Castle · Ruin

Etal Castle

Cornhill on Tweed, Northumberland
Directions
  • Open
  • Free entry
  • Dogs in the grounds
  • Parking on site, free
  • English Heritage
Etal Castle: Etal Castle: The tower house
Photo: Michael Garlick · CC BY-SA 2.0 · Source

Quick answer

Checked 14 Oct 2026

Etal Castle is a ruined castle near Cornhill on Tweed, Northumberland, managed by English Heritage. Entry is free. Dogs on a lead are welcome in the grounds but not inside. There is a free car park on site, about 10 m from the entrance.

Etal Castle opening times

Last checked 14 Oct 2026
  1. Mon 12 Not listed
  2. Tue 13 Not listed
  3. Wed 14 10:0017:00
  4. Today Thu 15 10:0017:00
  5. Fri 16 10:0017:00
  6. Sat 17 10:0017:00
  7. Sun 18 10:0017:00
Opening times by season
Season Dates Days Hours Last entry
Daily (calendar 14 Oct 2026 - 16 Mar 2027) 14 Oct to 16 Mar
Daily
10:00 to 17:00
 n/a

Closed on 25 Dec, 26 Dec, 1 Jan.

EH calendar shows one week at a time; read every week from w/c 12 Oct 2026 to the last published date, Tue 16 Mar 2027, with no unread weeks. All weeks: daily 10:00-17:00; closed 25, 26 Dec and 1 Jan.

Check current times on the official site

Getting to Etal Castle and parking

Plan your route

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Directions to Etal Castle View on a map
Address
TD12 4TN
Parking
Car park on site, free. Approximately 40 cars. About 10 m to the entrance.
By train
Berwick upon Tweed Station is 9.7 miles away.
Public transport
Glen Valley/Perrymans service 267 Berwick-upon-Tweed – Wooler.

Dogs, accessibility and facilities

Dogs

Partly
  • Welcome: in the grounds.
  • Not allowed: inside the buildings.
  • Leads: dogs must be kept on a lead.
  • Page says only 'Dogs on leads are welcome'; does not say dogs may go inside buildings, so the lesser value grounds_only is used.

Accessibility

  • Paths and surfaces: Ground grassed and uneven, slippery when wet; may be difficult with a wheelchair. Entry via portcullis from the village or rear entrance from the car park.

Food and facilities

  • Toilets Yes
  • Picnic area Yes
  • Baby changing Yes

What to see at Etal Castle

  • 01

    Gatehouse

    The fortified main entrance.

  • 02

    Curtain wall

    The outer defensive wall around the site.

History of Etal Castle

  1. 1232 Etal recorded as owned by Robert Manners.
  2. 1341 Edward III grants a licence to crenellate.
  3. 1355 Described as a 'fortalice'; called a castle by 1368.
  4. 1428 Violent clash with the Heron family of Ford at Etal.
  5. 1513 Captured by James IV's Scots army just before Flodden.
  6. 1547 Manners family sell the castle to the Crown.
  7. 1549 Garrisoned during the Rough Wooing.
  8. 1603 Falls into disrepair after the union of the Crowns.

Photos

Castles near Etal Castle

All 12 castles in Northumberland

FAQs

When is Etal Castle open?

In the daily (calendar 14 oct 2026 - 16 mar 2027) season it opens every day from 10:00 to 17:00. Check the opening times above for the other seasons and closed dates.

How much does it cost to visit Etal Castle?

Entry is free.

Sources

Every fact on this page last verified 14 Oct 2026
Suggest a correction
  1. Page on english-heritage.org.uk · checked 15 Oct 2026
  2. Page on english-heritage.org.uk · checked 14 Oct 2026
  3. Page on english-heritage.org.uk · checked 14 Oct 2026
  4. Page on english-heritage.org.uk · checked 14 Oct 2026
  5. Page on historicengland.org.uk · checked 15 Oct 2026
  6. Page on historicengland.org.uk · checked 15 Oct 2026
  7. Page on english-heritage.org.uk · checked 14 Oct 2026

We are independent and not affiliated with English Heritage. Prices and times can change at short notice, so check the operator's site on the day. How we check our data