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Grace Darling Museum Royal National Lifeboat Institute museum commemorates the life of lifeboat heroine Grace Darling who with her father rescued survivors from the shipwreck of the SS Forfarshire in 1838. This small museum in Bamburgh has the original boat used in the rescue on display. The Grace Darling museum in Bamburgh, Northumbria, houses a unique collection of artifacts that commemorates Grace's heroism. The museum is in desperate need of modernisation and we need your help. To support our application to the Heritage Lottery Fund, we aim to raise £150,000. This is for much needed educational facilities to meet public demand from schools and researchers. Your contribution will make a real difference.

Seahouses

Craster & Dunstanbrugh

Craster named after the family who have owned the area since pre Norman day had it’s harbour enlarged in the early nineteenth century to accept coastal barges, which took the locally quarried road chippings for city streets as far away as London. The Quarry is now used as a tourist car park with tea room and gift shop.

Dunstanburgh Castle - D. Charlton

Beadnell Village

A few miles south of Seahouses and Bamburgh lies the  village and harbour of Beadnell, which evolved around the fishing harbour which was built in 1798 by Thomas Wood being unique – as the only west facing harbour on the British east coast

Coastal Village in the Shadow of a Great Castle

"Bamburgh according to Charlie Steel is one of the most picturesque villages on the Northumbrian coast, and lies on the gentle slope of a ridge which inclines to the sea, consisting of a number of small villas and cottages arranged around the three sides of the green with the predominant site of the head of the green is the castle perched on its rocky pedestal.

 The origins of Bamburgh and some of the first references to it, date back as far as the Romans, prior to AD 547 it was known to be a Celtic stronghold and fortified town called "Dinguayrdi" or "Dinguoaroy".

 Its present name was not acquired until shortly after when it was siezed by the English chieftain ”Ida”, legend states that “Ethelfrith” his grandson bestowed the castle and surrounding area on his wife  “Bebba”, and called it after her name (Bebban burgh), from which the present day name of Bamburgh was derived.

During the eighth century, Bamburgh was described as a "Strongly fortified city, not very large, but being the size of two or three fields having one entrance hollowed out of the rock and raised in steps"

The mighty castle itself stands 150 feet above sea level, on a basalt rock overlooking the sea to the east, and dwarfing the village to the west. Although considered to be an almost impregnable fortress, the Viking raids wrought destruction on it.

In AD 926, Bamburgh was attacked and taken by Athelstan, from its then defender - King Aldred, then by the Danes in 933 and in 1095, William Rufus led his army against Bamburgh.

In 1164 the Bamburgh Castle was rebuilt by Henry II, since when it never lost any of its fame or importance during the succeeding centuries of  warfare.

Royal visits being a regular occurrence with King John in 1201 & 1213, Henry III in 1221, Phillipa of Hainault in 1333 and Edward III in 1356.

The castle remained in Royal hands, and had a strong historic role, particularly during the Border Wars and during the Wars of the Roses, it was used by Queen Margaret, wife of Henry VI as her fortress.

The ravages of time bombardment of fierce wars that were fought over the years took its toll on the castle until 1704, when it came into the posession of the Bishop of Durham Lord Nathaniel Crewe who bequeathed it in his will for charitable purposes.

A trust was established and in 1757 the trustees for Bishop Crewes Charity commenced the long task of restoration work began, the castle eventually passed to Lord Armstrong, who at considerable expense continued the restoration to its present state.

The parish church of St. Aidan which stands at the top of Bamburgh village is on a site of great historic interest, as it is believed to have been built on the site of the original Saxon church where St. Aidan died in AD 651.

Apart from the castle the church is probably the oldest building in the village, the square tower at the west end of the building dates from the 13th. century, but perhaps some of the most striking features are inside the church where there is a thirteenth century vaulted crypt discovered by accident in 1837 during restoration work.

The crypt may originally have been used for the exhibition of relics connected with St. Aidan and consists of two chambers with a groined roof on the dividing wall where a Saxon sundial has been inserted.

Other striking features inside the church are the large nave with two arcades of four arches, with an additional richly arcaded series of eight lancet arches running around the upper section of walls.

In the churchyard there is a Victorian Memorial to the heroine, Grace Darling, who died on 20th. October 1842, a museum to here memory is directly opposite to the church. Being rich in history Bamburgh has over the centuries, witnessed some savage battles and changed for the better into the pleasant and peaceful village that it is today.