Alnwick

Alnwick is a working market town built around one of the largest inhabited castles in England, and it makes an easy, well-placed base for the central Northumberland coast.

Alnwick Castle has been the seat of the Percy family, the Dukes of Northumberland, for over 700 years, and its scale and state of repair set it apart from the county's many ruined fortifications — it's also been used as a filming location on several occasions, which adds to its visitor profile without being the reason for its size or history. Below the castle walls, the Alnwick Garden is a modern addition rather than a historic one, built around a large formal cascade and a series of themed garden rooms, and it draws a steady stream of visitors independently of the castle itself.

The town centre retains a proper market-town layout, with cobbled streets, independent shops, and a long-running weekly market in the cobbled marketplace. Barter Books, housed in the former Victorian railway station, is one of the largest second-hand bookshops in the country and a well-known stop for visitors passing through.

Why base yourself here

Alnwick sits a few miles inland from the coast, so it's a practical base if you want a proper town — shops, pubs, a choice of places to eat — rather than a coastal village, while still being a short drive from Alnmouth and the beaches further north. It's also roughly central to the county, making it workable as a base for day trips both to the coast and inland.

Where to Stay in Alnwick

• 
  White Swan HotelGrade II listed 300-year-old hotel in the town centre.
• 
  The Hog's Head InnFamily-friendly, dog-friendly inn on the edge of town.
• 
  The Oaks Hotel & RestaurantWithin walking distance of the castle and garden.
• 
  Premier Inn AlnwickBudget chain hotel near the castle and Alnmouth beach.
• 
  The Cookie JarBoutique hotel in a converted historic building.

Getting there

Alnwick has no railway station of its own — the nearest mainline stop is Alnmouth, a few miles away on the East Coast Main Line, with connections on to Newcastle and Edinburgh. Most visitors arrive by car or take a short taxi or bus from Alnmouth station.