Warkworth
Near the mouth of the River Coquet, Warkworth has a sandy beach only one mile away, and fishing and boating in the river; it is dominated by the castle, set on a hill up which the main road angles and climbs. When traffic entered from the north through a narrow medieval bridge and gatehouse arch, the effect was certainly more dramatic than it is today; now a new bridge over the Coquet sweeps motorists easily into the centre and the 14th-century bridge is only for pedestrians. The town itself is of interest, with terraces of 18th- and 19th-century houses built in grey stone with red roofs, making it still look as if it were clinging to the protection of the great stronghold. It is tightly packed on a peninsula of the river, with the castle guarding the neck and the sea within earshot. St Laurence's Church is the only fairly complete Norman church in Northumberland. It has five Norman windows in the nave, a highly decorated chancel arch and vaulted chancel ceiling, a rare 14th-century stone spire, and a 15th-century priest's room over the porch. The church has a well-preserved effigy of a cross-legged knight dating from about 1330. You can travel by boat from the castle (or follow a shady path) upstream to the Hermitage, an unusual refuge dug into the face of the bluff by a hermit in the 14th century. Not much is known about him, except that he hollowed out a chapel and two living chambers on two floors connected by steps. Many hermits lived here in the 16th century, and Coquet Island offshore was also supposed to be a retreat for solitary monks.
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