Warkworth, Northumberland
Encyclopedia
Warkworth is a village
in Northumberland
, England
. It is probably best known for its well-preserved medieval castle
, church and hermitage
. At the time of the 2001 census, the population of Warkworth was 1,493.
, about 1 miles (1.6 km) from the Northumberland
coast and lies on the main A1068 road. It is 30 miles (48.3 km) north of Newcastle
, and about 40 miles (64.4 km) south of the Scottish
border. An ancient bridge
of two arch
es crosses the river at Warkworth, with a fortified gateway on the road mounting to the castle.
walks, and the nearby Northumberland Coast, an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB)
.
St. Lawrence church, situated near the river, is unique in Northumberland in being a large and almost completely Norman
building. There has been a church on this site for around 1,200 years. The first record dates from 737AD when King Ceolwulf of Northumbria
gave the church and village to the Abbot and monks of Lindisfarne. The church was the scene of a terrible massacre in 1174, when some 300 of the townsfolk, seeking refuge there from Scottish raiders, were brutally put to the sword and butchered by Duncan, Earl of Fife
.
Warkworth Castle
is situated at the west end of the main street, at the top of the hill. Nikolaus Pevsner
said of the imposing castle that the military engineer happened also to be a great architect. He went on: "Warkworth must be approached from the north. With its bridge, its bridge-tower, then Bridge Street at an angle, joining the main street up a hill to the towering, sharply cut block of the keep, it is one of the most exciting sequences of views one can have in England."
Facilities in Warkworth include three pubs, two hotel
s, a number of café
s, restaurant
s and tearooms, a chocolate shop and patisserie, a general store, and several galleries / boutique
s.
The junior section has over 60 members participating in under 9 year old competitions and under 11, 13 and 15 leagues.
course (5986 yd; Par 70), set in the dunes between the coast and the village.
Village
A village is a clustered human settlement or community, larger than a hamlet with the population ranging from a few hundred to a few thousand , Though often located in rural areas, the term urban village is also applied to certain urban neighbourhoods, such as the West Village in Manhattan, New...
in Northumberland
Northumberland
Northumberland is the northernmost ceremonial county and a unitary district in North East England. For Eurostat purposes Northumberland is a NUTS 3 region and is one of three boroughs or unitary districts that comprise the "Northumberland and Tyne and Wear" NUTS 2 region...
, England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
. It is probably best known for its well-preserved medieval castle
Warkworth Castle
Warkworth Castle is a ruined medieval building in the town of the same name in the English county of Northumberland. The town and castle occupy a loop of the River Coquet, less than a mile from England's north-east coast...
, church and hermitage
Warkworth Hermitage
Warkworth Hermitage is an unusual relic situated on the North bank of the River Coquet in Northumberland, England, close to the village of Warkworth....
. At the time of the 2001 census, the population of Warkworth was 1,493.
Geography
Warkworth is situated in a loop of the River CoquetRiver Coquet
The River Coquet runs through the county of Northumberland, England, discharging into the North Sea on the east coast of England at Amble. Warkworth Castle is built in a loop of the Coquet....
, about 1 miles (1.6 km) from the Northumberland
Northumberland
Northumberland is the northernmost ceremonial county and a unitary district in North East England. For Eurostat purposes Northumberland is a NUTS 3 region and is one of three boroughs or unitary districts that comprise the "Northumberland and Tyne and Wear" NUTS 2 region...
coast and lies on the main A1068 road. It is 30 miles (48.3 km) north of Newcastle
Newcastle upon Tyne
Newcastle upon Tyne is a city and metropolitan borough of Tyne and Wear, in North East England. Historically a part of Northumberland, it is situated on the north bank of the River Tyne...
, and about 40 miles (64.4 km) south of the Scottish
Scotland
Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
border. An ancient bridge
Bridge
A bridge is a structure built to span physical obstacles such as a body of water, valley, or road, for the purpose of providing passage over the obstacle...
of two arch
Arch
An arch is a structure that spans a space and supports a load. Arches appeared as early as the 2nd millennium BC in Mesopotamian brick architecture and their systematic use started with the Ancient Romans who were the first to apply the technique to a wide range of structures.-Technical aspects:The...
es crosses the river at Warkworth, with a fortified gateway on the road mounting to the castle.
Features
Tourist attractions in Warkworth include the castle, church, hermitage, riverRiver Coquet
The River Coquet runs through the county of Northumberland, England, discharging into the North Sea on the east coast of England at Amble. Warkworth Castle is built in a loop of the Coquet....
walks, and the nearby Northumberland Coast, an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB)
Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty
An Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty is an area of countryside considered to have significant landscape value in England, Wales or Northern Ireland, that has been specially designated by the Countryside Agency on behalf of the United Kingdom government; the Countryside Council for Wales on...
.
St. Lawrence church, situated near the river, is unique in Northumberland in being a large and almost completely Norman
Norman architecture
About|Romanesque architecture, primarily English|other buildings in Normandy|Architecture of Normandy.File:Durham Cathedral. Nave by James Valentine c.1890.jpg|thumb|200px|The nave of Durham Cathedral demonstrates the characteristic round arched style, though use of shallow pointed arches above the...
building. There has been a church on this site for around 1,200 years. The first record dates from 737AD when King Ceolwulf of Northumbria
Ceolwulf of Northumbria
Ceolwulf was king of Northumbria from 729 until 737, except for a short period in 731 or 732 when he was deposed, and quickly restored to power. Ceolwulf finally abdicated and entered the monastery at Lindisfarne. He was the "most glorious king" to whom Bede dedicated his Historia ecclesiastica...
gave the church and village to the Abbot and monks of Lindisfarne. The church was the scene of a terrible massacre in 1174, when some 300 of the townsfolk, seeking refuge there from Scottish raiders, were brutally put to the sword and butchered by Duncan, Earl of Fife
Donnchad II, Earl of Fife
Mormaer Donnchad II , anglicized as Duncan II or Dunecan II, succeeded his father Donnchad I as a child. As a child of the previous Mormaer, he was entitled to succeed his father through primogeniture, but not to lead his kin-group, Clann MacDuib. That probably fell to his cousin, Aed mac Gille...
.
Warkworth Castle
Warkworth Castle
Warkworth Castle is a ruined medieval building in the town of the same name in the English county of Northumberland. The town and castle occupy a loop of the River Coquet, less than a mile from England's north-east coast...
is situated at the west end of the main street, at the top of the hill. Nikolaus Pevsner
Nikolaus Pevsner
Sir Nikolaus Bernhard Leon Pevsner, CBE, FBA was a German-born British scholar of history of art and, especially, of history of architecture...
said of the imposing castle that the military engineer happened also to be a great architect. He went on: "Warkworth must be approached from the north. With its bridge, its bridge-tower, then Bridge Street at an angle, joining the main street up a hill to the towering, sharply cut block of the keep, it is one of the most exciting sequences of views one can have in England."
Facilities in Warkworth include three pubs, two hotel
Hotel
A hotel is an establishment that provides paid lodging on a short-term basis. The provision of basic accommodation, in times past, consisting only of a room with a bed, a cupboard, a small table and a washstand has largely been replaced by rooms with modern facilities, including en-suite bathrooms...
s, a number of café
Café
A café , also spelled cafe, in most countries refers to an establishment which focuses on serving coffee, like an American coffeehouse. In the United States, it may refer to an informal restaurant, offering a range of hot meals and made-to-order sandwiches...
s, restaurant
Restaurant
A restaurant is an establishment which prepares and serves food and drink to customers in return for money. Meals are generally served and eaten on premises, but many restaurants also offer take-out and food delivery services...
s and tearooms, a chocolate shop and patisserie, a general store, and several galleries / boutique
Boutique
A boutique is a small shopping outlet, especially one that specializes in elite and fashionable items such as clothing and jewelry. The word is French for "shop", via Latin from Greek ἀποθήκη , "storehouse"....
s.
Cricket
The village is host to Warkworth Cricket Club, formed in 1874. The first XI team plays in the Northumberland Cricket League and has reached the last 16 of the National Village Cricket Cup on several occasions in the past 20 years, and is a regular contender for the Northumberland League title, winning three years running in 2001-03. The second XI which plays in the Alnwick and District Cricket League.The junior section has over 60 members participating in under 9 year old competitions and under 11, 13 and 15 leagues.
Golf
There is a 9-hole golfGolf
Golf is a precision club and ball sport, in which competing players use many types of clubs to hit balls into a series of holes on a golf course using the fewest number of strokes....
course (5986 yd; Par 70), set in the dunes between the coast and the village.
External links
- Drama Group website
- Parish website
- Images of Warkworth
- GENUKI (Accessed: 10 November, 2008)
- Northumberland Communities (Accessed: 10 November, 2008)
- information website
- St.Lawrence Church Parish Website