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.
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.
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.