by Dr. AM Benton for GiftedTravel.com
Many parents in their tour of England include a visit to Holy Island to see where the Lindisfarne Gospels were written as well as to enjoy the tranquil loneliness of rural Northumbria. But monastic ruins and ocean views might not go down well with kids hyperactive from a long car journey up north. Not to worry, as there is a little detour along the way that would intrigue even the most picky child—a visit to Alnwick. Alnwick is the home of the castle which served as Hogwarts in the Harry Potter movies, and it has its own children’s “Knight School.” The surrounding grounds also feature a restaurant in a treehouse and a safe and educational garden dedicated to poisonous plants. The village itself has the “British Library” of second-hand bookshops with an enormous children’s section.
Alnwick is on the A1068 off of the A1, the “Great North Road.” The village is dominated by its quintessentially medieval castle. The castle has been portrayed in television and film—the movie Elizabeth and Harry Potter have used it as a stunning backdrop. When I visited, my inner child was secretly delighted to know she was touring the “real” Hogwarts, seeing where Harry played Quiddich and learned to fly on his broomstick. Alnwick’s Knights School also lets children dress in medieval costume and learn about early warfare and courtly etiquette. When we were there, kids were designing their own shields with a personal court of arms, and there were archery and sword demonstrations. The inside of the castle is also a treat for parents, featuring paintings by Van Dyck and Canaletto and evening wine tastings.
Near the castle is Alnwick Gardens, opened in 2002 by the Duke of Northumberland. Entering through the main gates, there was a water sculpture of curved terraces, the water cascading and dancing, and at its base, toy tractors that kids could pedal around if their feet were tired. Budding wizards interested in brews and concoctions would also enjoy a visit to the Poison Garden, which is as its name suggests, is dedicated to poisonous and irritating species. The imposing iron gates, decorated with intertwined snakes and skulls will make the wait for the guided tours go by quickly. While the garden would seem to be best for older children past the stage of compulsively putting things in their mouths, staff were very careful to keep tour participants at a safe distance from the plants. We learned that the cure for nettle stings was rubbing the skin with a nearby plant called dock. Extracts of poisonous belladonna were dropped into the eyes by Renaissance Italian ladies to dilate their pupils and make them more attractive to suitors. I suspect our ancestors would not have been shocked by botox. And, just as these ladies survived their beauty treatments, you and your kids will escape the tour intact with a new respect for botany.
We then headed to the garden tree house, which had its requisite rope bridges and lookout points for children to explore. But this particular tree house was one with a difference, featuring an award-winning restaurant. The surrounding screens created with fallen branches and the roaring fire and low lights created an other-worldly atmosphere. It had started to rain, and we ate our sandwiches to the sound of the patter of raindrops on the leaves.
Alnwick’s town centre was delightful too, with handsome buildings, monuments and tempting restaurants, pubs and boutiques. While I was putting coins in the parking meter, I asked one of the shopkeepers stoically standing under his awning (now it was pouring) what things there were to see. He asked if I knew about Barter Books, and pointed me to the giant Lion’s Column in the distance adjacent to the bookstore.
Barter Books is called the “British Library” of second-hand book shops for a good reason. Comprising 32,000 square feet, it is simply enormous. Housed in the old Victorian railway station, there was a model locomotive meandering its way through the store, and murals of famous authors (though not J.K. Rowling) which are fun to point out to children. Barter’s collection is on a computerized database for easy searching, but if you just want to browse, the store is well-organized according to subject. There is also particularly nice selection of gently used children’s books. I found a book of Russian fairy tales, a reprint of a Victorian alphabet book, as well as old favorites such as Babar and Curious George.
We’d experienced the beauties and dangers of nature, eaten lunch in a tree house, browsed in a bookstore in an old train station, and visited where Harry Potter went to school. As a bonus, the kids were well fed, tired from all the walking and climbing, and had books to keep them amused. They also learned about medieval history and botany. Now we could resume our journey to Holy Island, but I suspected that at least in the kid’s eyes, it wouldn’t hold a candle to Alnwick.
If You Go:
Alnwick Castle
Tel: +44 (0)1665 510777 24hr Info: +44 (0)1665 511100
www.alnwickcastle.com
Open Daily 5th April to 29th October
10.00 am to 6.00 pm
State Rooms 11.00am to 5.00pm (Last admission 4.30pm)
The Alnwick Garden,
Denwick Lane,
Alnwick, Northumberland, UK, NE66 1YU
Tel: +44 (0)1665 511350
www.alnwickgarden.com
The Treehouse Restaurant and the Poison Garden are on the grounds of Alnwick Gardens.
Barter Books
Alnwick Station
Northumberland NE66 2NP
Tel: 01665 604888
www.barterbooks.co.uk
Dr. AM Benton is a professional travel writer and historian living in the UK. When not travelling the globe, Dr. Benton is a research associate in history of medicine at Oxford University.
