The Northumbria Mysteries (BBC One): Dunstanburgh, Bamburgh and Alnwick – the filming locations

Northumberland · Craster

Dunstanburgh Castle

A spectacular ruin standing on a basalt headland battered by the North Sea, Dunstanburgh Castle is one of the most striking sites on the Northumberland coast. It is reached on foot, by a coastal path of about two kilometres from the village of Craster, across the pastures. Begun in 1313 by Thomas of Lancaster, the richest baron in England and an avowed opponent of Edward II, it was as much a political statement as a stronghold: its enclosure of nearly 4.5 hectares is one of the largest in England. Its monumental gatehouse with two D-shaped towers, the Lilburn Tower watching over Embleton beach and the Egyncleugh Tower to the south-east are its most visible features. Remodelled by John of Gaunt in the 1380s and fought over during the Wars of the Roses, it then fell into ruin. Listed Grade I and a Scheduled Monument, it belongs to the National Trust and is maintained and opened to the public by English Heritage; National Trust members enter free of charge.