Cragside

Cragside is a Victorian Tudor house based in Northumberland. It is a popular tourist attraction with plenty to see and do for both entertainment and educational purposes. It is known for its historical importance due to it being the first house to be illuminated through hydro-electric power, earning it the nickname of ‘Britain’s original smart home’. The National Trust obtained the property in 1977 after it was advised of the property’s historical importance by Mark Girouard (architectural historian).

History

Cragside has a fascinating history to discover starting from its beginnings as a shooting house in the 1860’s to the grand estate you see today. It was the vision of William Armstrong who fell in love with the areas natural beauty. William worked with the leading victorian architect Robert Norman Shaw between the years of  1869-1884 in order to achieve his vision and due to his passion for engineering and efficiency it was designed to be powered by hydro-electricity, the first house in the world to do so. Not only is Cragside famous for its engineering feats, its also known for its beautiful gardens and landscape , this is largely down to Lady Armstrong’s love for gardening and keen interest in the natural sciences. There is so much history at Cragside to explore – to find out more about this fascinating estate check out this article on the National Trusts website. 

Things to do

There’s plenty to explore at Cragside, from the innovative buildings to the scenic walks around the large estate and gardens. There’s an adventure play area for the younger explorers and plenty of activity’s available such as a critter trail and Explorer Packs. Cragside also has a tea room which serves a selection of hot and cold food and drinks to keep you fuelled throughout the day. In addition to this there is a shop containing gifts and souvenirs for all ages.

Other things that can be found are as follows:

• Cragside House
• Powerhouse
• Rock Garden
• Pump House
• Pinetum
• Archimedes Screw
• Carriage Drive
• Nelly’s Moss Lakes

Accessibility at Cragside

Please be advised that Cragside is a vast estate with considerable distances between buildings. Some areas and paths can be uneven and therefore be unsuitable for wheelchair users. However there are still plenty of accessible places to enjoy and you are able to drive between various sections of the property.

• Accessible toilets
• Induction Loop
• Wheelchair access for tea room, shop and ground floor
• Wheelchairs available to borrow
• Assistance dogs welcome
• A calm corner (quiet space)

Transport

• The X14 Arriva service stops at Cragside
• 7 Car parks – Follow the A697 through to Lonframlington, and then after approximately 4 miles take a turn onto the B6341 where Cragside can be found 3 miles along the road

For more detailed information regarding accessibility and transport you can take a look at their visitor information page 

For other historical places to explore you can have a look at our other historical listings