Widdrington Castle

Widdrington Castle stands in Northumberland, just over a kilometre from the North Sea. Once a medieval tower house, only earthworks remain today. The site was home to the Widdrington family from the 12th century. In 1341 Gerard Widdrington received permission to fortify the house. Later it became a manor house in the early 17th century. The castle played a part in national history. In 1583 the Scottish lord Claud Hamilton lived there in exile. James VI and I visited in 1603 and knighted Henry Widdrington. Anne of Denmark and her children stayed overnight on their journey south. The last owners left in 1862 when the Gothic-style castle was pulled down. Earthworks and foundations show where the tower once stood. Visitors can walk over the gentle mounds and imagine the vanished buildings. The open ground gives wide views towards the sea.