Bamburgh Castle, Northumberland

Bamburgh Castle in Northumberland, England, is one of the most dramatically sited castles in Britain, its red sandstone walls rising directly from the basalt outcrop of the Great Whin Sill above the broad white-sand beach of Bamburgh, with the Farne Islands visible offshore and the Cheviot Hills as a backdrop. The site has been fortified since at least the 6th century, when it served as the royal seat of the kings of Northumbria, and the current medieval keep was built by the Normans in the 12th century. After centuries of partial ruin the castle was restored by the First Lord Armstrong between 1894 and 1905 into a palatial private residence that remains the home of the Armstrong family today. The castle opens to the public in the spring and summer months, offering access to a sequence of State Rooms furnished with Meissen porcelain, Dutch Old Masters paintings, suits of armour, and family memorabilia. The Great Hall, one of the largest medieval halls in England, is hung with armour and tapestries. The Armstrong and Aviation Artefacts Museum within the grounds displays items associated with Lord Armstrong's armaments and engineering innovations. The beach below the castle is one of the finest stretches of sand in England — vast, clean, and consistently uncrowded compared to southern resort beaches. Seahouses, a small fishing village 3 miles south, operates boat trips to the Farne Islands — a National Trust wildlife reserve that hosts the largest grey seal colony in England and breeding Atlantic puffins from April to July. The castle village of Bamburgh retains its traditional character with a handful of pubs, tea rooms, and a remarkable sense of remoteness despite being only 60 miles from Newcastle.