Sitting high on a hill at the neck of a naturally fortified loop of the River Coquet, Warkworth Castle is a fine example of a tower keep castle built in the 12th century,  in a region that was then part of Scotland. Most of the ruins date from additions made in the 14th and 15th centuries, such as the Great Tower, Collegiate Church, Lion Tower and hall range. 

Its most famous residents were the powerful Percy family. As Earls (and later Dukes) of Northumberland, they were among the greatest landowners in northern England during the medieval period. The site remained under their ownership until well in to the 20th century.

The castle was besieged during the Wars of the Roses and garrisoned during the English Civil War. As was typical, the castle was slighted to prevent its use as a stronghold.