Dunstanburgh Castle and Craster Kippers – What a Day!

Craster isn’t just about world-famous kippers! If you’re visiting and up for a gentle 1.3-mile stroll across working farmland, make sure you fit in a trip on foot to Dunstanburgh Castle.

The imposing castle is built on rocky headland that rises about a hundred feet above the often turbulent North Sea. Although now a ruin, its silhouette is still as impressive as the castle of old in all its former glory – a sight that struck fear into enemies with plans to invade. 

A Little Bit of History about Dunstanburgh Castle

The castle was originally built by Baron Thomas Earl of Lancaster in 1313. He built it on a grand scale – more in opposition to King Edward II than as a military stronghold. Relations between the two English rulers then became increasingly hostile over the years. Finally, in 1322, when the Earl of Lancaster’s rebellion failed, he was captured and executed before making it to the safety of his Dunstanburgh home.
There have been many changes to the structure over the years, including the 1362 conversion of the gatehouse into a twin-towered keep by John of Gaunt, the fifth son of Edward III. This was done to strengthen defenses against the invading Scots. But, after being damaged by cannon fire during the War of the Roses, 1455 – 1485, the castle fell into disrepair. The last owner was Sir Arthur Sutherland, who donated it to the Ministry of Works in 1929.

Dunstanburgh Castle From the South (1797-8) – Joseph Mallord William Turner © Tate Photo ©Tate

Back to the Present Day

The castle is now owned by the National Trust and maintained by English Heritage. It’s open daily to visitors. Although not always necessary, we advise pre-booking tickets here during busy holidays if you’re planning a look inside. If you’re a National Trust or English Heritage member, bring your membership card along and you’ll get in free. Once inside the walls, you can explore the gatehouse and the iconic Lilburn Tower.

It’s certainly a unique and beautiful location. Maybe that’s why it’s depicted in three paintings by ‘Master of Light’ artist, J.M.W. Turner. The atmosphere is heavy with a sometimes bloody history, a stark contrast to the now tranquil setting.

One of our regular customers, Lynda Young, walked the footpath from Craster to visit the castle recently. She kindly let us share her experience:

Our Craster Walk

“A visit to Craster is something we look forward to and we make the trip a few times a year. As usual, we parked at Craster Quarry car park, which is easy to find as it’s just behind the Tourist Information Centre. We then made our first ‘foodie’ stop of the day at Piper’s Pitch, located in the car park. Sitting in the mid-morning sun, we enjoyed ‘Craster Kipper’ sandwiches (made with fresh L Robson kippers cooked and served in a bun).

Fuelled up by our late breakfast, we made the short walk down into Craster village, past the harbour and towards the castle. You can spot it easily so there’s no fear of going off in the wrong direction.

It’s a gentle stroll along the coast, under half a mile and on pretty flat terrain so perfect for us (we’re not the athletic type!) We’ve brought our dogs along before but, as dogs aren’t allowed inside the castle, they’ve been left at home this time. If you’re bringing a dog along, remember to bring your lead as the walk is across working farmland!

The coast along the route is simply stunning. If you’re lucky, you might even spot dolphins. We made several stops along the way to take in the view. We didn’t see any dolphins this time but enjoyed watching the fishing boats on the choppy water heading back to Craster harbour. Plenty of birds and flowers make their home on the rocks – well worth investigating, which we did before approaching the castle.

The Imposing Entrance to Dunstanburgh Castle by Dr Omar Al-Janabi (Instagram: the_tartan_arab)

As we drew closer to the ruins, it was easy to imagine all the fighting that had happened here all those years ago – you can almost hear the cannons. The grass that surrounds the site is sometimes used for re-enactments of famous battles, but today the area was graced only by handy picnic tables. We took the opportunity to have a quick rest and coffee from the flask we’d brought along before entering the castle.

Although we’ve followed the same route and visited the castle itself many times, there is always something new to see. In particular, the views from Lilburn Tower towards Bamburgh Castle are not to be missed and change with every type of weather.

After spending a couple of hours absorbing the beautiful scenery and historic atmosphere, we headed back on the same route to Craster village. If you’re feeling energetic and have plenty of time, you can continue your walk towards Embleton along the beach.

Once back, we partook in a well-earned drink at The Jolly Fisherman before heading to L Robson’s smokehouse shop and picking up kippers and hot smoked salmon to take home with us”.

And, If you Miss the Shop…

The smokehouse shop is open from 9 am until 4 pm during the week, 9 am – 3 pm on Saturdays and 11 am – 3 pm on Sundays. But, don’t worry if you don’t make it back from the castle in time: You can order smoked kippers, cold or hot smoked salmon, kipper fishcakes, kipper pate, smoked haddock and cod online with free UK delivery. Visit our online shop and pick up your favourite treats.