After re-fuelling with a substantial brekkie, it was time to walk back to Stowell Street Q-Park, retrieve the jalopy, programme up the SatNav and hit the road, Jack! Our first destination was The Alnwick Garden, created in 2001 by the Duchess of Northumberland, a place we had passed many times but never actually stepped inside, much to our shame.
The signage is very clear and, as we pulled into the entry, we were greeted by a pair of attendants who swiftly (but very politely) divested us of £3.75 to park. As you’d expect, there is a whole raft of parking, but with it being off-peak season, we managed to snag a space on tier one.
From the car park you need to head to the pedestrian crossing and walk over to the main ticket office and entrance. On your way down to the ticket entrance, you get a glimpse of the wooden treehouse, one of the largest wooden treehouses in the world. Featuring wobbly rope bridges, its lofty restaurant offers a dining experience that will literally sweep you off your feet! You also meander past a pond with its own water feature, bulrush bed and various rafts of lily pads that did look rather pretty, even at the end of September.
Arriving at the entrance, we were soon sorted with our tickets and confirmed our 11.15am tour slot for a guided walk around the world-famous Poison Garden, which only costs an additional £1 per person. We walked through the doors and into a courtyard where the gift shop, plant centre and cafe can be found; beyond this space began the garden. Preparations for The Alnwick Garden’s 25th anniversary celebrations were in full swing so, unfortunately, we couldn’t get a clear view of the Grand Cascade, or walk through the decorative tree arches.
I was a bit gutted that I wouldn’t be seeing the Grand Cascade’s synchronised fountains that ‘dance’ to music, but that was the reality I faced. To console ourselves, His Nibs and I headed to the world’s largest Japanese cherry orchard; despite the trees not being in bloom, you couldn’t fail to be bowled over by its sheer size... and of course, there are the relaxing swings to enjoy!
Time flies when you’re having fun, and we needed to scamper back to The Poison Garden to meet John, our guide, for the jaunt around the gated space. As its name suggests, The Poison Garden houses hundreds of toxic and narcotic plants and visitors are only permitted inside with a guide; before each tour, guests are counted in, and upon return are counted out. Some of the plants are housed in locked, decorative metal cages; these tend to be ones that contain illicit substances, such as the cannabis plants. You may recall that I mentioned the additional fee of £1 to do the Poison Garden tour? The monies raised this way (and donations put into a coffin-shaped box at the end) go towards funding school groups and outreach sessions with them, the aim being drug awareness and use prevention; what a great project!
As informative as John was, he was also very humorous, playing up to his audience in an age-appropriate manner. The child in me particularly appreciated the “No picking, No licking!” instruction at the start of our walk around The Poison Garden; it wasn’t a casual warning though, it was a necessary safety instruction. Some of the plants can be fatal just by touching them! One fact that really struck me, though, was that some of the plants straddled a fine line of medicinal benefit and toxicity just by quantity and/or method of ingestion. Did you know, for example, that laurels can overcome you if you cut them with a chainsaw and remain near them for more than 20 minutes; or that, if you take said prunings to the tip in your car, you need to have your windows open? I didn’t!
With the tour over, my geek-self was working overtime, so I scuttled back to the gift shop to purchase a copy of The Poison Garden book (£16.99). Should The Man Bird be worried, I hear you all asking? Absolutely he should ;)!
Returning to the main garden area, we headed off to admire the Ornamental Garden and its 16,000+ European plants. Originally created as the kitchen garden for Alnwick Castle, this is a proper mind-blower. It’s easy to see why there is a huge team of staff tending to the whole Alnwick Garden, year-round – just this one area was vast, never mind the others (yes, you, Rose Garden and your mass of bushes!). The Man had especially wanted to go in the Bamboo Labyrinth, a twisty-turny maze of skyscraper-high bamboos that playfully invites visitors to wander its tunnels and get ‘lost’. You really do feel dwarfed by the canes, almost in an Alice in Wonderland style; miniaturising ‘explore me’ moment incoming. A-MAZE-ING – pun intended.
It is recommended that you allow 2-5 hours to explore this magnificent setting fully, and believe me, you need it! We had a marvellous time, and would happily return. For smaller members of your family (specifically those under 11 years old), Lilidorei is sure to ignite their imaginations as they explore the vast, magical play area. With interactive play structures and dwellings that shelter invisible clans, this is a veritable wonderland for young minds and bodies. Opening Times & Admission Prices
The Man and I have visited nearby Alnwick Castle before, so didn’t go this time but, if you haven’t been here, it is more than worth going. This wonderful castle (featuring in the Harry Potter films) has been the ancestral seat of the Percy family (aka the Dukes of Northumberland) since 1309. One of the most famous ‘Percys’ is Harry (Henry) Hotspur (b.1364, d. 1403); he was heir to the Earldom of Northumberland – the title of Duke wasn’t bestowed on the Percys until much later in 1766. Shakespeare featured Henry Percy in both Richard II, and Henry IV, part 1 – FYI, history buffs and bookworms alike.
Talking of bookworms, no visit to Alnwick would be complete without walking through the doors of Barter Books. Set inside a grand [former] Victorian railway station, this venue is one of the largest second-hand book shops in the UK, and I guarantee that you will be over-awed the first time you step over its threshold. Consider it literary catnip for book enthusiasts: the Mecca for bibliophiles, if you will! Rare books and first editions rub spines with every genre of second-hand book, pamphlet and annual your heart could desire, and there are lots of nooks and crannies for you to grab a seat and discover a new favourite.
Fun fact: Barter Books is where the original WW2 “Keep Calm and Carry On” poster was found; cool, eh? If you look up, not only will you see the dramatic arched ceiling of the railway station, you will notice a miniature train and its sprawling track as it moves over your head! The Station Cafe provides a haven of comfort in which to savour a tasty morsel: we had a cheese scone and carrot cake with our pots of Breakfast and Earl Grey teas, though you can have a more substantial lunch, too.
Needing to walk off some of those elevenses calories, His Nibs and I loped into the beautiful town, admiring its stone arches and magnificent architecture along the way. Cobbled streets meander and wind their way along, and there are plenty of independent shops and restaurants to satisfy visitors. Culture vultures will no doubt be paying the Playhouse a visit, boasting a cinema, theatre, and gallery under one roof.
The Dirty Bottles pub is worth a look as well; urban myth fans will appreciate the tale that, in the 1700s, the landlord dropped dead instantly after moving a pair of bottles in the window. His grief-struck widow swore that the bottles contained a death-curse and said that any person who touched the bottles would die soon after. Now housed between two panes of glass, as a precaution (!), you are assured of living whilst admiring them through the heavily dusty window.
Alnwick may be a relatively small town, but it is rich in history and things to do – one to put on your ‘must visit’ list!!
