ABOUT ALNWICK

Alnwick is in the heart of Northumberland. Its long sandy beaches, its quiet friendly villages, the Simonside and Cheviot hills, its well preserved medieval Castles, and its gardens (the Alnwick Garden should come top of your list!) make it an ideal centre for your holiday in Northumberland. There are numerous Stately Homes in the area including the fantastic Alnwick Castle – oft referred to as “The Windsor of the north”, and home of the Duke of Northumberland.

Alnwick – Historic Market Town
Alnwick Marketplace, this medieval market town originally prospered as an ideal staging post, being only a day’s ride from Berwick-upon-Tweed in the north and Newcastle upon Tyne in the south. It still retains many of its cobbled streets, narrow alleys and fine stone buildings which now house a range of specialist shops and family businesses as well as some of what once totalled over 50 inns.

Visitors can still enjoy the atmosphere of a thriving medieval market town in Alnwick’s lovely Market Place, also the centre for local events including Alnwick’s St. Michaels – parish church, Alnwick International Music Festival, local and continental markets and the Farmers Market is held on the last Friday of each month.

St Michaels Church, situated near the Castle on Bailiffgate is the Anglican parish church for Alnwick. The church was first built in Saxon times and later rebuilt in the 14th and 15th centuries. Northumberland Hall in the Alnwick Market Place is the venue for craft fairs, coffee mornings and various shows, other town attractions include the Playhouse Theatre, Bondgate Gallery, Embroidery Visitor Centre, and the new Willowburn Leisure Centre with its children’s pool, health suite and gym.

Barter Books - Main HallBased in what was the Victorian Railway Station for Alnwick and now a magnificent listed building, Barter Books is one of the largest second hand book shops in England, with over 350,000 books to choose from in an atmosphere of cosy peace & tranquility. Not to be missed are the fantastic murals above your head as you go in and whilst browsing do use the ‘Station Buffet’ recently opened on the old railway platform. Barter Books is also now known as the home of the famous “Keep Calm And Carry On” poster – see the story on Youtube video.

A short walk from Barter Books near the centre of Alnwick, you can enjoy contemporary works of art at The Bakehouse Gallery, which specialises in felted sculptures and hooky wall hangings, wirework pictures and vintage silk goodies. Ideal for all ages.

Bailiffgate Museum, Museum & Gallery. Bailiffgate is the ideal first-stop for anyone visiting the Alnwick area. Discover the rich history and culture of this special region and there are regular events for all the family. A trip to Bailiffgate is guaranteed to spark your imagination and get you and your family excited about exploring Northumberland.

Aln Valley RailwayAln Valley Railway, at the Lionheart Station next to the A1, has an exhibition centre, shop and cafe. Visitors can enjoy train rides to Alnmouth on the coast, replacing a service first opened in 1850 and lost in the 1960’s. There are also many events taking place here throughout the year.

On the outskirts of Alnwick you can explore Ratcheugh Observatory, a very striking 18th-century folly with a number of towers, including a viewing tower with an impressive 360° panorama of Alnwick and its castle and of the Northumberland coast as far as Boulmer.

Alnwick Castle and Garden. Home of the Percy family for nearly 700 years. One of the finest castles in England, Alnwick Castle, the home of the Duke of Northumberland, provides a wonderful day out for all the family. It has magnificent spacious grounds designed by Capability Brown, domineering medieval towers, a 14th century dungeon, beautiful State Rooms with Italian renaisance design, paintings by Canaletto, Van Dyck and Titian and there are various museums covering the region’s military and archaeological history. See website for opening times.

The Grand Cascade, Alnwick Garden, next to the Castle is the spectacular Grand Cascade where you can experience The Grand Cascade with its many weirs and fountains, The Ornamental Garden with more than 15,000 plants, The Rose Garden of walkways heavily scented with climbing and shrub roses, clematis and honeysuckle, and there are many ‘secret’ gardens where you can sit amongst the pergolas, fruit trees and individual pools. Because it is a continually developing garden with major projects underway, it provides something new for repeated visits. The Tree House completed in 2005, in a grove of Lime Trees, is yet another spectacular attraction to add enjoyment to your visit!

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Other Villages Near Alnwick we provide taxis to Acklington, Alnham, Alnmouth, Amble, Bamburgh , Beadnell, Belford, Biddlestone, Bolton, Boulmer, Callaly, Chatton, Chillingham, Christon Bank, Craster, Denwick, Edlingham, Eglingham, Embleton, Felton & Thirston Village, Glanton, Guyzance, Harbottle, Howick, Holy Island, Lesbury, Longframlington, Netherton, Newton by the Sea, Radcliffe, Rennington, Roddam, Rothbury, Seahouses, Shilbottle, Swarland, Thropton, Warkworth, Whittingham, Wooler

Acklington
The parish of Acklington can be found off the A1, north of Felton, close to the river Coquet. It takes its name from Aeccel, whose sons farmed the lan...
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Alnham
Alnham, Aln Hame, Yeldom - all mean 'home of the river Aln or Yelwater'. The strength of the village is Alnham Farm together with Pennylaws, Castlehil...
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Alnmouth
The village of Alnmouth was formerly an ancient borough. It first appears in historical records in Saxon times when it was probably called Twyford, wh...
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Amble
Amble lies at the mouth of the river Coquet, which flows down from the Cheviot Hills through moorland, woodlands and pastures and through pretty villa...
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Bamburgh
The first inhabitants of Bamburgh – about midway between Berwick and Alnwick - lived in a fortified village, high on the rock where the castle now sta...
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Beadnell
Nothing concerned with the sea stays unchanged for long, and Beadnell, about 12 miles north of Alnwick, is no exception. This community has always had...
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Belford
Belford has existed as a settlement for some 3,000 years. Evidence of habitation can be seen on the brow of the crag overlooking the village. The name...
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Biddlestone
The small village of Biddlestone, about 18 miles west of Alnwick, was created around Biddlestone Hall and the surrounding estate of land, farms, stabl...
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Bolton
Bolton lies on a fold of land in the valley of the river Aln. Surrounded by beautiful scenery, there is an abundance of wildlife to be seen in the fie...
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Boulmer
The tiny fishing village of Boulmer in summer, lies low and tranquil along the shoreline, but in stormy weather seems to cling tenaciously to the rugg...
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Callaly
The village is situated about ten miles west of Alnwick. Callaly Castle dates from the early 15th century and lies about 600 yards north east of the s...
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Chatton
The village of Chatton is surrounded by the twists and turns of the river Till in a valley between the Cheviot Hills and the sea, about 13 miles north...
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Chillingham
Chillingham lies approximately one mile from Chatton, about 12 miles north of Alnwick. The land was owned by the Earls of Tankerville who lived in Chi...
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Christon Bank
Christon Bank, about 8 miles north of Alnwick, takes its name from the Christon family who, as yeoman farmers and members of the Society of Friends, o...
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Craster
In medieval times, Craster was situated in the grass field just below and to the east of Craster Tower. There were twelve cottages, six facing six, wi...
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Denwick
Just a stone's throw from the busy A1 and about two miles east of Alnwick, a curious traveller would find the sleepy little village of Denwick and pas...
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Edlingham
Eadulfingham, the 'ham' of Eadwulf, was one of four Northumbrian royal villages given to the Church in AD 737 by King Coelwulf , who resigned his thro...
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Eglingham
From a farmer's house among the hills, a little west of Eglingham, Sir Walter Scott wrote to a friend, 'We are most delightfully situated amidst place...
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Embleton
Viewed from the sea, the undulating whinstone ridge which shelters much of the village from the east winds resembles a caterpillar; hence the old name...
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Felton & Thirston
Felton and Thirston villages sit astride the river Coquet, joined by a medieval bridge, now an ancient monument. They are situated nine miles south of...
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Glanton
Set against a backcloth of Northumbrian hills and overlooking the beautiful Vale of Whittingham stands the village of Glanton, about nine miles west o...
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Guyzance
Lying about eight miles south of Alnwick is the hamlet of Guyzance. The area is one of outstanding natural beauty with the river Coquet forming a prom...
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Harbottle
Harbottle lies within the Northumberland National Park, to the west of Alnwick, on the fringe of the Ministry of Defence training area. It lies in a h...
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Howick
The village today is set several hundred yards from the Longhoughton to Craster road that runs close to the sandstone and whinstone cliffs, about eigh...
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Lesbury
About a mile inland from the North Sea, on the banks of the river Aln, lies the village of Lesbury, its parish including the hamlets of Hipsburn and B...
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Longframlington
Much of 'old' Longframlington dates from the late 17th and the early 18th centuries. A directory of 1828 describes it as a 'considerable' village whic...
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Netherton
Netherton is a peaceful country village with a population of about 60, situated about 14 miles west of Alnwick. The Star Hotel, now the Star Inn, was ...
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Newton by the Sea
Newton by the Sea is on a beautiful sheltered bay about ten miles north of Alnwick, with a long stretch of beach tipped by the picturesque ruins of Du...
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Radcliffe
The name of the village of Radcliffe, about ten miles south of Alnwick, was derived from 'red cliff'. Spacious buildings in the centre of the village ...
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Rennington
From earliest times this has been an agricultural area, for the name Rennington is derived from the Anglo-Saxon - the farm of Regna's people. Until re...
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Roddam
The hamlets comprising Ilderton parish, of which Roddam is the southernmost one, are strung out like beads along the eastern edge of the Northumberlan...
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Rothbury
The village of Rothbury lies in the valley of the river Coquet, about halfway between its source in the Cheviot Hills and the sea, some 12 miles south...
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Seahouses
The village is situated about 15 miles north of Alnwick. In 1820 North Sunderland was recorded as a considerable maritime village, with 560 inhabitant...
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Shilbottle
Shilbottle is situated four miles south of the ducal town of Alnwick and three miles from the sea. Vikings and other settlers called it home, then cam...
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Swarland
Although Swarland, eight miles south of Alnwick, has rarely gained a mention in history books, it is nevertheless unique in two regards: its name, whi...
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Thropton
About 15 miles southwest of Alnwick, Thropton, lying between the Coquet river and the Wreigh (or Rithe} burn, in a long valley which carries the river...
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Warkworth
Warkworth, with the Anglo-Saxon name Werceworde, has been here for a very long time. The village, about eight miles south of Alnwick, lies within a la...
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Whittingham
Northumberland has more than its fair share of picturesque villages but even amongst these Whittingham, ten miles west of Alnwick, stands out as one o...
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Wooler
Wooler, formerly Wulloure or Welloure, is situated above the Wooler Water and is known as the Gateway to the Cheviots. It is equidistant from Alnwick,...

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Stay in a historic market town

Accommodation in Alnwick

If you’re planning a visit to the historic and wonderfully picturesque market town of Alnwick, you’ll be pleased to know there’s a wealth of accommodation options to be found. Better still, many of these are ideally located in the town centre within walking distance to give you easy access to Alnwick’s best attractions, sights and amenities – from the famous Alnwick Castle to the banks of the river Aln and more. So if you are looking for inspiration on where to stay in Alnwick - look no further!

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Alnwick Hotels

You can stay right in the heart of Alnwick or slightly further afield in one of the town’s hotels. Discover a mix of boutique hotels, modern options and even converted historic buildings, each offering a range of facilities to suit every need, including romantic weekend escapes, dog friendly stays and accessible accommodation.

B&Bs in Alnwick

Make the most of everything from comfy rooms, en suite facilities, helpful travel advice from friendly owners and, of course, a delicious breakfast every morning by staying in one of the many B&Bs in Alnwick. Take a look through our selection below to find bed and breakfast accommodation that’s right for you.

Self-Serviced Accommodation in Alnwick

With the following options on self-serviced accommodation in Alnwick, you’re sure to find something that fits the bill for your next trip to the area. Discover everything from sites for camping, glamping and caravanning to idyllic lodges and quaint cottages.

See our selection of accommodation providers in and around Alnwick below.