5 National Trust locations to visit in Northumberland

From untouched beaches and bustling market towns to castles and country houses, Northumberland is home to lots of big adventures and breathtaking beauty. Some of the top attractions you can visit come in the form of National Trust locations and they provide plenty of fun and interesting days out for people of all ages.

In this guide, you will discover just some of the gems that the National Trust in Northumberland has to offer, along with some top-line accessibility information that people who need to use stair lifts and suffer from mobility problems might find useful.

The top National Trust locations to visit in Northumberland

• Lindisfarne Castle
• Hadrian’s Wall and Housesteads Fort
• Farne Islands
• Cragside
• Seaton Delaval Hall

Lindisfarne Castle

One of the most famous and iconic National Trust properties in Northumberland is Lindisfarne Castle. It is located on the tidal island of Holy Island and visitors can reach it via a causeway, so you will need to check the tide times before you plan your day out here.

It is famous for its beautifully designed gardens and spectacular views of the Northumberland coastline, but this historic attraction has lots of fascinating stories which you will find out about during the visit. The castle was built back in the 16^th century by Henry VIII, but in the 20^th century, it was made into a holiday home for Edward Hudson, founder of Country Life magazine.

Now the castle is a hugely popular destination for a day out and Chloe, who is the founder of the New Girl In Toon blog, highly recommends visiting: “We both really loved our first visit to the Holy Island of Lindisfarne and haven't stopped discussing what a great day we had since our return. We were completely surprised by how easily we filled an entire day there and we're both keen to return as soon as we can to discover more of the magic on the island.

“Every time I think I've seen all of the beauty that Northumberland has to offer we visit somewhere new and I lose my head all over again! How lucky are we!”

In terms of access, Lindisfarne Castle has a disabled car park about half a mile from the castle, there is a disabled toilet and visitors who are disabled or who have reduced mobility can be driven to the castle and dropped off there. Visitors will have to climb up a cobbled ramp that might be a little steep and slippery for some.

You can find the full access statement here.

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Hadrian’s Wall and Housesteads Fort

Northumberland is a county famed for its number of historical sites, but the most famous of them all is Hadrian’s Wall. This 84-mile-long footpath snakes along ridges and crags, but fortunately, you don’t have to walk the full length of the route and there are shorter alternatives and routes for people with different mobility capabilities.

This UNESCO World Heritage Site is the Roman Empire’s best-maintained outpost in northern Europe and along the route, there are lots of areas which have been featured in films such as the iconic Sycamore Gap with the sycamore tree Kevin Costner climbed in Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves.

There is also a Housesteads Fort which lets you follow in the footsteps of the Romans and gives you an insight into what Roman military life was like.

Louise Grace runs her own travel and lifestyle blog and she recommends visiting the Housesteads Roman Fort: “Set high on a dramatic escarpment on Hadrian’s Wall, Housesteads Roman Fort takes you back to the Roman Empire. Wander the barrack blocks and the hospital. Peer into the oldest toilets you’ll ever see and admire the stunning panoramic views from this ancient fortress.”

Hadrian’s Wall has accessible footpaths and routes for visitors who have a mobility issue and there is an accessible toilet, parking, and an induction loop.

You can find the full access statement here.

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Farne Islands

This archipelago of islands is located just off the Northumberland coast and it is famous for being home to a wealth of wildlife. On Farne Islands, you can see 43,000 pairs of puffins and thousands of grey seals – also known as Atlantic Grey Seals – and each autumn hundreds of pups are born here. You may also see some dolphins on the boat ride over to the islands.

Sophie from the Third Eye Traveller spoke about how magical it is to visit Farne Islands during puffin season.

She said: “Each year, thousands of Farne Islands puffins land here in the hopes of making little pufflings with a mate. They show off that colourful beak, scoot into their burrows and lay eggs!

“When you finally land on the island you can get up close and stand mere inches away from them.

“It’s a magical experience that even David Attenborough described as ‘magnificent nature’.”

If you want to experience more of the islands, you can book a boat tour which sails around all the islands and shares information about their history.

In terms of access, Inner Farne has a boardwalk around the island that visitors with mobility issues can use to explore the islands. There are accessible toilets and the boats, which are run independently from the National Trust, are also accessible to those with mobility issues. As a result of the wildlife, no dogs (including assistance dogs) are allowed on the islands.

You can find the full access statement here.

ALSO READ: 5 National Trust locations to visit in Dorset

Cragside

Cragside is regarded by many as one of the best National Trust properties in Northumberland as it is a revolutionary home which was originally built in the Victorian era. What makes it so unique is the fact it uses both hydroelectricity and hydraulics, so is essentially the UK’s original smart home.

The house is magnificent, but the grounds of the estate are a must-visit. In the gardens of the property, you can wander and see man-made lakes, majestic waterfalls, a plethora of rhododendron and multiple walks for visitors to explore.

Gardeners will love their visit to Cragside as you will get to see a variety of different plant species depending on the time of year you visit as well as a collection of non-native coniferous trees, which are some of the tallest of their kind found in the UK. If you are visiting with children, there is a play area which will keep the kids occupied for hours.

Vicky, who was born in the North East, runs the Mackem Life blog and here she talks about her visit to Cragside and what she loved about her day trip there: “Cragside is one of the most beautiful sites within Northumberland National Park, and incredibly popular for days out in the North East. It is also, in my opinion, the best National Trust site here in the North East! It isn’t very far from a town called Rothbury and is just 20 or so minutes north of Morpeth.”

If you suffer from a mobility issue or are a wheelchair user you can explore the whole estate by car on the Carriage Drive and this route is marked out for you. Other facilities at Cragside include accessible toilets, parking and wheelchairs that are available to hire.

You can find the full access statement here.

ALSO READ: 5 National Trust locations to visit in Cornwall

Seaton Delaval Hall

Another must-visit National Trust place in Northumberland is the spectacular Seaton Delaval Hall. This country house is great to explore as it is home to a collection of paintings and impressive architecture.

The Delaval Playdium is one of the main attractions here and you can explore this area which was inspired by the mechanics of Baroque theatre and here you can learn about the shows which took place here. On the grounds of the Seaton Delaval Hall, there are play areas for the children, cafes and restaurants, and an 11^th-century church.

During a visit to the house, you will learn about the larger-than-life Delaval family, who were known as the ‘Gay Delavals’ due to their flamboyant lifestyle. They were known as notorious partygoers and pranksters and there have been stories where guests awoke to find furniture in their room fixed to the ceiling. The Delavals put on performances such as rope dancers and organised masquerade balls.

Sam and Steve, who are the writers behind the award-winning North East Family Fun blog, highly recommend visiting this National Trust property in Northumberland: “I know it's one of the smaller National Trust properties in our region but Seaton Delaval Hall should most definitely be on your radar - it's a fab day out for kids and especially good for little legs who should manage to walk around the whole site.”

The house and gardens are accessible to visitors with mobility issues as the National Trust property has facilities such as accessible parking, accessible toilets, flat routes for wheelchair users and wheelchairs which are available to hire.

You can find the full access statement here.

ALSO READ: 5 National Trust locations to visit in Devon

As we specialise in mobility solutions such as walk in showers, we have featured National Trust places in Northumberland which are accessible to all and as this guide highlights, there are several places that you can visit.

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