Alnwick

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The current Duchess of Northumberland, Jane Percy, spent £42 million to create this modern take on a formal garden. Though everyone calls it Alnwick Gardens the official name is The Alnwick Garden.

Highlights include:

• The Grand Cascade - a modern and giant version of an ornamental fountain.

• The Poison Garden - a collection of hundreds of toxic and narcotic plants with information on their use and misuse. The garden is behind locked iron gates, entrance is by guided tour only, and the more deadly plants are kept inside cages.

• The Cherry Orchard - the world's largest collection of Japanese cherry trees.

Also nearby, you can find The Treehouse Restaurant and Lilidorie, a fantasy-inspired play village for children.

The best times to visit The Alnwick Garden are late April for the cherry blossoms or June to July for blooming roses.

You need separate tickets for the garden and the castle.

Dogs are not allowed in the garden.

It may only be a mile and a half long, but taking a steam train on this heritage railway is a fun way to get from Alnwick to Alnmouth on the coast. It runs on the weekends in the spring and summer.

Unlike Alnwick, Alnmouth is pronounced as it is written; this time, the "l" and "n" are not silent.

On Christmas Eve 1806, a storm altered the course of the River Aln, separating the village from its church and putting the final nail in the coffin of this once thriving port. Today, Alnmouth is a picturesque resort famous for its pretty seaside houses and expansive beach.

When the tide is out, crossing the Aln and walking up Church Hill is possible. From there, you can see how that fateful storm created a meandering estuary unsuitable for large ships.

On the sandy beach, the closest one to Alnwick, you will find anti-tank blocks placed as defences against invasion during World War II.

Barter Books is an enormous second-hand book shop in a converted Victorian railway station. As well as 350,000 books, there is an overhead model railway, log fires and, in what was the station waiting rooms, a cafe serving proper cooked breakfasts and light snacks and lunches. Our pick for breakfast.

This family-owned Italian restaurant in Alnwick town centre is less than a ten-minute walk from the castle. They serve simple, freshly prepared classic Italian food. They are often busy, though, so book ahead. Our lunchtime favourite.

The ground floor deli sells a wide range of locally produced food and is a great place to stock up for a picnic.

The cellar has been converted into a tearoom, keeping the original brick vault ceilings, stone flag floors, fireplace and coal chute. They serve delicious afternoon teas.

Fourth generation, family-owned and award-winning fish & chip shop that also sells freshly made gelato.

The Cookie Jar is a boutique hotel in a former convent situated a stone's throw from the entrance to Alnwick Castle.

The bistro overlooking the gardens serves simple, modern British food from locally sourced ingredients.

It is also a great spot for afternoon tea, which they even offer as a takeaway.

This family-run state-of-the-art food hall on the edge of town showcases the best of Northumbrian produce from local suppliers.

Now owned by the fourth generation, Turnbulls have been trading in Alnwick since 1880. You will still find their original butcher and pie shop in the town centre.

Notes of Northumberland sells eco-friendly, naturally-scented candles and diffusers, all hand-poured on-site at their workshop on the outskirts of Alnwick. You can also book to make your own candles.

We stayed at Nurse's Cottage, which we booked via Sykes Cottages. 

It is a single-story, detached cottage with two bedrooms in a secluded walled garden set back from the street down a gated passage. Inside, it features a wood-burning stove. Outside, it has a small, beautifully planted patio area with a table & chairs for alfresco dining if the weather allows. It's ideally located five minutes from Alnwick town centre and only yards away from the entrance to Alnwick Castle.

Even though we stayed in Alnwick, we only devoted one day to exploring it. There are a couple of other attractions that locals recommended to us that we didn't find time to do that might be worth investigating:

An idea for something to do in Alnwick if it rains, this small independent museum is housed in a converted church and tells the history of Alnwick. It is located just across from the castle entrance.

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If you are still trying to decide if the Northumberland coast should be your next short break destination, we have collected our favourite photos from around the web to give you a flavour of what you can see during your visit. You can view them here…