a guide to alnwick and beyond
our favourite things to do in alnwick
BARTER BOOKS
The photo above is from a trip we made last year to Barter Books! It’s an incredible secondhand bookshop housed in a Victorian-era disused railway station, and it’s one of our favourite places to visit in the area. If you have an hour or so, it’s absolutely worth popping in - if you’ve got a bit longer, there’s a lovely cafe too!
Alnwick castle
Photos of Alnwick’s 1000 year old castle might look a bit familiar to you - it starred as Hogwarts in the first two Harry Potter films! Film and TV credits aside (there’s plenty more than Harry Potter), Alnwick Castle is a beautiful place to visit and take in some living history.
Alnwick poison gardens
Located in Alnwick Gardens (which has a number of other beautiful gardens inside, including a grove of cherry blossom which should be in bloom during your visit!), the Poison Garden is exactly what it says on the tin. Short tours of the garden happen throughout the day, and it’s a really interesting (if a little morbid) peek at some of the world’s most toxic and deadly flora. We enjoyed our visit!
Chillingham castle
Not somewhere we’ve been yet, but on our list! Chillingham is apparently the ‘most haunted castle in the country’, and also home to a herd of extremely rare cows. The castle is open to visitors, including some of the most haunted rooms, so worth a trip if you dare…
places to visit in newcastle
About an hour via train from the venue, Newcastle is another fabulous historic Northern city with a range of amazing museums (our favourite is the Baltic!) and places to eat! You can’t beat Geordie hospitality. Tanith would be happy to recommend some fun and unusual things to do in the city if you’re looking to spend a day there.
places to visit in northumberland
NORTHUMBERLAND NATIONAL PARK
A remote and strikingly beautiful landscape, intersected by a large portion of Hadrian’s Wall. If you could lose a few hours hiking, this park is worth a visit.
Bamburgh castle
Another historic landmark, perched right on the coast. The village also has a museum dedicated to its own Victorian era tragic heroine Grace Darling, who became famous for rescuing 9 sailors from an otherwise fatal shipwreck.
Lots and lots and lots more castles
Seriously, this area is full of amazing historic sites. There are a ton of castles and stately homes to visit, and plenty of other historic landmarks (especially if you’re interested in the Romans!).
edinburgh
Technically not Northumberland (or England) but if you’re up here anyway, you’re very very close to Scotland’s capital! At only 1.5 hours from Newcastle by train, or a 2.5 hour drive, if you’re here for a few days we’d recommend a day trip. Again, Emily would be happy to recommend some fun and unusual things to do in the city if you’re looking to spend a day or two there.
places to eat in northumberland
There are plenty of restaurants and pubs in and around Alnwick, but these are some of our favourites in the county! If you need any more specific recommendations, let us know.
The treehouse, alnwick
Delicious food in a fairytale treehouse setting. On site of Alnwick Gardens, if you’re thinking about visiting!
The badger, ponteland
Classic British gastropub with really lovely food.
havelli, ponteland
Our absolute favourite Indian food ever. We’d recommend the Dahl Makhani and Bombay Aloo!
the botanist, newcastle
Quirky and delicious British food, with a particularly good vegetarian selection. This is another favourite of ours.