Cragside in Northumberland

Beautiful site with very knowledgeable staff / volunteers on site giving talks. Listened to a talk while waiting to enter the house.

The Lantern trail was lovely (especially at Dusk) and the house all done up for Christmas was magical

Regular visitors to Cragside, called in to see house decorations for Christmas and worthwhile.

Another visit to Cragside. Wonderfully done up for Christmas. Great theme of woodland creatures taking over the house. Nice that the upstairs was also open and decorated. Grounds always a pleasure to explore.

Great place to walk the dog. Cafe has dog friendly seating. Staff very friendly.

Well, I was hoping to see Cragside House adorned with traditional Christmas decorations, but I was sorely disappointed! It was more like something from halloween, dark and looked they'd brought half the garden into the house and covered up the beautiful, historical furniture! What an abomination. The billiard table was covered in branches, how awful. A few people were aghast, there were whispers of "am I missing something here"... not to mention that some of the rooms were closed while they covered them with more garden trees! Of course, the garden was open, but it's winter so nothing to see, save for the views. Half the walks were closed due to 'the weather'.... yet there are no discounts, full price for everything, which screams rip off to me. Will be cancelling membership after this rubbish.

If you want to see the house, don’t go in December. Upon entering the mansion we were told that the bedrooms were unavailable to view because of Christmas decorations, and then the guide set the scene: “ It’s midnight in the house on Christmas Eve , and all the family and servants have gone to bed. That’s when the wood elves entered the home and caused all sorts of mischief” It’s too bad the elves came and that it was “midnight” because this meant all the lights in every room were turned off and that trees and scattered alpine debris filled every room. Those pesky wood elves! They lined the portrait hall on both sides with pine trees! Oh you wanted to see the portraits? Too bad! Maybe you can catch a glimpse of them between pine boughs! You drove THREE hours to behold the magnificent stone fireplace? Good luck because the room is unlit and the barely visible fireplace is illuminated only by a haphazardly sweeping purple strobe light that gives only small glimpses of the stone. The billiards room? A dimly lit room with what could be a table under an enormous pile of wood cuttings so high the entire room was blocked from view. In all rooms but the kitchen on the main floor we needed to actually turn our phone flashlights on to catch sight of anything, because remember! It’s MIDNIGHT! We saw nothing that was memorable. The lights were off and the curtains closed. No need to linger. Then we were ushered out of the house and into the exact scene we saw inside: pine trees.

Really beautiful place to visit and staff really friendly and helpful

Avoid serious disappointment. Don't visit while 2024 Christmas makeover is at the house, if you want to actually see the house and contents. I've visited before and had a great experience. I'll compare then and now Took 2hrs to go around the house. This time 20mins No bedrooms accessible. No lab access, no game larder access. Snooker room, buried under a mass of twigs. Unable to look at room artifacts or display cases. No reading information about the house owners or visitors. We came all the way from Switzerland and what makes it worse is that there is NO warning of the changes on the website. I get the Christmas theme, fine. But have the decency to let folks know what you've done to the house and that a visit to learn and see, simply won't be on the cards. Shame on you National Trust.

Bit of everything here Great walks House very interesting Gardens outstanding Fantastic day out for all !!

It was an excellent visit, the theme of woodland and Christmas was stunning. The extra input re fairies added to the theme. Well done, look forward to coming back again

Lovely grounds, the house was closed when we visited which was really disappointing, especially as we paid the same entry price. However we made the best of the situation and explored the grounds and had a lot felt hot chocolate at the coffee shop. We’ll be back to see the house!

Always a nice visit, I love to go at the end of August when the heather is in flower and in autumn. The history of the house is very interesting and I loved the “science” room.

House and gardens are an amazing visit. For me the kitchen is the highlight of the house and some amazing walks through the grounds

Just completely stunning. Love visiting cragside

Superb parkland and natural features - am not the greatest fan of Victorian architecture so the house was not of much interest to me.

I picked the wrong week to explore the house as it was closed for Christmas decorations, however we walked through grounds for four hours and this has to be the most peaceful place I have ever been. Standing by the lake above the house there was not a sound. Can't wait to go back in another season to see the Rhododendrons in full flower and visit the house.

Beautiful grounds, really interesting house, lovely café and amazing kids play area. What's not to like?

Beautiful, stunning walks and fab for dogs

Wonderfully maintained property and grounds which include a country drive around the stunning perimeter with stopping points and car parks for picnics.

Great day out for families with lots to do.

Massive site with so much to see and do. Need a week here! The house is impressive.. parking gets busy..bring a picnic!

House was closed for the winter but the garden is worth visiting

Fabulous place, so much to see and do. My second visit and I brought two friends who were over from Germany and they loved it too

Not enough time to get round it all! Lovely facilities as you would expect from a NT property with a dog friendly shop and cafe. The house was great and lots of walks on the grounds. Shuttle bus if needed to take to and from car park. Labyrinth and kids play area as well as just beautiful walks to take in the surrounding beauty. Would highly recommend and would love to visit again!

Cragside is a gem. It is *huge*. There's the house, which is fascinating, the acres of walking paths around the estate in pine forests, gardens, along the river, etc. Plus there's the carriage drive (only partially open as of 2024). Only thing worth noting is that nearly the entire site is on a slope (true to the name). So while there's lots of accessible paths and parking it is still difficult to find any flat ground

One of the best National Trusts we've visited. Some minor maintenance work was happening whilst we visited but it caused no disruption. Good cafes and toilet facilities scattered throughout the estate. Lots to do with kids and family. The house was wonderful and the staff (as always) were very friendly and helpful.

Fantastic day at Cragside. Lots of woodland walks and interesting things to see. The staff in the house were very informative and friendly.

Brilliant place to visit, fascinating engineering to get hydroelectric power to the house. Acres of grounds great cafe, wonderful views from the formal garden

Whilst on holiday visited Cragside as the ideal location to see the trees change colour. We’ve been several times before so didn’t go inside the house this time. We parked up headed straight to the cafe for a tea and a sausage sandwich, then took a walk in the beautiful grounds. We also did the carriage drive, through the woods and upper lakes, strangely this was being sent round in the opposite direction to normal, I wonder if that will be permanent? It does mean that the cars no longer go through the arch in the house which is surely a good thing.

We go to this magnificent house and gardens a couple of times a year .great to see Victorian engineering at its best.and fabulous drives around the house with all the changing seasons.well worth a day out !

Fantastic place, it's hard to believe that there are such beautiful places

Beautiful and stunning what we did see , unfortunately the weather was terrible and we reluctantly had to leave but we will return for many more visits as there is so much to see

The best National Trust site we visit. History and walking, what more can you ask for.

Super gardens and house and grounds dog friendly 😃

You just HAVE to visit this place x

A most beautiful place to visit,we went twice while we were in the area.

Visited Cragside recently wife my wife and granddaughter - unfortunately the weather was terrible and parts of the site were closed. The house was very interesting but the guides were distracted by a group of school kids going around so it was difficult to get supplementary information. Also a busload of old folks were very demanding of both the guides and the spaces. Not the Trusts fault but it did detract from the experience. The shop and cafe were nice. Products on sale were good value for money.

What a stunning house, so much to see and do, it's certainly going to take multiple visits to see everything, public toilets and cafes available, dog friendly but on lead.

Book the ‘Behind the scenes’ tour on a Wednesday or Thursday

Great place to visit so much to see and do. For those who love long walks, they will enjoy. The house has plenty of stairs, so be aware if mobility is an issue. I used my mobility scooter to get from the car park to the house and then to the visitor centre for some lunch with a wonder round the gift shop. With the cost of entry and food it can be expensive but the food is excellent quality. All the staff are welcoming, friendly, and ready to answer any questions.

Nice interesting hall and plenty of walking routes.

My sixth visit since 1985, I just love this place, again the weather wasn't kind to us but having waterproof clothing and footwear I wax was able to soak up the atmosphere of this truly magnificent property

First time visiting Cragside and we will definitely be returning. My Father who has mobility issues was able to easily navigate the house with the assistance of staff, who couldn't do enough for us. As rejoining members, a membership is a must as this saved us a large amount of money as ticket prices are on the higher side.

Brilliant place no matter what the weather.

Fabulous place to visit. Beautiful house and walks (short ans long).. 6 mile circular drive around the estate with stop off points (car parks) for exploring. Very informative. The usual NT cafe and shop.

It was an interesting place, a huge place but we felt we were only seeing a quarter of the internal space. There were external renovations taking place but that didn't get in the way of things. Lovely grounds, coffee & gift shop, friendly staff.

We been there while I was walking there across this park, there is also a big house, great for visitors!

Amazing, no other words needed

My second time here, stunning house, full of history. Great cafe and gift shop this is run by the National trust

One of the gems of the National Trust.

Great day out. Spent 5 hours or so wandering around. Last visit was several years ago and it was nice to be back. The house was impressive and the gardens/estate were stunning. I walk slower these days and probably only walked halfway round, still enjoyed it though. The tea room was busy but it didn't take too long to be served. The sausages, wedges and beans was a double portion from the childs menu 😊.

Great place to visit for friends and family

Absolutely stunning and interesting house with extensive grounds, house is fascinating and formal gardens lovely, well worth a look, my second visit and not my last

Lovely and very intriguing house. Sadly the Carriage Drive was closed when we went.

Much of the place was closed when I visited.

Huge house and I didn't know about the first electricity house. Are they hide to peoples about their electricity house?. Also nice garden it massive to walk around.

Great place lots to see in house I didn't do gardens will done on my next visit

The drive from Bamburgh to Cragside was scenic! Free carpark for national trust members,there is a mini bus for people who are a bit wobbly on their feet like me,that will take you to various places on site as paths can be a bit uneven and lots of up hills. Interesting history of the building and the Armstrong family,the place is dog friendly,and has a nice cafe and gift shop.

Huge grounds, beautifully kept. The house is so interesting and the team are very knowledgeable. Coffee shop and kiosk are really good and reasonably priced

Went on Sunday, it was a great place. Very beautiful and lots to do. We spent most of the time in the main house, which was fascinating. We barley did the grounds but that just means we will have to go back!! Shout out to Yvonne who works in the house. She was so passionate and knew loads about the history. She was also very kind and you could tell she has a good heart. She made the day a lot more special!

Amazing place , full of great history and lovely gardens.

The same as always really. It really needs to have non reflective glad to allow you to take good photos from the owl rooms. The garden paths are very treacherous and should be flattened imo. It would have been nice if it opened longer on Saturdays as we were rushing to finish.

Have visited Cragside a few times, we really love it such a great day out

Amazing location and house. Fell in love with the grounds.

It was a great place to visit. Full of interest, beautiful gardens, and grounds. This was our second visit.

Stunning house and gardens plus lots of Victorian tech to enjoy. Fine National Trust cafe and shop

A must visit location situated in beautiful Northumberland. It was a birthday treat ,and I will be going back.

Fantastic visit. Excellent value too. Friendly staff, the house tour was really informative and the (many) walks in the grounds can burn an entire day easily.

Beautiful setting with lovely walks through the grounds and the house is amazing.

Beautiful place, lots to see, and plenty of walks around the estate. The House and Gardens were very popular, even on a drizzly grey Monday.

Fourth time visiting and still one of the best national trust houses in england i have visited.

There are a lot of lovely walks over the estate. The gorge walk is beautiful. Lots of steep sections but there are also flatter walks. House is fascinating. All areas are dog friendly apart from the house. Cafe is very nice as well. The day we visited was quite foggy so didn't see much of the moors on the journey back.

First house to have electric 💡 and brilliant place to visit .

If you are not an NT member like our son the entrance fee of £23 seemed quite expensive. On the plus side, the house was very interesting showing cutting edge tech from 1800's. The grounds were extensive although views were limited by shrubs and trees ( not unusual for a forest ). Suspect it would be amazingly colourful when all the rhododendrons are out. The hydro power from over 100 years ago was ground breaking. The cafe served good food.

What a lovely place to spend a day just meandering around. Such a calming place. The formal gardens were beautiful, we could have spent hours there. The gorge walk and then the iron bridge just stunning and a photo taking paradise. The house itself was fascinating, especially the kitchen and scullery areas, just seeing how things used to be. Got to visit if you're in the area.

Amazing place. House was really interesting. The only down side was the gardens. It was all banks and steps so not good if your bad on your feet.

It's still one of the best NT places to visit

Excellent place to grab a bite to eat whilst visiting this magnificent venue. Good choice of food on offer in stunning surroundings. You can have anything from a simple slice of cake to cooked lunches perfect for lunch

2nd visit here! So much to see! Incredible place! Will definitely go back for another visit.

Beautiful gardens for a relaxing walk. Nice scones at the cafe.

Amazing place to visit. Highly recommend to anyone who loves Hills, Forests and walks that go on and on for miles. Breathtaking scenery, the house is full of interesting bits and worth a look. This place makes National trust membership worthwhile. Expensive to get in if you don't have one.

A visit to this house is very recommended. Outside it is a volunteer relating the history of the house and the families and how they started and finished living here, the visitors who come and why they dis so. It is really useful when you entered the house and you already know what is what and why. You can visit almost the whole house, lots of bedrooms and they have the original furniture, books and distribution. The last extension is the best part with the marble chimney and the last bedrooms built for special visitors with hot and running water. There are a beautiful spa, kitchen and a lift. All the engineer work done in the house is superb. The coffee shop is at the other side of the car park and it is a wonderful corner to stop and enjoy the magnificent place

It was really good here, in Northumberland. Me and my family enjoyed our stay in the Summer Hols.

Beautiful building, history of the Armstrong, created electricity powered by water. Well worth a visit, and the gardens are worth time themselves.

Probably the best N.T. property we have been to! So interesting.

Been before but could certainly go back again. Very impressive place.

Cragside is my new favourite National Trust property and right up there in the top five tourist attractions anywhere. It's such an inspiring and beautiful place. So different from regular stately homes and castles. The unspoiled forest and gardens that haven't been overdone. The history of the engineering and the atmosphere set it aside from most other places. Top marks all around to the NT and their team.

Had a great day there and not enough time to see everything. I would say it is a bit expensive for what it is and your entry only is valid for 1 day unlike Alnwick castle where your entry ticket is valid for 1 year.

Great place for a big walk. Car Park incredibly busy, but it was a bank holiday.

Very nice place to spend a nice day.

A fantastic location with something for everyone.

It has a wonderful atmosphere and nature. A beautiful lake welcomes you at the entrance. There is a lot of free parking. There are seven different locations where you can go with your car. Especially the house and its surroundings are very beautiful. You can spend a whole day. There are places to eat and drink and there are extra services for disabled people

A beautiful home. Still occupied. The garden and trees built from scratch with waterfalls. Entrance, courtyard, large cafe. It was a rainy day so it was busy. 6 miles drive around the property and gardens.

Lots of open space, option of a circular drive or walks, with woodland trails, lakes, formal garden and a very interesting historic house the first in the world with hydro electricity. A free shuttle bus available to take you round the site. Some of the paths can be quite steep when travelling off the main route. We had a lovely day here and I would recommend a visit.

Has been on my bucket list for months and didn't disappoint. Knew a few things about the place before I went but still stunned by some of the things I saw, especially the fireplace, a proper wow moment.

Very good the entry price was a bit punchy, but bring a picnic and you could spend a lot of the day, I might have missed it, but they could have more about Armstrong's significance as an engineer, but as some of that was the arms trade I guess it would br brushed under the Axminster.

A lovely morning spent walking the Views of Cragside trail followed by lunch at the Still Room

A wonderful house with two special things for adults - not just face painting and Easter egg hunts for kids here! We did the conservation tour, which took us behind the scenes up the main tower above the house and met a staff member and volunteer who explained more about what it takes to preserve and share Cragside, and the 6 mile carriage ride through the estate is an absolute treat for grown ups! The walk to the formal gardens and powerhouse were steep and fun. The cafe did great meals and snacks.

Absolutely amazing place, not cheap but definitely worth the money. House was fascinating to look round and the gardens are beautiful. All the staff there are so friendly and helpful too.