The Gardens
As stated in an earlier blog, there are several places we have wished to visit before we leave for Spain, and one of those is Alnwick (pronounced annick) Gardens in Northumberland.
We saw a programme on TV about the project a couple of years ago and were most impressed with the concept. Ten years ago the site was derelict but the Duchess of Northumberland decided to build a new garden which families could enjoy. The gardens now belong to an independent charity, The Alnwick Garden Trust.
It is a large beautifully landscaped garden with individually designed small feature-fountains, hidden rest areas, a garden containing deadly plants, the biggest tree house in the world, and the main feature a huge computer controlled water feature. The whole idea is for families to enjoy themselves so there are no “keep off the grass” signs, the feature-fountains are fun and kids (or adults) can stand in or under them and wait for things to happen. The main water feature has huge jets which shoot over a path from the upper to the lower level. Huge fun in the summer if you fancy a soaking!
There are events available all day and one can have a tour of the pump room or poison garden etc. A visit to the Tree House is a must and a walk across its rope bridges is an adventure for young and old!
The following photographs sum up what we saw.
The Castle
The castle dates from 1096 and is the second largest inhabited castle in England. The website is here and it will tell more of the history of this extremely well kept building.
It has been used in the making of many films including “Robin Hood Prince of Thieves”, “Elizabeth”, and probably most famously in the first two “Harry Potter” films. The tour guides have interesting tales about which areas were used and the difficulties of filming whilst remaining open for visitors.
The visit around the rooms of the castle reveals the extent of the art collection worth untold millions of pounds. On one wall alone we viewed four Canalletos and a Van Dyck. Each room has a very friendly and knowledgeable guide who will tell you all about the furniture, decorations and art. Photography was not allowed in the state rooms so you will need to follow previous links to get an idea of what is inside.
A lovely visit to a beautiful castle and its modern gardens, and once again a word for the guest house we stayed in. Alnwick is a very small town and nowhere is more than ten minutes away from the Castle and Gardens. We stayed at “Greycroft” and had the luxurious Green Room which we highly recommend.