This is the seventh blog post about what we did on our 2024 holiday to Northumberland. Previously, I wrote about Lindisfarne, and today is about our visit to Cragside.
Cragside was built for Lord William Armstrong, who you may remember from Bamburgh Castle. Unlike Bamburgh Castle, Cragside was never a castle and it started life as a small fishing lodge. But over time, it was extended into a large stately home, and hosted many famous guests, including royalty. Also, unlike Bamburgh Castle, Cragside is no longer in the Armstrong family, and today it’s one of the National Trust’s top tier properties.
What makes Cragside interesting is its claim to be ‘the original smart home’. As you will know from my various blog posts about Home Assistant, home automation is an interest of mine. Cragside was one of the first homes to have electricity, back in the 19th century. And, due to its remote location, this was powered by hydro-electricity rather than burning coal. There’s also a water-powered lift, and an early dishwasher.
The later extensions to Cragside are the most extravagant, including a massive marble fireplace and a huge billiards room with heated seats. There’s also a ‘lab’ where you get to see demonstrations of some of Armstrong’s innovations.
Gardens and grounds
The Cragside estate is extensive, and there’s a ‘Carriage Drive’ which is a six mile, one-way circuit that you can drive around. We did the drive to be able to access the play area to let our eight-year-old burn off some energy at the end of the day, and saw a young fox on the way.
Away from the house, across a steep gorge (which is spanned by an iron bridge), are the formal gardens. These came into National Trust ownership later than the house, and some restoration work is ongoing. The greenhouses are home to a number of tropical plants that wouldn’t otherwise grow in the Northumberland climate, and again, technology is in use here. The huge plant pots sit on metal turntables, so that the pots can be easily rotated to ensure even growing.
We spent all day at Cragside, and still didn’t get to see everything. Thankfully, overnight accommodation is available in some of the old worker’s cottages, should you choose to visit for more than one day.
Accessibility
Although Cragside house was one of the first to have a lift, it’s currently not in use, and there are some quite narrow corridors. If you’re unable to climb stairs, then you’ll only be able to see the ground floor of the house. There’s a free shuttle bus that travels between the main car park, visitor centre (in the stables), house and formal gardens.
Entry is free to National Trust members, but as it’s one of their top tier properties, the prices for non-members are comparatively high – around £25 each for adults. It’s also exempt from many of the promotions that offer discounted entry. But it’s a full day out with plenty to see.