Welcome to Stately Homes

Built on a bare and rugged hillside above Rothbury by the 1st Lord Armstrong, Cragside became one of the most modern and surprising houses for its time in the country.

In the 1880s the house had hot and cold running water, central heating, fire alarms, telephones, a Turkish bath suite and a passenger lift, but most remarkable of all it was the first house in the world to be lit by hydroelectricity. No wonder it was described as ‘the Palace of a Modern Magician’.

Around the house is one of Europe’s largest rock gardens sloping down the valley to the Debdon Burn; across the valley lies the terraced garden. Here exotic fruits were nurtured throughout the year in glasshouses, and still are today in the Orchard House.

Seven million trees and bushes were planted to cover the bare hillside and create the 404ha (1000-acre) forest garden you can explore today.

Opening Times - 2010:

House:
13th March - 1st April & 20th April - 28th May, 8th June - 23rd July, 7th September - 22nd October: Tuesday - Sunday, 1 - 5 pm
2nd - 18th April, 29th May - 6th June, 24th July - 5th September, 23rd - 31st October: Tuesday - Sunday, 11 am - 5 pm

Garden/estate/shop & restaurant:
13th March - 31st October: Tuesday - Sunday, 10.30 am - 5 pm
2nd November - 19th December: Wednesday - Sunday, 11 am - 4 pm

Admission Prices - 2010::

House/garden & estate:
Adult - £13.90
Child (5-17yrs) - £7
Family (2+3) - £34.70

Estate & Gardens:
Adult - £9
Child (5-17yrs) - £4.60
Family (2+3) - £21.60
Groups (15+) - £6.45

Gardens/estate/restaurant & shop (House closed - November to December):
Adult - £4.40
Child (5-17yrs) - £2
Family (2+3) - £10.40
Groups (15+) - £3.40.

More information on the garden can be found on The Gardens Guide.