Alnwick is a small, historic market town, and an excellent centre for exploring this part of beautiful Northumberland, another of our favourite places.
The excellent Visitor Information Centre is within the Alnwick playhouse.
Best known for....
Alnwick castle (HHA), dominates the town, and home to the Percy family for over 700 years. Most recently it is recognised as Hogwarts in the Harry Potter films!
Alnwick garden is separate and stunning. The Poison garden is fascinating, and the water garden is fun for children and adults!
Worth seeking out...
In town, Barter books is an incredible secondhand bookshop, housed in the Victorian railway station and offering over 350,000 books to browse!
Bailiffgate Museum is small but full of interesting information about local history, and the Aln Valley Heritage Railway runs short steam train trips, with the eventual aim of reopening the line to Alnmouth on the coast.
Further afield, the coast has so many small towns and villages to visit.
Warkworth has a lovely beach, a castle and a sleepy hermitage which is worth a look. Craster harbour is famed for its smokery and their kippers.
Alnmouth has a beautiful beach, as does Embleton Bay. please don't disturb the terns and other beach nesting birds.
Castles and Stately homes are plentiful. Our favourites are Cragside (NT), at Rothbury, an atmospheric Victorian house in huge grounds, which was the first house in the world to be lit by hydro electricity!
Bamburgh (HHA) is a bit more than 10 miles away, but the huge castle is an interesting visit, and the Grace Darling museum in the pretty village is fascinating
Chillingham Castle is the 13th Century, very haunted home of the Wakefield family.
To the Southwest, Wallington Hall (NT) is another excellent house and garden.
Set in lovely countryside inland from Alnwick is 12th century Brinkburn Priory (EH) , and Edlingham Castle (EH), a ruin with a leaning tower,
Howick Hall Gardens are sometimes open, and of interest to keen gardeners.
Dunstanburgh is a much photographed ruin on the coast path north of Craster.
Walking and Nature
This is a brilliant areas for long and short walks, cycling and fishing! Inland, our favourite walks are in the River Coquet valley, around Powerburn, and up to Linhope spout.
The Northumberland coast path can be divided into easy sections, and offers breathtaking scenery, without too many hills! Favourite stretches are Warkworth to Craster and Craster to Low Newton.
Hulne Park, near Alnwick offers walks and views!
This area is a birdwatchers paradise, with the wonderful Farne islands (NT) accessible by boat from Seahouses. In May and June the cliffs and islands are alive with seabirds who come here to breed, including puffins. If you go on a landing trip, you will literally have puffins, terns and razorbills at your feet!
From Amble, a non-landing boat trip takes you around another bird reserve, Coquet Island. Wetlands and lakes also offer wildlife spotting opportunities. Hauxley wildlife centre near Amble and Druridge Bay Country Park have walks and nature trails.
Information!
Alnwick Visitor Information. 01670 622152
Lots of parking options. In Alnwick, there is a very large car park opposite the gardens. Campervans and smaller motorhomes can park in the daytime on some car parks, but buy 2 tickets if you take up more than one space.
Places to eat £ under £10pp ££ £10-20pp £££ over £20pp
Lots of great places to eat, so these are just our favourites and recommendations of friends! As usual, please check opening times, prices and current reviews as things can change fast!
Alnwick: Barter books cafe, Rocking Horse Cafe, Grannies, Origami Cafe, Bistro 23, Di Sopra
Low Newton: The Ship Inn - crab sandwiches and it's own microbrewery!
Amble: The Old Boat House
Craster: Seafood Restaurant
Warkworth: Bertrams , The Mason's Arms, Jasper's Bistro
Rothbury (Thropton): Three Wheat Heads Pub
Take Away
Fish and Chips Carlos in Alnwick
Accommodation
Plentiful accommodation of all types in the area. Campers are well served too.
We are campervan owners ourselves, and we ask you, please, if you visit the area in a campervan or motorhome, please only dispose of your rubbish, grey waste and toilet waste in proper, designated facilities. Doing anything else gets all campers a bad name, and will only result in it becoming harder for all of us to access lovely places Leave only Footprints!
Have fun. Anne X