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Cragside
Britain's original smart home which sits at the heart of a grand fantasy garden.
Rothbury, Morpeth, Northumberland, NE65 7PX
Important notice
Cragside is not part of any free entry voucher offers found in newspapers/magazines. National Trust members and under 5s are free. A short diversion is in place on the Armstrong and Hydro-power trails due to re-painting works at Tumbleton Lake bridge
Opening times for 28 July 2025
Asset Opening time House 11:00 - 16:00 Garden and grounds 10:00 - 17:00 Shop 10:00 - 17:00 Tea-room 10:00 - 17:00 Carriage Drive 10:00 - 17:00 Last admission to Cragside is 1 hour before closing.
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Ticket type With Gift Aid Without Gift Aid Adult (18+) £27.50 £25.00 Child (5-17) under 5s free £13.80 £12.50 Family (2 Adults and up to 3 children) £68.80 £62.50 Family (1 adult) £41.30 £37.50 Become a member and discover more than 500 places
- Adventure playground/play area
The adventure play area is next to Crozier car park. Roughly half way around the 6-mile Carriage Drive.
- Car park
Parking is available at the main car park, Dunkirk and Crozier. All parking is free.
- Dogs allowed
Dogs are allowed in all outdoor spaces at Cragside. All dogs are welcome in the shop. There is a dog seating area in the tea room. Assistance dogs only inside the House.
- Electric vehicle charging point
Twelve 7kW electric vehicle charging points are available in the main car park. Chargers can be accessed using mobile app, RFID card, or contactless payment device. Visit RAW Charging’s website (www.rawcharging.com/drivers) to download the app in advance of your visit. Chargers are only available during opening hours. Drivers will require their own cable.
- Picnic area
There is a picnic area grass lawn between the visitor centre and Tumbleton Lakes. Picnic tables are located on the banks of Nelly's Moss Lakes and Slipper Lake.
- Shop
The shop can be found at the visitor centre. Open everyday, 10am-5pm.
- Tea-room
The tea room is at the visitor centre. It's open 10am-5pm, 7 days a week.
- Toilet
Toilets are located at the visitor centre, next to the stables.
Accessible parking available in the main car park, visitor centre and Formal Garden. Assistance dogs welcome in all areas. Adapted toilets at visitor centre. Wheelchairs are available to borrow from the shop.
- Accessible toilet
Accessible toilets are located at the visitor centre.
- Designated parking
The two-tiered main car park is between the House and visitor centre. Accessible parking bays are located towards the House and towards the visitor centre.
- Induction loop
An induction loop is available at the tea room and shop.
- Level access to food outlet
The tea room is wheelchair accessible with level access at the entrance/exit.
- Level access to shop
The shop is wheelchair friendly with a low-level till point.
- Narrow corridors
There are some narrow corridors. The ground floor is wheelchair accessible. Unfortunately we are unable to accommodate buggies and pushchairs in the House. Due to limited head space and to protect the items on display, please use front carriers. We can provide a Hippy Chick baby carrier.
- Photograph album
A video introducing the history of Cragside House is available to watch at the House entrance. This video includes BSL and subtitles.
- Ramped access/slopes
Ramped access is available at the House, The Still Room, shop and tea room.
- Steps/uneven terrain
The terrain at Cragside is varied, with steep drops in places. Paths can be muddy and slippery underfoot. Sturdy footwear essential when exploring the grounds.
- Transfer available
Cragside operates a free shuttle bus service during the spring/summer season. It stops at the visitor centre, main car park, House, Dunkirk car park, Formal Garden car park and coach park. All visitors can hop on and off. Look out for the red and white bus stop signs. This service operates between 10.45am and 4.45pm, approx. every 35 minutes. Dogs welcome.
- Wheelchairs available
Wheelchairs are available to borrow for free. Booking is advisable. Please contact 01669 620 333 to reserve a wheelchair.
- By road
From the A1 follow the signs for the A697. Follow the A697 through the villages of Longhorsley and Longframlington. After approximately 4 miles take a left turn on to the B6341 at the Moorhouse Crossroads. Cragside's entrance is 3 miles along this road on the left.
Parking: There are 7 car parks at Cragside. There are two car parks on the lower estate, including the main car park. There are five around the Carriage Drive. We have a limited number of designated parking spaces available on a first come, first served basis for campervans and motorhomes. Please ask for details on arrival at the gate. Please be aware, some spaces are on a slight camber. We are unable to accommodate caravans and cars with trailers due to narrow roads and the gradients on the estate.
Sat Nav: Your SatNav may try to bring you through the exit. When approaching Cragside, please ignore your SatNav and follow the brown signs to the main entrance. If you are approaching from Rothbury, the entrance is 200 yards after the exit. If you are approaching from the A697, the entrance is 200 yards before the exit. When using Google Maps and inputting Cragside's postcode, the route directs drivers through a closed private drive on to the estate. Please follow the brown tourism signs.
- By bus
The X14 Arriva service from Newcastle to Thropton stops at Cragside. Alight the bus at the main entrance, where the welcome team will greet you. Click here to view the bus table online.
- OS map reference
Landranger: 81 Explorer: on the cusp of 42 and 16 Grid reference: 072, 026
Planning your visit
Article
Useful information for planning your visit to Cragside
We want everyone to feel welcome when visiting Cragside. In this article we've pulled together some top tips to help you get the most out of your visit.
Article
Walking Cragside
Whether you’re looking for a peaceful stroll or a challenging hike, there is a waymarked walk for everyone at Cragside. A network of 40-miles of footpaths will take you under the canopy of towering trees, across timber bridges, between rugged rocks, along the banks of sparkling lakes and under arches of rhododendron.
Article
Visiting Cragside with your dog
Dog are welcome at Cragside - and we love meeting them too. With over 40 miles of footpaths, Cragside is great place to stretch your legs with your four-legged friend. Read our top tips to help make the most of your visit.
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Highlights
Cragside House
Explore Britain's original smart home - a pioneering Arts and Crafts mansion filled with the latest Victorian inventions for efficient, modern living.
Rock Garden
Explore the maze of paths that criss-cross up the hillside from the Valley. Don't forget to find your way to the Iron Bridge to capture the most photographed view of the House.
Pinetum
Walk under the canopy of some of the tallest trees of their kind in the country through this peaceful part of the grounds.
Carriage Drive
Experience Cragside by car on this circular 6-mile route around the grounds. Pull into one of the car parks and explore more on a waymarked walk.
Powerhouse
Delve into Cragside's pioneering past at the Powerhouse and discover how William Armstrong turned water into light.
Pump House
Find out how William Armstrong adapted his dock-side hydraulic crane technology to push water up the hillside to the Basin Tank.
Archimedes Screw
The Archimedes Screw was installed in 2014. It's Cragside's modern water-powered generator which produces enough hydroelectricity to light the House.
Nelly's Moss Lakes
Stroll around the banks of the Nelly's Moss Lakes. The twin lakes on the top of the grounds were once the vital water stores for William Armstrong's hydroelectricity system.
Things to see and do
Article
Things to do in the house at Cragside
Cragside House was Britain's original 'smart home'. The Victorian mansion illuminated by hydroelectricity and powered hydraulics.
Article
Family fun at Cragside
Bring the kids to Cragside for a big day of adventures. Climb to dizzy heights at the play area and let their imagination run wild at den building. With miles of paths and twists and turns to discover, the grounds will feel like a giant maze for nature explorers. Follow a waymarked walk where you'll uncover routes along lakesides, stone steps to climb, paths through rocky caverns, giant trees and spring wildlife.
Article
Walking Cragside
Whether you’re looking for a peaceful stroll or a challenging hike, there is a waymarked walk for everyone at Cragside. A network of 40-miles of footpaths will take you under the canopy of towering trees, across timber bridges, between rugged rocks, along the banks of sparkling lakes and under arches of rhododendron.
Article
Things to do in the gardens at Cragside
Explore the ultimate landscaped garden in Northumberland. With spectacular vision, Victorians William and Margaret Armstrong transformed the grounds from a bare moorside into a fantasy mountain landscape. Created for beauty and function you’ll discover towering trees, overflowing flower beds, trickling burns, dramatic water cascades and engineered lakes that were created to harness the power of water.
Article
Group and school visits to Cragside
Find out how to arrange a group visit or self-led school trip to Cragside to learn the story of hydroelectricity and explore the pioneering former home of William Armstrong.
Top trails
Trail
Rocky Ramble, Cragside
Duck under boulders and wind between gaps in the rock on this adventurous hike through Cragside. Discover engineered crags and man-made rock formations as you traverse the hillside.
Trail
Nelly's Moss lakes walk, Cragside
Discover the historic lakes, engineered by Lord Armstrong as part of his pioneering hydro-electricity system, on this easy circular walk at Cragside, and spot wildlife like frogs and herons.
Trail
Inspiration Walk, Cragside
Delve into the mind of the Victorian engineer William Armstrong on this circular walk, which passes rock formations, a lake, and inspirational quotes before taking in views across the rolling hills of Northumberland.
Trail
Building Cragside Walk
On this challenging hike you'll follow a rocky and hilly route. next to jagged cliffs and through stone tunnels on the way to Cragend Quarry.
Trail
The Armstrong trail, Cragside
A 2-mile circular walk along the Armstrong Trail at Cragside in Northumberland. Follow the water from Tumbleton lake through the Debdon Valley. Witness sparkling lakes, towering trees and tumbling cascades.
Trail
Gun walk at Cragside
Follow the path of the Armstrongs’ gamekeepers. Walk between impressive rock formations, along craggy paths lined with rhododendrons on this challenging hike through the heart of the grounds.
Trail
Now open: Views of Cragside walk
Explore the grand landscaped garden that wraps around Cragside House and discover amazing views across the Northumberland Valley on this waymarked walk.
Trail
Hydro-power Trail
On the Hydro-power Trail you will discover William Armstrong's engineered lakes and experimental technologies that were created to produce hydroelectricity and power hydraulics.
Eating and shopping
Article
Shopping and eating at Cragside
Break up your day by visiting one of the eateries at Cragside, and pop into the shop, set in the old stable block near the tranquil Tumbleton Lake.
Recipe
Cragside Crackle biscuits
These moreish oat, cinnamon and ginger biscuits, with a distinctive crackled top, were created by the chefs in the tea-room at Cragside.
Recipe
Cragside singing hinnie
Cook up a batch of this scone-like regional speciality, baked on a hot griddle or frying pan rather than in the oven. Perfect for breakfast or teatime.
Places to stay
Cragside Garden Cottage
A Northumberland getaway in the blossoming gardens of Cragside.
Cragside Park Cottage
Retreat to this Arts and Crafts style house on the Cragside estate, close to the Northumberland coast.
Rothley Lakehouse
A luxury lakefront cottage that’s steeped in history and surrounded by stunning views.
Bolt Cottage
A cosy stone cottage in the beautiful grounds of the Wallington estate, perfect for walkers, cyclists and wildlife lovers.
Laundry Cottage
The perfect location for long days exploring the outdoors as well as rest and relaxation amongst nature.
Upcoming events
Sorry, there are no upcoming events at this place
About Cragside
Illuminated by hydro-electricity and powered by hydraulics, this pioneering home was filled with Victorian gadgets for efficient modern living. Man-made lakes, tumbling waterfalls and swathes of rhododendron combine to form the surrounding fantasy mountain landscape imagined and engineered by inventor and arms manufacturer William Armstrong and his wife Margaret.
You can wander amongst the towering trees in the Pinetum, explore the weaving paths and tumbling cascades in the Rock Garden and witness the changing seasons in the Formal Garden. See the whole estate by car on the Carriage Drive where way-marked walks and wildlife are waiting to be discovered. Families can adventure through the labyrinth, building a grand design in the den building area and swoop and slide at play area too.
History
Article
History of Cragside
Cragside is often considered to be Britain’s original smart home. Discover more about the creation of Cragside and the people who made the remarkable place we know today.
Our work
Article
Caring for Cragside's Red Squirrels
Cragside is one of a few locations that has a population of the UK’s native red squirrels. Discover how we care for this tufty-eared species. Discover how we care for this tufty-eared species.
Project
Project
Drawing Room Conservation Project at Cragside
Keep up with the progress on a major conservation project we’re undertaking to protect the opulent marble fireplace and unique chenille carpet in the Drawing Room at Cragside.
Support us
Article
Volunteer opportunities at Cragside
Volunteering at Cragside is a great way to use your experience and skills or learn something new. Find out more about the volunteer roles available and how you can apply to join the team.
Art and collections
Cragside's objects and collections
Explore the objects and works of art we care for at Cragside on the National Trust Collections website.