#CountryKids Seahouses and Dunstanburgh Castle

Catching up on some Country Kids adventures from earlier in the year!
On the second whole day of my stay in Seahouses at February half term Storm Doris hit... So we resorted to alternative entertainments such as the arcade:

and after a run in the wind we had fun trying out my mum's waterproof camera in the swimming pool:

It was incredibly wild outside:

The next day dawned bright and blue skied so we headed south to Embleton for a walk to Dunstanburgh Castle. There were plenty of signs of the aftermath of Doris:

However there was nothing to stop us heading to the beach via the boardwalk and dunes:

And oh boy was it worth it for the view:

The castle really looked magnificent and it more and more dramatic as we approached it:

It is maintained by English Heritage and this is what they say about it:

Built on the most magnificent scale, Dunstanburgh Castle stands on a remote headland in Northumberland.

The castle was built at a time when relations between King Edward II and his most powerful baron, Earl Thomas of Lancaster, had become openly hostile. Lancaster began the fortress in 1313, and the latest archaeological research indicates that he built it on a far grander scale than was originally recognised, perhaps more as a symbol of his opposition to the king than as a military stronghold. 

Unfortunately the earl failed to reach Dunstanburgh when his rebellion was defeated, and was taken and executed in 1322. Thereafter the castle passed eventually to John of Gaunt, who strengthened it against the Scots by converting the great twin towered gatehouse into a keep. 

The focus of fierce fighting during the Wars of the Roses, it was twice besieged and captured by Yorkist forces, but subsequently fell into decay.

We spent quite some time exploring the ruins and enjoying the views before walking back along the sand dunes: