Edlingham: Castle, Church and Railway Viaduct

Edlingham brings together three cultural and historical landmarks: Edlingham Castle, the Church of St John the Baptist, and a disused railway viaduct. This offers different points of focus for planning your trip: castle architecture, church architecture, and the history of a former rail connection. If you are looking for a hotel in Edlingham, you can use these themes to guide your interests during your stay. The buildings differ both in function and in their historical periods, allowing you to explore the area from more than one historical perspective.

Edlingham Castle and Church Architecture

Edlingham Castle stands at the eastern end of the village of Edlingham, on a side road off the B6341. The solar tower is the best-preserved part of the castle; its north and west walls are almost completely intact. Those interested in castle architecture can assess its state of preservation through these specifically identified structural features.

The Church of St John the Baptist adds two structural features from widely separated periods. The nave probably dates from the mid-11th century, and the tower from around 1300. Comparing the dates helps explain the different building phases without assigning a single construction date to the entire church: the nave’s dating remains probable, while the tower’s date is approximate. The church also invites visitors to take a walk around it.

An object from the collection at Edlingham Castle adds a possible detail of the interior decoration to the buildings: a plaster cast of a crowned human face. It is thought to have belonged to an elaborate ceiling or frieze in the renovated hall house. A frieze is an elongated decorative feature, whereas a ceiling forms the upper surface of a room. These terms point to two different possible contexts for the face and illustrate the question of how it was originally incorporated.

The Viaduct and Railway History

The disused railway viaduct lies 200 metres northeast of Edlingham Castle. On its south side, it has three plus two round arches on tall, tapering piers. This repeated arch design differs from the castle’s walls and tower, making the viaduct a distinct architectural subject. It was part of the North Eastern Railway branch from Alnwick to Coldstream (Cornhill), which opened in 1887. The viaduct’s proximity to the castle and the railway line’s history offer two different points of reference: a spatial connection between the structures and the date of the former transport route.

Walks and Getting There

The Church of St John the Baptist invites visitors to take a walk around the church. On 21 April 2024, a level circular walk began and ended there, passing through Edlingham and Lemmington and also including Edlingham Castle. The two types of walk differ in their scope: the stroll is around the church, while the circular walk took in Edlingham and Lemmington as well as the castle. The Glen Valley 473 to Banktop is the nearest bus service for reaching Edlingham Castle; Banktop is two miles away. Check the current timetable before travelling, as bus services may change.

Discover more destinations: Heddon On The Wall, Bellingham, Hexham, Slaggyford, Mindrum, Slaley, Glanton, Haydon Bridge.

For the broader travel overview: Northumberland.