Warkworth Castle, Morpeth

The imposing 14th century keep of Warkworth Castle towers above both the River Coquet and the village of Warkworth, about 25 miles north of Newcastle. There's plenty to explore in this castle which belonged to the powerful Percy family. Through them, Warkworth achieved wider fame for being the setting of several scenes in Shakespeare's Henry IV. In late spring, daffodils below the keep are an attraction in their own right. A walk along the banks of the Coquet takes you to a ferry which, if the boatman is there, will take you to a 14th century Hermitage cut into the rock across the river.