Key facts
- Operator
- English Heritage
- Condition
- Ruin
- Access
- Staffed, ticketed
Pinpoint
Pier Rd, Tynemouth, North Shields NE30 4BZ
Telephone 0191 257 1090
Website www.english-heritage.org.uk/visit/places/tynemouth-priory-and-castle
Possible Opening hours
Opening times change. Always check the official website before you travel.
| Monday | 10:00 AM – 5:00 PM |
| Tuesday | 10:00 AM – 5:00 PM |
| Wednesday | 10:00 AM – 5:00 PM |
| Thursday | 10:00 AM – 5:00 PM |
| Friday | 10:00 AM – 5:00 PM |
| Saturday | 10:00 AM – 5:00 PM |
| Sunday | 10:00 AM – 5:00 PM |
A ruined priory and castle gatehouse share a headland above the mouth of the Tyne, with the North Sea on three sides. English Heritage guides bring the site's history to the ruins, though a few reviewers feel the entry price outstrips what's left to see up close.
Worth the trip
The clifftop setting itself - reviewers report dolphins in the water below and rate the sea views as the real draw.
Before you go
One reviewer found much of the site visible from outside the paid area and wanted more on-site information boards - worth weighing against the entry fee if the view matters more to you than the history.
Visitors who described their trip consistently rate the coastal clifftop setting and sea views as the main draw, with volunteer guides praised for bringing the ruined priory's history to life given how little survives structurally. One visitor felt the entry price wasn't justified by how much can already be seen from outside, though the WWII-era guns and bunkers were noted as a specific highlight for those interested in that period.
Castle gatehouse and priory on headland
“Such a well-preserved site. We had decent weather when we visited and the views were fantastic. Had coffee in Tynemouth afterwards. Such a nice town.”— Jo Pridham, visitor review
