Craster is a small fishing village on the Northumberland coast of England, eight miles from Alnwick. The next village to the north is Embleton.

It has a small harbour and offers a view northwards along the rocky shore to the ruins of Dunstanburgh Castle. This is the nearest point of access to the castle and the approach must be made on foot as there is just a grassy path.

The 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.

A small distance inland lies Craster Tower, the home of the Craster family who owned the quarry and had the harbour improved for its benefit. A memorial on the harbour wall commemorates a member of the Craster family who died serving with the British Army in Tibet in the 19th century. The development of the harbour serves as a memorial to their son.

For many years, the village has had a herring-curing business: Craster kippers are well known around the world.

The 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. It is within the Northumberland Coast Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty.

A mile to the west, Dunstan Hall is a mansion incorporating a medieval peel tower, now used as holiday accommodation.

The Village

Craster is named after the Craster family who had held the estate since 1272. Walking into the Village from the car park or bus stop you are greeted by a lovely view of the harbour. The harbour was built to commemorate the death of a member of the Craster family who died while serving in the army in Tibet in 1904. The memorial is still visible on the harbour wall, as are the remains of a much taller structure at the end of the harbour that was used to lift stone from the nearby quarry (now the car park) on to the boats in the harbour. The stone from the quarry (which was shut down in 1939) was shipped to London where it was used for kerb stones, it is now a nature reserve under the protection of the Northumberland Wildlife Trust. Nearby is Craster Tower, an 18th century mansion incorporating a mid 14th century Pele Tower which belonged to the Craster family. The property was enlarged in 1666 when a two-story manor house was built on to the east side of the tower. Most of the estate was sold by Sir John Craster in 1965 and the tower is now residential apartments.

Restaurants, Pubs and Cafes in Craster
Craster Fish Restaurant is part of Robson's Smokehouse and has lovely views over the harbour from the dining room. It has somewhat of a reputation for the service (or lack of - see trip advisor reviews here), but has been highly recommended for it's food. Located next to the Tourist Information Centre you will usually find Pipers Pitch. You can try their famous hot buttered Craster Kipper or home made scones and soups. All their food is cooked fresh and made to order.

Situated in the centre of Craster, opposite the Mick Oxley Gallery is the Shoreline Cafe. It is open daily from 10am - 4pm year round and has a few tables at the front where you can bring your dog as well. It generally has excellent word of mouth and offers lovely home baking, cakes, fresh coffee and sandwiches. If it's a swift drink you're after with your meal there are two pubs in Craster. The first is the The Jolly Fisherman on the South side of the harbour, again it offers lovely views and a good range of food including a fine Sunday Lunch. The majority of dishes on the menu here, as you would expect to find in a fishing village, is fish and seafood. You can read a review of our latest visit to the Jolly Fisherman on our Blog. Haven Hill, with the Jolly Fishermand and the smokehouse recently had the honour of being nominated for a Google Street View award for 'Best Foodie Street'.

The Cottage Inn is the second pub in the area, just outside Craster, set in 6 acres of woodland on the edge of the Village of Dunstan. The Cottage Inn is also a three star rated B&B with ten bedrooms and has a restaurant that serves lunches and evening meals, along with a fine selection of real ales. The Inn has been recently refurbished and has a conservatory that leads from the restaurant out to the patio area of a secluded garden.

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