A place for all seasons

What an extraordinary combination! On the outside, everything about Alnwick Castle reflects the warrior nature of one of England’s great Medieval families - the mighty Percy, Earl of Northumberland. But inside, the sumptuousness of the State Rooms puts an entirely different slant on the same family’s more recent history.

This "Windsor Castle of the North" is no museum. These State Rooms are lived in today. These wonderful works of art are admired daily by the Duke of Northumberland and you, his visitor. The interesting display of family photographs scattered throughout every room brings you one step closer to a modern English Lord.

And the contemporary design of The Alnwick Garden brings you one step closer to sheer heaven. Close your eyes and do what the Duchess of Northumberland intended you to do in this lovely garden - take time out to "smell the roses"; to dream by water rills; to find inspiration. Take time out to just be a "human being" instead of a "human doing".

Then extend your stay with a short stroll into the heart of the delightful market town of Alnwick . The extraordinary Barter Books experience is not just for anyone interested in second hand bookshops. It’s for anyone interested in discovering a virtual Aladdin’s cave of stories. Leave time to explore the rest of the town centre with its medieval Hotspur Gate, cobbled streets and cafés serving scrumptious cream teas.

Alnwick - exploring history with a modern look.