Visit - Hylton Castle

Getting here

Find us

Cars can be parked adjacent to the site, next to the Hylton Dene play area.

Hylton Dene is a much loved green open space around the castle and a great place to escape the buzz of the traffic.

Although the castle is opening shortly, Hylton Castle Trust are working with local partners to offer a range of activities, events, and learning sessions in Hylton Dene and at local community venues. If you are interested in supporting the Hylton Castle Project as a volunteer, please get in touch - all welcome to join the friendly volunteer group, with training and support on offer.

Visitor information

Opening times

Hylton Castle is a multi-use community venue and as such, we cannot operate to set opening hours. Depending upon the time of year and events schedule it is best to check on our Book Tickets page to check

for events, tours, Heritage Open Days and afternoon teas for dates and availability.

Free on-site parking with disabled spaces available. Please display Blue Badge. The Castle and the gardens to its front are accessible for wheelchair users from the car park. Please note: other areas of the grounds are steep which may not be suitable for visitors with mobility issues.

Internally, there is a lift which goes to every floor, with the exception of the viewing gallery on the roof, which is accessed via a stone spiral staircase. The disabled toilet is situated on the ground floor. We can only accommodate assistance dogs within the Castle.

Our tearoom is generally open for walk-in visits for light snacks and hot drinks on Wednesdays, Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays 11am-2pm. (Our Facebook page would note any exceptions to these opening times at least 24 hours in advance.)

Dogs on leads are welcome in the grounds but please clean up after them and use the bins provided.

Learning

Hylton Castle and the dene are a great resource for learning, and our team can help you make the most of them with visits to the site and sessions in the classroom. We can work with students of all ages, from early years through to lifelong learners, one-off sessions to longer programmes.

Learning activities can be linked to specific curriculum areas, such as history, geography, or literacy, and there are also opportunities for forest school sessions, communication skills, careers workshops, team building, and much more.

In addition to learning opportunities for schools, colleges and other groups, Hylton Castle will be offering a number of training opportunities for young people, mentoring them as they gain skills and qualifications to help them make their first steps towards new careers.

To speak to a member of our team about training and learning at Hylton Castle, contact the Hylton Castle department at Community Opportunities on 0191 5373231 or email: hyltoncastle@outlook.com.

History of the castle

A stronghold for knights and a headquarters for soldiers, and tells us much about how peole have lived in Sunderland for hundreds of years.

Find out more

Buy tickets now

Hylton Castle tours are now available to book, head to the link below to secure your place.

Book your visit today