Alnwick is a market town in Northumberland, probably best known for its castle, which is still the home of the Dukes of Northumberland. Alnwick Castle is impressive for numerous reasons, but as a headline, it’s the UK’s second largest inhabited castle — after Windsor — because, while a lot of the castle is open for visitors, the Duke of Northumberland still lives here. The other headline for the castle is that this is where quite a lot of the early Harry Potter filming happened. Beyond the castle, Alnwick is pretty and historic, with a centre that hasn’t changed much since it was a staging post on the route between London and Edinburgh. The best places to stay in Alnwick vary from country house hotels just outside town, to Georgian conversions and a restaurant-with-rooms on the coast.
If you’re in Alnwick so you can have flying lessons in Alnwick Castle, just like Harry did, or be shown around the grounds by Ron Weasley, then you’ll not be disappointed, as there is plenty of Potter themed magic to be found here, as well as in the grounds of the castle and in its expansive, and impressive gardens. From the end of April The Alnwick Garden is especially lovely, because of its collection of Japanese cherry blossoms — one of the largest outside Japan. The Capability Brown designed garden also has a Poison Garden, and a Grand Cascade.
Alnwick’s other highlights include the Bailiffgate Museum and Gallery, which is a repository of 10,000 years of locally discovered historic artefacts, and the regular Farmer’s Market, which takes place on the last Friday of every month. The best places to stay in Alnwick also make a good base for walkers, who have access to the lovely parks and gardens, plus the beautiful stretch of coastline, and the expansive views of the Northumberland National Park.