Dunstanburgh Castle

Schools

This magnificent castle stands on top of a remote headland in Northumberland. Built at a time when relations between King Edward II and Earl Thomas of Lancaster were openly hostile, this castle was a symbol of power as well as a military fortress. It was later strengthened against Scottish attacks and saw fierce battles during the Wars of the Roses, but was not used afterwards and fell into ruin.

Information about your visit

A visit to one of our sites will inspire your students and bring your teaching to life. We'd like to reassure you that we're following Government guidance to make your trip as safe and enjoyable as possible. 

Important information to consider before you book:

  • To keep everyone safe we’ve introduced limits on visitor numbers and school groups, so please bear this in mind when booking your trip.
  • Find out more about what to expect on your school visit, which also includes our Covid 19 Risk Assessment.
  • To make the planning process as easy as possible, make sure you check our Plan Your School Trip section at the bottom of this page, for updated information on the facilities at the site as well as our free resources.
  • As usual, you’ll need to book your visit at least 14 days in advance. Please check our Terms and Conditions for full details.

We’re continually updating our education offer in line with government guidance.  At some sites you might not be able to use our handling collections or costumes as part of a free self-led visit, but where we can provide hands-on items in a safe way we will. We’ve adapted our Discovery Visit workshops to follow government guidelines, but for certain sessions this hasn’t been possible – please check our schools webpages for further information.

There may be areas of our sites which are closed, so please check what’s available for your school group on our property webpages and with our booking team.  They can put you in touch with our Education Visits Officers who can offer help and guidance, so you can make the most of your school trip.

Curriculum Links

Visit Dunstanburgh Castle to support your teaching in a fun and engaging way, and cover multiple topics across the curriculum.

  • KS1 History: Significant historical events, people and places within the locality
  • KS1 Geography:  Use geographical skills and fieldwork
  • KS2 History: Local history study. Study of an aspect or theme in British history that extends pupils’ chronological knowledge beyond 1066
  • KS2 Geography: Use geographical skills and fieldwork. Understand the strategic significance of the castle’s position
  • KS3 History: Local History study. Development of Church, state and society in Medieval Britain 1066-1509 
  • GCSE History: Study of the historic environment

Free Self-led Visits

Book a free self-led visit to Dunstanburgh Castle and organise your day to suit your curriculum objectives. Explore the castle ruins and twin-towered gatehouse, imagine what life would have been like in the medieval period and discover the story of the man who built Dunstanburgh: the powerful rebel baron Earl Thomas of Lancaster.

Enquire now

Plan your trip

We have a wide range of materials to support your visit and make school trip planning easy. Download our free resources to help you make the most out of your visit and create unique learning experiences before, during and after your trip.

We also offer free planning visits for group leaders once you have made a booking. Our Education Booking Team is on hand to advise and help you create the best possible school trip to suit your needs and area of study.

  • Facilities
    • PARKING: There is no parking available at the site. There is a council-run car park in Craster with 60 spaces 1.3 miles from the site and limited car parking at Embleton Golf Club, which is not managed by English Heritage. There is no refund of car park charges on admission.
    • TOILETS: There are no public toilets on site. The nearest public toilets are in Craster, 1.3 miles away and Embleton, 1.5 miles away.
    • LUNCH: You are welcome to bring a picnic to eat in the grounds, with benches and tables available, or on the seashore immediately adjacent to the site.
    • SHOP: There is a gift shop located in the Site Administration Building near the entrance, with ramped access. The shop sells a wide range refreshments and confectionery, together with medieval toys and gifts. 
    • GARDENS: There are extensive areas of short grass available for games and re-enactment of famous battles within a historic setting. There are paths which give opportunities to see large varieties of birds, flowers and mammals including nesting seabirds and birds of prey.
    • ACCESSIBILITY: There are two disabled parking spaces at Craster, 1.3 miles from the Castle, which are not managed by English Heritage. Dunstanburgh Castle is approx 1 mile from the car park by foot across uneven ground. There is ramp access to the shop.
    • FACE MASKS: Face coverings must be worn in all indoor public spaces, including in our exhibitions, shops, cafés and tea rooms. We won’t be able to give you a face covering, so please come prepared so you don’t miss out. U11s are exempt.

  • Enquire now

  • School visits academic year 2020-21

    We have changed the opening arrangements of our sites to play our part in stopping the spread of COVID-19. In line with government guidelines we’re currently unable to accept education visits at our sites. We’re currently taking education bookings from 13 February – 1 July 2021. 

    Due to the current situation we can’t answer calls as quickly as we’d like to. If you’d like more information about a site, email us and we’ll put you in touch with an Education Visits Officer, or if you’d like to book a visit you can use our online booking form. 

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