English Heritage

Most of the great monastic churches in the care of English Heritage are ruins: Brinkburn Priory isn’t.

Located on a picturesque loop in the river Coquet and reached by a scenic woodland walk, Brinkburn Priory was built in the 12th century and carefully and accurately restored in Victorian times. Inside, stately and unchanged medieval structures mingle with colourful Victorian fittings.

Beside the church, completing the tranquil scene, is a neo-Gothic-style, 19th-century manor house on the site of the old monastic buildings.

Outside, there’s plenty of space for reflection and fresh-air fun. Peer over the hedge and if you’re lucky you might even spot an otter or two messing about in the river Coquet.