Warkworth | |
---|---|
Warkworth village and church, viewed from the northeast |
|
Warkworth shown within Northumberland | |
Population | 1,574 (2011 Census) |
OS grid reference | NU246057 |
Unitary authority | |
Ceremonial county | |
Region | |
Country | England |
Sovereign state | United Kingdom |
Post town | MORPETH |
Postcode district | NE65 |
Dialling code | 01665 |
Police | Northumbria |
Fire | Northumberland |
Ambulance | North East |
EU Parliament | North East England |
UK Parliament | |
Warkworth is a village in Northumberland, England. It is probably best known for its well-preserved medieval castle, church and hermitage. The population of Warkworth was 1,493 in 2001, increasing to 1,574 at the 2011 Census. The village is situated in a loop of the River Coquet, about 1 mile (1.6 km) from the Northumberland coast and lies on the main A1068 road. It is 30 miles (48 km) north of Newcastle, and about 40 miles (64 km) south of the Scottish border. An ancient bridge of two arches crosses the river at Warkworth, with a fortified gateway on the road mounting to the castle.
Warkworth is popular with visitors for its old buildings, its walks by the River Coquet, and its proximity to the Northumberland Coast, an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB). It is twinned with Warkworth, New Zealand.
A church has existed on the riverside site in the village for around 1,200 years. St Lawrence church is a large and almost completely Norman building, which is unique in Northumberland. The first record of the village dates from 737AD when King Ceolwulf of Northumbria gave the church and village to the Abbot and monks of Lindisfarne. In 1174, the church was the scene of a massacre when some 300 people were brutally butchered by Duncan, Earl of Fife during a Scottish raid. John Law, was vicar of Warkworth in the 1770s.