Amble to Warkworth Castle circular walk in Northumberland with lots of history

Amble Warkworth Castle weak Northumberland best walks map route history

This nice little walk starts off here in Amble and heads to Warkworth Castle - which you can just about see in the far distance

Amble to Warkworth Castle walk details:

Walk time: 2.5-3hours
Walk distance: 6 miles
Walk difficulty: Easy

Route map of this Amble to Warkworth Castle circular walk in Northumberland

This walk starts in Amble and goes in an anti-clockwise direction to Warkworth Castle alongside the River Coquet and then back via a nice inland route

If you don't have a Phone Map App - I really recommend downloading the one by Ordnance Survey. You can download route maps to your phone such as this one and the app will show you exactly where you are on the route even when you have no signal! It's great to know exactly where you are on the map and where to go as following routes can be tricky and I'd be lost without it (literally :-) Click the link below to find out more.

Amble to Warkworth Castle - photos of what to expect on this excellent short walk:

This nice little walk starts off in Amble and heads to Warkworth Castle - which you can just about see in the far distance

Amble is great place to start a walk and it's easy to follow the River Coquet to Warkworth Castle

You'll see plenty of fishing boats on this walk and the area is renowned for it's local catch and seafood

Warkworth Castle - straight ahead!

Part of the walk from Amble to Warkworth castle is along the roadside and the path in general are pretty easy going and well-marked so full walking gear & boots is not really required

We soon track the River Coquet into Warkworth Village and it makes for a lovely place to stop on the benches. Warkworth Castle is right behind these houses to the right but we'll continue following the river and arrive at the castle in a little while.

We pass by the old Warkworth medieval bridge which was built in the last quarter of the 14th century. The bridge is the only fortified medieval bridge in England and there are only 2 in Britain (the other is in Monmouth, Wales) and it is a Scheduled Monument and a Grade II Listed Building. We don't cross this bridge though and stay on the foot path which loops around Warkworth.

The Church of St Lawrence, Warkworth - a Grade I listed building. The present church dates from the 12th century, however a wooden Anglo-Saxon church was mentioned as occupying the site in AD 737, when King Ceolwulf of Northumbria gave Wercewode (as Warkworth was then known) along with St Lawrence's church to the Abbot and monks of Lindisfarne.

The walk continues on along the River Coquet, looping around back to Warkworth Castle

We finally arrive at the ruined medieval Warkworth Castle. When the castle was founded is uncertain: traditionally its construction has been ascribed to Prince Henry of Scotland, Earl of Northumbria, in the mid-12th century, but it may have been built by King Henry II of England when he took control of England's northern counties.

Warkworth Castle is owned by English Heritage and you do have to pay to look around the full grounds, but the ticket office is just inside the gates so you can pop your head in for a little nosey around the castle's enclosure if you don't want to shell out the cash

The keep was built by Henry Percy, 1st Earl of Northumberland.

After visiting Warkworth Castle we head inland away from the River Coquet.

We now walk on the St. Oswalds Way path largely through farm land on well marked paths.

There's excellent views up here and we can make out Amble in the far distance

It's a case of heading straight back to Amble for a good half hour or so

As we finish the walk - you've got to grab some of local fish & chips haven't you

Happy Hiking!

Post by Stuart Hodgson
'The Hiking Photographer'

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