Whilst on our road trip around Northumberland we managed to make time for a stop to check out the ruins of Dunstanburgh Castle. I can’t stop saying how much we love exploring castles. Our two girls love checking out the rooms in ruins, going up staircases and learning a little bit of history about the place. Situated on the North Sea coastline with a splendid backdrop in all directions, we were really excited about visiting this site.
First off was getting to the ruins. We drove several miles from the Great North Road (A1 - the road between Newcastle and Berwick-upon-Tweed) and arrived in the small seaside village of Craster. We arrived late in the morning and the main car park was already full. However a lady who owns a field nearby on the same road turns it into a car park during busy periods so we got lucky. Walking past the main car park again towards the village, we noticed a toilet block. This maybe a very good idea to use them before making a move to the castle (I'll tell the reason why in a moment). There were also a food truck serving food and soft drinks here.
A few hundred metres walk into Craster, we found the small harbour with small fishing boats moored up. Here we turned left, following signs for the castle. Now I thought the castle would be nearby but we found out from the car park to the castle, it is actually a 1.6km (1 mile) longwalk. This took forever with two young children, one who wanted me to carry her all the way and the other who wanted to pick flowers from the ground and feathers which belonged to birds. There is no transport across the fields, so if anyone has children or babies, make sure you have a buggy or a trolley to put them in. It’s quite a walk for them. However, we were lucky with the weather, a bit breezy but we had nice views of the coastline and the sea.
English Heritage (to which we are members of) co-own the site with the National Trust and it is their most remote site on the islands. Through the main entrance, there is a small wooden shed in the courtyard which houses the admission charges and a small shop. There is a queue formed outside the building as it can only accept a few people to go in.
Dunstanburgh castle was built at a time when relations between King Edward II and his most powerful baron, Earl Thomas of Lancaster, had become hostile. Lancaster began to build the fortress in 1313 and the latest archaeological research indicates that he built it on a far grander scale than was originally recognised, perhaps more as a symbol of his opposition to the king than as a military stronghold. Unfortunately the earl failed to reach Dunstanburgh when his rebellion was defeated and was taken and executed in 1322. Thereafter the castle passed eventually to John of Gaunt, who strengthened it against the Scots by converting the great twin towered gatehouse into a keep.
The castle is in ruins so be careful when walking around the site. There is one staircase which visitors can climb right to the top of the castle where there are inspiring and dramatic views to be had. We spent about an hour here, so on average with the walk from the village, visitors will need two-three hours here.
After walking back to Craster, we decided to have a quick drink at the Jolly Fisherman which is very popular with locals and visitors as it is the only pub (which also serves food in the village). The place was packed when we arrived but I managed to have a quick swift half of Farne ale. This was much needed after carrying Isabella both ways across the field to the castle and back. We really did have an enjoyable few hours here and we were really glad to make the time to see this castle with its dramatic landscape around it.
Essential information on Dunstanburgh Castle
For more up to date information on the castle, please visit English Heritage here. Otherwise here are my tips:
How to get to: By car, it is simple until you have to leave the A1 (Edinburgh to Newcastle road). Take the junction which is signposted B1340 signposted Denwick and Seahouses (and also has a brown sign saying Alnwick Castle). Follow the B1340 through Denwick towards Seahouses. Eventually there is a triangular green where a right turn is needed (here there is a signpost saying Dunstanburgh Castle, 3 miles). Straight away there is a right turn (sp Craster - 4 miles). Follow this road straight all the way to Craster. Car park is on the right. For the sat nav, the postcode is NE66 3TT. There are train stations nearby but several miles away. They are located at Chathill to the north but the main one with some intercity connections to London and Edinburgh is Alnmouth station.
Flying into the area? Newcastle and Edinburgh are the nearest airports and then public transport or own transport is needed to get to Craster. The first place I would go to find airline tickets to the city is using (I would recommend) Skyscanner to find flights as that is my first point of call. Then if necessary use the airlines directly to find a good deal. I sometimes use Momondo as well to compare prices before booking.
The first place I would go to find airline tickets to the city is using (I would recommend) Skyscanner to find flights as that is my first point of call. Then if necessary use the airlines directly to find a good deal. I sometimes use Momondo as well to compare prices before booking.
Car Rentals - as I do a lot of road trips around the world, I use Rentalcars.com which is very reliable for booking car hire in advance. I also use Turo (the airbnb of car rentals) and never had a problem with them. The cars are insured, owners vetted and never had an issue.
Accommodation: There are a lot of accommodation options and a lot of websites which can do some great deals. My first point of call is always Booking.com and can offer a range of hostels, hotels, campsites, apartments, guesthouses and bed and breakfasts.. After that I always have a look through AirBnb and Vrbo for great deals on apartments and other lodgings especially when traveling as a family.
Currency: England uses the British Pound. Currency can be exchanged at the airports and train stations (for a huge fee) so I would recommend either going to a currency exchange place downtown, to a bank (if they have good rates) or if you got a good bank account with fantastic exchange rates, then use an ATM machine (may incur a small fee but I always do this option as I got good bank accounts). A great website I use to compare currency exchange rates is XE, which gives people up to date information.
Language: England uses the English language and is used all over the country. Just to point out there are many dialects and other languages like Cornish-Gaelic used in the country but everyone who speaks English will understand other dialects from other regions.
Watch out for: If walking by the sea during a storm, don’t go looking over the top, you will fall into the water!
Travel insurance: This is essential to anywhere you go in the world. I always carry travel insurance. Having travel insurance will cover you from theft, illness and those annoying cancellations which can happen on the road. Safety Wing offers coverage for a lot of adventure activities as well as emergency medical, lost luggage, trip cancellation and so forth.
Need a visa for the UK? Always check if you need a visa when coming to the United Kingdom. Since leaving the European Union because of BrExit in January 2020, visa rules apply for those coming from the European Union.
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Please note that while I was not working with English Heritage or the National Trust, my review and experiences written about in this post are 100% genuine. I value my readers too much to lie to you. My blog would be nothing without you and your continued support! There maybe some links above which are affiliate and are at no additional cost to you. If my readers use them, I earn a commission to buy their products and remember, I only mentioned products and companies I use. The income from this keeps this website going. Thank you.
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