📌 Greenhead, Northumberland
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Thirlwall Castle stands on a grassy mound overlooking the Tipalt Burn at Greenhead, not far from the excellent Roman Army Museum. Built in the 1330s by John Thirlwall and used as a family residence for the next 300 years, the hilltop site is a strong defensive one: a necessity in this region where Border reivers were an ever-present threat. The line of Hadrian’s Wall passes immediately to the south of the castle, and some of its stonework was reused to build parts of the castle – conveniently already cut to exacting Roman dimensions, of course. There are some interesting legends relating to the castle: a dwarf bound by a curse, a secret passageway and a White Lady ghost. More info can be found on the official National Park website.
🌍 Location
📌 Off minor road 0.5 mi north of Greenhead
🧭 O.S. Grid Reference: NY 659661
🛰️ GPS coordinates: 54.988756,-2.533786
🚌 Infrequent bus stops next to car park. Better service to Greenhead village (0.5 mi to south, with footpath link)
🚗 Thirlwall View car park, 🧭 NY 658659 / 🛰️ 54.986279,-2.536440
📝 Key info
⌚ Always open
🎫 Free
💬 From the car park it’s a 5-min walk to the castle. Follow the road north (downhill) for a very short distance, turning right through a gate just beyond the terraced houses. Follow the path over the railway line (checking for trains), crossing the footbridge over the Pow Charney Burn beyond. At the path crossroads, do not cross the second footbridge to the right; instead, continue ahead with the larger Tipalt Burn on the right. The castle should soon be visible ahead.
