The Alnwick Garden

Your Guide to The Alnwick GardenJust ten years ago, The Alnwick  arden Site was derelict and forgotten. Then the Duchess of Northumberland imagined creating a beautiful public garden for families to enjoy, and from her bold vision The Alnwick Garden project began. The Alnwick Garden is now a vibrant place, with beautifully landscaped gardens, magnificent architecture and unique features, all brought to life with water. It's a garden for gardeners, with a design that looks to the future. From the country's largest collection of European plants in the Ornamental Garden to the very unusual plants found in the Poison Garden, there's an enormous variety of plants and trees.

Getting There 

The Alnwick Garden has its own car parks off the B1340 (turn right just after the hospital and the column if approaching via the town from the South). Approx ¼ of a mile along this road there are public car parks on the right, with disabled parking closer to the garden on the left. The main car parks in Alnwick on Greenwell Road are also convenient for the Garden, with a cut-through between car parks that offers a lovely view of the Castle. 

Postcode for your SatNav: NE66 1YU

About The Garden 

On arrival you can’t help but be dazzled by the view of the Grand Cascade as you enter The Pavilion. The garden’s main feature boasts 21 tiers, 4 different fountain displays shown every half hour and uses an incredible 7,260 gallons of water per minute! 

It’s easy to just get lost exploring the Garden’s many interesting planting styles during a walk around the landscape, and the gardeners are always happy to chat and to answer questions. It's also a garden for families, with lots of chance to get wet and play! Collect water in the mini tractors, paddle in the rills, see the many ways water can move in the Serpent Garden and dodge the Grand Cascade's jets. Play hide and seek in the Bamboo Labyrinth, and bounce on the world's largest Tree house's wobbly rope bridges.

Personal highlights that absolutely should not be missed include the Serpent Garden with its fascinating water feature sculptures around every corner, the Rose Garden with its idyllic country Cottage style planting and the Poison Garden.

Events at The Alnwick Garden  Each Spring 300 Tai Haku cherry trees burst into bloom and is marked by a Cherry Blossom Festival. To add to the spectacle the cherry trees, which are planted on a beautiful slope in the corner of the Garden, are under planted with 600,000 pink tulips. On a still Spring day there is no more impressive site in the Garden with its accessible pathways meandering through the orchard. When winter comes you might expect the Garden to go into hibernation, but no! Winter brings with it dark nights and the team have exploited this with a beautiful permanent light installation that can be enjoyed at its best at this time of year. Facilities at The Garden The Pavilion has a lovely Café serving a variety of teas, coffees, snacks and more substantial meals. There are also public toilets (which have to be seen to be believed!) and a gift shop. The Treehouse is one of the largest in the world and not only is great for the kids to explore the wobbly bridges it’s also one of the top restaurants in Northumberland. The Alnwick Garden is a unique educational and truly inspirational place, testament to the Duchess's vision and commitment. If you only visit one attraction during your visit, make it The Alnwick Garden. Visit their website for more information.