The village of Warkworth is one of the most picturesque in Northumberland. At the head of its main street (Castle Street) stands the impressive medieval ruin of Warkworth Castle, which dominates the skyline for miles around.

The main street, with its fine Georgian houses on either side, runs down from the Castle to the old market square - Dial Place - and the lovely ancient Norman Church of St Lawrence. This is a lovely street to explore and contains an art gallery, various gift shops, as well as a good selection of places to eat.

At the base of Castle Street you will come across Dial Place, the old Market Square:

You will find the Village Stores excellent for all 'day to day' needs, it also incorporates the village Post Office. You can purchase fresh bread and milk as well as daily papers, magazines, stationary, etc... If you don't want to use your car for a week - you don't have to!!
Local places to eat include; The Hermitage Pub, The Masons Arms, Sun Hotel (near the castle), and the Warkworth House Hotel, to name but a few. We can also highly recommend Topsy Turvey and The Jackdaw Restaurants.

At the far end of Dial Place you will come across the Church of St Lawrence. There has been a church on this site since 737AD, although the original wooden structure did not survive the Danish raids a century later, and had to be rebuilt using stone.

July 13th 1174 was a black day in the history of the church. The Scottish king William the Lion entered Warkworth, set fire to the town, and put to death 300 inhabitants who had taken refuge within the walls of the church. The 12th Century Norman Church, built following the raid acted not only as a place of worship, but also as a refuge in times of danger. St Lawrence as we see it today has thick stone walls, and slit windows, set high to keep out the enemy.

A stronghold was first built on this site in the 12th century, although much of the fortifications seen today date from the 14th century, when the castle passed into the hands of the Percy family. (subsequently Earls of Northumberland). As the family’s influence and power grew Warkworth Castle became their favourite residence.

The most renown Percy is probably Henry, son of the 1st Earl, whose horsemanship earned him the nickname 'Harry Hotspur'. He and his father later helped to remove King Richard III from the throne, both receive a mention in Shakespeare's Henry IV (Part II) which opens in Warkworth Castle

The ruins are most impressive and the views from the tower are inspiring. Well worth a visit! In the summer months, tickets may be purchased at the Castle to visit the Hermitage, which can be found by following a lovely riverside walk to a small jetty, where a ferryman will row you across the River Coquet. (see below for more information)

Upstream is the Hermitage - a unique ancient chapel carved into the sandstone of the cliff and can be visited during the summer season when the ferryman is present to row visitors across the river. The walk along the river bank offers spectaculare views of the stunning castle.

Hewn from a sandstone rock face in the 14th Century for the Percy family as a place of prayer and devotion, the cave was occupied by a hermit who would offer prayers for the well being of the Lords and their followers.

The River Coquet gently winds its way around the village and at one point is spanned by a 14th centrury narrow stone bridge with its ancient Gatehouse - the only of its kind to have survived in the North:

Very few towns or villages in England have a fortified bridge. This one was necessary to protect the Castle from attack at it was considered to be the weakest position. The gatehouse contains a lock up cell which was used to detain people who were ‘drunk and disorderly. The old bridge was used by traffic until replaced by the new one in 1965!