famous for the handwritten Lindisfarne Gospels, is only an island during low tide. When the tide is out, you can walk or drive across the causeway. But a far better way to see it is to take a boat tour.
I walked from Beadnell to the picturesque Seahouses, where I caught a ride with Billy Shiel’s Boat Trips. We saw dolphins and seals on the way there and countless puffins on the way back. On land, you can explore Lindisfarne Castle, which was renovated into a holiday home for the founder of Country Life Magazine. Today, it’s managed by the National Trust and well worth a visit, even if you go only for the stunning Gertrude Jekyll Garden, which is free to visit.
The island is also the site of the ruins of Lindisfarne Priory, which dates back to the 600s and is where the Lindisfarne Gospels were written. Today, it’s managed by English Heritage, and the gospels can be seen at the British Library in London. I highly recommend adding a day to your trip so you can explore everything here without being on a time crunch.
Pro Tip for Ultimate Flexibility
If you’re planning to do this trip as part of a bigger tour around the United Kingdom and Europe, you may be able to save on train tickets with a Eurail pass or Interrail if you’re a resident of the U.K. or Europe. While some routes require seat reservations, most don’t, so you can leave your departure date and time open-ended if you fall in love with a place you’re visiting and want to add an extra day or two to your trip without losing your train fare.
Editor’s Note: Inntravel hosted our writer on this trip and Eurail/Interrail comped a train pass to cover her travel expenses.
