Abandoned Castles and Fortresses That Look Straight Out of a Fairy Tale

21. Dunstanburgh Castle, England – A Fortress by the Sea

Perched on the untamed cliffs of the Northumberland coastline, the skeletal remains of Dunstanburgh Castle dominate a landscape where sea, sky, and moor converge in dramatic harmony. Built in the early 14th century by Thomas, Earl of Lancaster, this massive fortress was conceived as both a military bastion and a political statement against King Edward II. Its construction was as much about ambition as it was about defense—but history had other plans. The castle was never fully completed and was gradually abandoned, left to face centuries of neglect and the relentless fury of the North Sea. Today, the only way to reach Dunstanburgh is via a windswept footpath that cuts through sheep-dotted fields and rolling dunes, a walk that feels like entering another world. As you approach, the castle's ruined gatehouse and crumbling towers rise like ancient guardians above the coastal mist. Waves crash violently below its cliffs, and seabirds circle overhead, their cries echoing through the empty chambers. Time may have stripped Dunstanburgh of its might, but in its haunting solitude, it commands a majesty that no army ever could.