Craster is a small fishing village on the Northumberland coast of England, eight miles (13 km) from Alnwick. The next village to the north is Embleton. It is within the Northumberland Coast Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty.
| Craster | |
|---|---|
 View of Craster Harbour with lobster pots in the foreground, and Dunstanburgh Castle in the distance at centre left | |
  Craster Location within Northumberland | |
| Population | 305 (2011 census)[1] |
| OS grid reference | NU255198 |
| Shire county | |
| Region | |
| Country | England |
| Sovereign state | United Kingdom |
| Post town | ALNWICK |
| Postcode district | NE66 |
| Police | Northumbria |
| Fire | Northumberland |
| Ambulance | North East |
| UK Parliament | |
Geography
editThe walk along the coast to the south passes by Cullernose Point, an example of the basaltic cliffs which are a significant feature of the local landscape, and are part of the Whin Sill. The walk along the rocky shore to the north along leads to the ruins of Dunstanburgh Castle.[2]
History
editThe remains of a tower on the end of the harbour are all that can be seen now of the much taller building which was part of the overhead equipment which used to convey the local stone from where it was quarried to boats in the harbour. The disused quarry is now a car park.[3]
A mile to the west, Dunstan Hall is a mansion incorporating a medieval pele tower, now used as holiday accommodation.[4]
A small distance inland lies Craster Tower, the home of the Craster family who were the local lords of the manor.[5] A memorial on the harbour wall commemorates Captain John Charles Pulleine Craster, who was killed in Tibet on 28 June 1904.[6][7]
For many years, the village has had a herring-curing business:[3] Craster kippers are well known around the world.[8]
During the Second World War, the Heughs, north of Craster, were home to a Coastal Defence/Chain Home radar station.[9]
References
edit- ^ "Parish population 2011". Archived from the original on 5 July 2015. Retrieved 29 June 2015.
- ^ "Craster to Dunstanburgh Castle Walk". Third Eye Traveller. May 2020. Retrieved 16 October 2023.
- ^ a b "Craster History We Can Mind the Time". visitcraster.org.uk.
- ^ Historic England. "Dunstan Hall (1041815)". National Heritage List for England. Retrieved 16 October 2023.
- ^ "CLHG History Walks Craster Tower". www.crasterhistory.org.uk. Retrieved 26 June 2020.
- ^ "Memorial to Captain Craster". Craster Local History Group. Retrieved 16 October 2023.
- ^ Memorial to John Charles Pullein Craster Archived 23 February 2012 at the Wayback Machine
- ^ "Where to Eat the Best Kippers in the World? | TasteAtlas". www.tasteatlas.com. Retrieved 7 June 2022.
- ^ Brown, Mark (15 December 2023). "Boat-shaped church and radar station among English heritage list newcomers". The Guardian. Retrieved 13 December 2023.
External links
edit
- Northumberland Communities (Accessed: 6 November 2008)
- Craster History told by the people themselves