Alnwick - Central, Countryside & Coast

Alnwick is in the heart of Northumberland. Its long sandy beaches, its quiet friendly villages, the Simonside and Cheviot hills, its well preserved medieval Castles, and its gardens (the Alnwick Garden should come top of your list!) make it an ideal centre for your holiday in Northumberland. There are numerous Stately Homes in the area including the fantastic Alnwick Castle - oft referred to as "The Windsor of the north", and home of the Duke of Northumberland.

Alnwick - Historic Market Town

This medieval market town originally prospered as an ideal staging post, being only a day's ride from Berwick-upon-Tweed in the north and Newcastle upon Tyne in the south. It still retains many of its cobbled streets, narrow alleys and fine stone buildings which now house a range of specialist shops and family businesses as well as some of what once totalled over 50 inns.

Visitors can still enjoy the atmosphere of a thriving medieval market town in Alnwick's lovely Market Place, also the centre for local events including Alnwick's International Music Festival, local and continental markets and the Farmers Market is held on the last Friday of each month.

Northumberland Hall is the venue for craft fairs, coffee mornings and various shows and other town attractions include the Playhouse Theatre, Bondgate Gallery, Embroidery Visitor Centre, Bailifgate Museum and the new Willowburn Leisure Centre with its children's pool, health suite and gym.

Based in what was the Victorian Railway Station for Alnwick and now a magnificent listed building, Barter Books is one of the largest second hand book shops in England, with over 350,000 books to choose from in an atmosphere of cosy peace & tranquility. Not to be missed are the fantastic murals above your head as you go in and whilst browsing do use the 'Station Buffet' recently opened on the old railway platform.

Also in the centre of Alnwick, you can enjoy contemporary works of art at The Bakehouse Gallery, which specialises in felted sculptures and hooky wall hangings, wirework pictures and vintage silk goodies. Ideal for all ages, Bailiffgate Museum & Gallery brings the history of Northumberland to life with a mixture of traditional displays and exciting hands-on interactive activities.

Alnwick Castle and Garden

Home of the Percy family for nearly 700 years and considered one of the finest castles in England, Alnwick Castle, the home of the Duke of Northumberland, provides a wonderful day out for all the family. It has magnificent spacious grounds designed by Capability Brown, domineering medieval towers, a 14th century dungeon, beautiful State Rooms with Italian renaisance design, paintings by Canaletto, Van Dyck and Titian and there are various museums covering the region's military and archaeological history. See website for opening times.

Next to the Castle is the spectacular Alnwick Garden where you can experience The Grand Cascade with its many weirs and fountains, The Ornamental Garden with more than 15,000 plants, The Rose Garden of walkways heavily scented with climbing and shrub roses, clematis and honeysuckle, and there are many 'secret' gardens where you can sit amongst the pergolas, fruit trees and individual pools. Because it is a continually developing garden with major projects underway, it provides something new for repeated visits.
The Tree House completed in 2005, in a grove of Lime Trees, is yet another spectacular attraction to add enjoyment to your visit!
Please note, the Alnwick Garden is a different venue to the Castle and different opening times and charges apply. See website. (Find out more about Alnwick Garden on our Gardens page)

Stunning Countryside

The Alnwick countryside is also a great area for walking, short and long hikes, cycling, fishing, and in fact every kind of country pursuit.

Edlingham Castle, on the road from Alnwick to Rothbury, is now a picturesque ruin once offering protection against the marauding Border Rievers.

South east lies the valleys and heather topped expanses of Coquetdale and the Simonside Hills around Rothbury - a haven for hillwalkers and cyclists and a gateway to the Northumberland National Park.

The Heritage Coast

The coastline of the Alnwick region consists of over 20 spectacular miles of golden sands, rocky outcrops and sand dunes which provide fun days out for all the family and peaceful beach strolls along the sweeping sands of Druridge Bay and Cresswell.

Coastal villages include the lively harbour town of Amble, beautiful Warkworth with its magnificent castle, picturesque Alnmouth, home of the oldest golf course in Britain, the hidden coves at Boulmer and you can enjoy internationally famous smoked kippers and salmon at the fishing village of Craster after walking to the haunting Dunstanburgh Castle. Alnwick District - The Best of Northumberland!

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