Standing high on a basalt outcrop, overlooking the North Sea, Bamburgh Castle is one of the most impressive looking castles in England. It is visible for many miles, and from its battlements offers views of Lindisfarne Castle on Holy Island, the Farne Islands and the Cheviot Hills.

The site of the castle has a history of occupation dating back to the 1st century BC. One of the oldest buildings remaining is a large Norman Keep, probably built by Henry II. In 1464, during the Wars of the Roses, Bamburgh became the first castle to succumb to cannon fire, suffering heavy damage. The ruins of the castle were restored and extended in the 18th and 19th centuries leaving little of the earlier fortifications.

The castle also contains the Armstrong Museum of Victorian Industrial Archaeology.