'I went to the pretty market town with the most beautiful gardens in the UK'

This little gem in the north of England isn't somewhere you often hear people talking about, but it's definitely worth a visit.

By Alycia McNamara, Reporter

Alnwick - Northumberland - United Kingdom

Alnwick is a gorgeous market town in Northumberland (Image: Getty)

Alnwick Gardens in Northumberland is a popular spot among those who know about it but I fear there are not enough have discovered this gem in the north of England.

While on a roadtrip with some friends, we stumbled across this magical little spot and I haven't stopped thinking about it since (I visited two years ago). 

Visiting in the height of summer, the gardens were in full bloom with endless seas of pink, white and red roses which looked even better under the blue skies.

This doesn’t seem like a place you’d find in England, it felt to me more like the Romeo and Juliet style romantic garden you would find in Italy. 

The garden is perfectly kept which for such a large space is very impressive.


Aerial landscape view of Bondgate Within town centre and Alnwick Castle in Northumberland, UK

Not enough people have discovered this hidden gem (Image: Getty)

Alnwick Castle

The castle has been used as a film set many times, including for Downton Abbey (Image: Getty Images)

Adult tickets are £18.50, which I think is definitely worth the price, and up to four children can enter for free.

There are events all year round which make this an experience much more than just leaves, trees and flowers and it also means there’s something for everyone who visits.

You can view upcoming events on Alnwick Garden’s website but some which stood out to me are the summer music nights and the winter lights shows which are on every year.

It is also home to the UK’s deadliest garden which holds more than 100 toxic, intoxicating, and narcotic plants. The boundaries of the Poison Garden are kept behind black iron gates and only open on guided tours.


Flowers at Alnwick Gardens

The garden also contains adventure golf for families (Image: Getty Images)

The highlight for me was most certainly the rose gardens, which feature 300 shrub roses and can be booked for weddings. The area was created by David Austin roses and was unveiled at the Chelsea Flower Show in 2001.

Although I didn’t stay in Alnwick itself, there are many other places close by that you might want to visit if you are taking a trip. Alnwick castle is another popular spot for history lovers or Harry Potter fans as the castle was used as Hogwarts in the first two films. 

Also, just 25 minutes away you’ll find Bamburgh beach which has recently been named Britain’s best coastal destination.

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