One again we indulge in Romance Wanderlust, the column in which we make use of the Internet to explore romantic locations. As a household of Harry Potter fans, we were agog to realize that you can actually hang out at Hogwarts, AKA Alnwick Castle, AKA the site of multiple films and TV shows. If you are a fan of Harry Potter, or Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves, or Downton Abbey, or English history, or even just Really Old Stuff, then you will surely love this place (although this column is neither a review nor an endorsement, as I myself haven’t been there. Yet.). And for pure romance of both mainstream and gothic varieties, you can’t beat the adjacent gardens.
Alnwick Castle has been around since at least 1096. It has belonged to the Percy family since 1309. Indeed, members of the family still live in the castle. The family occupies one part of the castle, while other parts are open to the public. You can’t stay there overnight, but you can see a pretty large amount of the castle, including an amazing art collection. You can even take broomstick flying lessons on the field where all the Quidditch was practiced in the Harry Potter movies.
These days, Alnwick Castle is most well known for being Hogwarts. The first two Harry Potter movies were filmed at Alnwick Castle, and today you can learn to fly a broomstick at the castle and take Harry Potter Tours and buy all the Harry Potter keepsakes that your heart desires. Alnwick was also the site of a Downton Abbey episode plus a ton of movies.
I find the concept of visiting Hogwarts to be magical, interesting, delightful, and thrilling, but I’m not sure I’d call it romantic, per se. The Alnwick Gardens, though – that is another matter. Nothing says “Recite poetry to me whilst we walk arm and arm, I in my white lace and muslin gown, you in your finest cravat” like The Woodland Walk, and nothing says “Make out with me while we both wear black eyeliner” like The Poison Garden, a garden full of poisonous and intoxicating plants such as opium poppy and hemlock. Allow me to go find my Morticia Addams dress (I must have one around here somewhere) and my beloved and I shall slink about the grounds, being fabulous and fatal.
Alnwick Gardens is not part of the castle itself – it’s adjacent to the castle, and charges separate admission. It’s child-friendly (there’s a regularly scheduled water pistol fight and also tree climbing classes) but it’s also romantic. Being the little Goth that I am, I find the Poison Garden to be Romantic As Fuck, but I’m also partial to the idea of the Woodland Walk, which includes glades and meadows and tree tunnels, and just everything I adore in life. You can sneak kisses with your true love in the bamboo labyrinth, visit the cherry orchard, and wander around so many fountains. At night the Treehouse Restaurant and the Pavilion Restaurant are hung with little lights. My heart melts at the very thought.
If you’ve actually been to Alnwick Castle, or to Alnwick Gardens, tell us about it! Is it as wonderful as it looks? Inquiring minds want to know!
I visited Alnwick Castle nine years ago when I was at a popular culture conference in Newcastle. The castle is awesome, and when I was there, they offered all kinds of activities, which is how I got my first lesson in handling a bow & arrow.
What I saw of the town was also beautiful – and the best thing: in the old Alnwick train station, you’ll find Barter Books, which is one of Britain’s largest secondhand bookstore (it comes complete with a cozy fireplace, oodles of couches, and a toy train running on tracks above your head)!
Where did my comment go? Was it the tags? In case it doesn’t appear again –
I was at Alnwick many years before either Harry Potter or the gardens were even thought of. It’s fine, but my favourite castles in Northumbria would be Dunstanburgh, Bamburgh and Lindisfarne – Northumbria has a lot of castles, because of those troublesome Scots.
Barter Books are the business and they have a very good cafe as well as all the amenities Sandra mentioned. I haven’t actually managed to get to the castle yet as we have found so much else o do in Northumberland. If you want to stay some where almost as romantic try Morpeth Castle, about half an hour sounth of Alnwick – http://www.landmarktrust.org.uk/search-and-book/properties/morpeth-castle-9482 You get the gatehouse (all that’s left of the bcastle buildings) and the whole mote (top of the castle mound), it’s self-catering, but there are plenty of lovely places to eat around about if you don’t want to stay in luxuriating in your own bit of castle.
Oh, there was a great article about the Poison Gardens in Faerie Magazine a while back – *pages through Internet; cannot find link* – lovely photos, if you run across it.
I was a huge fan of the Robin of Sherwood series back in the 80’s with Michael Praed and later Jason Connery. It seems to be the interpretstion all the subsequent versions of Robin Hood on film and TV have freely lifted from since. Alnwick Castle was one of their regular locations and I have wanted to visit it ever since.
Unfortunately the day we visited Alnwick the castle was closed for filming (not sure what) but we enjoyed walking around the town. We drove through on the way back from Lindesfarne which is another great place to visit
We made an out-of-the-way trip to Alnwick a number of years ago, pre Harry Potter. At this point, my memory jumbles all these castles together concerning details, but I do know we enjoyed the visit a great deal. Ditto Bamburgh, described by some as the most romantic castle in England.
I loved Alnwick! It was truly lovely. The family still lives there for part of the year, so you can’t see all of it. But what you can see was pretty great.
I went a couple of weeks ago – and we had a great day, despite the fact that the weather was lousy. It’s a good day out and lots to do – and is particularly interesting as it’s definitely lived in – loads of photos of the family in the big old library room they use as a sitting room. And it does feel like a proper castle still – rather than a castle that’s been turned into a stately home as the defensive requirements decreased.
There were broomstick lessons etc planned for the day we were there, but it was hammering down with rain, so I don’t know if they actually happened – all the kids had decamped to the more indoor bits of the kiddie stuff – where there was dressing up clothes and knights and dragons stuff to do.
It’s a bit pricey though – as are a lot of the family run stately homes/castles – but I guess it is worth it. Being a Brit I’m in the National Trust and English Heritage, so I’m used to getting into places free because I’ve paid the annual membership rather than having to pay on the day, but I did compare the prices to the NT/EH things and it’s a bit more expensive, but not excessively so – and if you’re going to be near by for a while, you can get your ticket validated so you can use it again as many times as you like for a year (they take your photo to check it’s really you).
And Barter Books is heaven. Just wonderful. I could have spent so much money, but restrained myself to ten books…
The mister and I are going to be in this area this summer and I have been wavering back and forth over visiting Alnwick – because it’s so very expensive compared to the many many other castles in the area. I hadn’t even considered the gardens, but oh that poison garden sounds like something I would love to see!
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