Plan your visit to The Alnwick Garden with North East Escapes. Explore the Grand Cascade, Poison Garden and Treehouse, and find nearby holiday homes. |
Visit The Alnwick Garden, Northumberland's Extraordinary Modern Garden
The Alnwick Garden is one of the most ambitious and talked-about garden projects in Britain, a spectacular contemporary garden created in the grounds of Alnwick Castle by the Duchess of Northumberland over the past two decades. What makes Alnwick Garden extraordinary is its combination of world-class formal water features, a uniquely theatrical Poison Garden, and a magnificent treehouse restaurant that is one of the most remarkable dining experiences in the North East. It is a place that delights visitors of all ages and that has transformed the town of Alnwick into one of Northumberland's premier visitor destinations.
The walled garden at Alnwick Castle had fallen into dereliction by the late twentieth century. In 1997 Jane Percy, the Duchess of Northumberland, conceived a plan to create an entirely new garden on the site, one that would be genuinely exciting and accessible to everyone rather than another traditional English country garden for specialists. She appointed the Belgian landscape designers Jacques and Peter Wirtz to design the central formal elements, including the Grand Cascade, which opened to the public in 2001. The project has expanded steadily since then, with new features added including the Poison Garden, the Treehouse, the Serpent Garden, the Bamboo Labyrinth and the Cherry Orchard. The garden is now one of the most visited paid gardens in England.
The Grand Cascade is the centrepiece of the garden, a monumental water feature of 120 separate jets arranged in 21 weirs tumbling down a grand formal staircase of stone, with jets timed to dramatic effect throughout the day. The Poison Garden is unlike anything else in horticulture: a locked enclosure planted exclusively with poisonous, intoxicating and narcotic plants, from deadly nightshade and monkshood to tobacco and cannabis, with guided tours providing genuinely riveting information about each plant's toxic properties. The Serpent Garden features a collection of contemporary water sculptures, while the Rose Garden, Bamboo Labyrinth and Ornamental Garden provide different pleasures in the surrounding areas. The Treehouse is the most extraordinary feature of all, a multi-level dining and events space built around ancient lime trees, accessible by a series of rope bridges and wobbly walkways.
The Alnwick Garden is located at Denwick Lane, Alnwick, Northumberland, NE66 1YU, within easy walking distance of Alnwick town centre and Alnwick Castle. It is ticketed separately from the castle, so visitors planning both should budget accordingly. The garden is open year-round, though winter hours are reduced. The Treehouse restaurant requires a separate reservation and is very popular, so advance booking well ahead of your visit is strongly advised. Parking is available at the garden and throughout Alnwick town.
North East Escapes has a wonderful range of holiday homes near Alnwick, perfect for visitors combining The Alnwick Garden with the castle, the Northumberland coast and the wider delights of this part of the county. Our properties around Alnwick and the coastal villages nearby put you within easy reach of the garden, Bamburgh, Seahouses and the Farne Islands, making for a richly varied North East break. Many of our guests return year after year to the Alnwick area, discovering something new each time in one of England's finest holiday destinations.
