Visiting Alnwick Garden | UK Family Days Out
Disclaimer: The lovely team at The Alnwick Garden gave us free entry plus tickets for The Forgotten Garden Adventure Golf in return for an honest review. All review words and opinions are my own. All photos are copyright property of Me Becoming Mum.
Our first visit to Alnwick Garden was in 2016, with just our eldest daughter in tow. Now, in 2022, with three new additions and a whole lot of family days out under our belts we made a return trip - and it was just as breathtaking as our first visit. Read on to discover everything you need to know about this fabulous, family-friendly, Northumberland day out so you can enjoy it just as much as we did.
About The Alnwick Garden
This award winning garden is the brain child of the Duchess of Northumberland, who came up with the idea in 1996 and brought it to life (with a little help!) Since the day construction began in 2000 to now, every detail put into place from the beautiful Duchess gates to the cascading fountains and more make the garden the stunning place you can visit today. Plus of course there have been a number of fantastic extra additions from sparkle lighting to adventure golf to make it a wonderful day out for all the family.
How to find The Alnwick Garden
If you're travelling in by train head to Almouth and hire a taxi, buses can be caught from Newcastle and surrounding towns. If like us you are heading in by car, there is a car park for The Alnwick Garden and Alnwick Castle just off the B1340.
To find the car park, use this post code: NE66 1YU
What is available at The Alnwick Garden?
The Grand Cascade
One of the first things you will see when you enter the garden is the spectacular Grand Cascade. Every way you look at it, this feature is beautiful. Be sure to stick around as the 120 jets will give you a dancing display every half hour. Take care where you walk though, crossing through the middle as the jets begin to spray could lead to you ending up just a wee bit wet.
A variety of gardens and orchards
Cherry Blossom Orchard
This was my favourite spot of The Alnwick Garden. We are going to have to head back next spring, a little earlier in the season. I guarantee this orchard is spectacular in full bloom! Rows and rows of these beautiful trees make up the world's largest Taihaku cherry orchard, and the 50 swinging benches make the ideal spot to stop and just enjoy being amongst them. The children especially enjoyed having a wander along the meandering path and stopping to swing here, there and everywhere along the route.
Ornamental Garden
This garden was a spot I remember Squidgy enjoying back in 2016. Revisiting with three additional children in tow was so special. They were a joy to watch; from Pickle stopping to smell the flowers to Munchkin pretending to read the map and show us where to go and many more small moments. In the next few weeks so much more will start to bloom in this part of The Alnwick Garden and I really hope we're able to visit again to see it. Spring and summer are the best months to enjoy its full potential, but its beauty can be enjoyed beyond that too.
Rose Garden
A wander through the Rose Garden in summer introduces you to a world of colourful rose bushes, which sadly we were a little too early in the year to enjoy during this visit. Pickle loved the clematis, however. After all, pink is her favourite colour. It's amazing to look back at those first photos we took with my in-laws and a tiny 2 year old Squidgy, and sit them alongside these recent shots with her younger siblings, don't you agree?
Other gardens too!
We didn't make it to every part of The Alnwick Garden, due to the time we spent enjoying other parts but there were more areas we could have explored. The Roots and Shoots Garden includes scarecrows, polytunnels and more, whilst The Poison Garden offers a chance to explore myths, legends and some well known yet more deadly varieties of plants that could be growing in your own back garden.
Fun and activities
Bamboo Labyrinth
All three older children loved running around the Bamboo Labyrinth. At one point we managed to lose the girls, but, as with most children, you could follow the sound of their noise to find them again, haha! It has a few different routes and places to explore. We went in the entrance by the Serpent Garden and exited by the Rose Garden. All in all it was pretty simple yet enjoyable.
The Forgotten Garden Aventure Golf
We all had the best time, even two year old Munchkin loved it! Each hole offered something different, from the layout and shape of the ground to the surroundings. From the carpet of wild garlic to the stunning acer trees even the flora has been well thought out to make playing in this area an enjoyable experience.
Top tip: If you'd like to enjoy this little area of Alnwick Garden without the noise, hustle and bustle of being busy at peak times, I recommend booking in at 10am. It was perfect, and so enjoyable to have it all to ourselves and take all the time we needed at each hole.
The Eco Trail
The Serpent Garden
This was Squidgy's favourite part of Alnwick Garden when we visited in 2016. With a variety of different fountains and pools that can be touches and played in, this is a fantastic spot for children and of course a great place to cool down on a hot day.
We did bring towels, sliders and swimming costumes for the children to use on our most recent visit (a lesson learnt from last time when we had no spare and a soaking wet Squidgy!) however we sadly ran out of time and ended up just having a quick wander through and look about. Next time I'm sure the children won't let us leave before jumping in and getting wet.
Places to eat
Pavilion
From afternoon tea to cold sandwiches, hot food to drinks, the Pavilion offers an array of food options perfect for every visitor. The best part is you get to eat with a view of the stunning Grand Cascade.
The Treehouse Restaurant
FAQs about our family days out
What are The Alnwick Garden's opening hours?
If you're looking to head to The Alnwick Garden, they are open 10am-5pm every day. During the the English school holidays they extend their hours to 9am-6pm.
Is it suitable for children?
Definitely! We have such fond memories of Squidgy running around and loving life here in 2016, and this year we got to create new memories with all four of our babes. Each section of The Alnwick Garden has its own unique features, and is designed to be fully accessible and family-friendly. From the Serpent Garden to scavenger hunts and more there is so much to see and do that make it the perfect day out for all the family.
Is it worth the money?
One hundred percent! There are so many different places to explore and activities to keep children (and adults!) of all ages occupied. As up to four children age 16 and under are free with each full paying adult, you get a whole lot of bang for your buck.
Are there facilities available?
Obviously with children, this is an important one. The answer is yes! There are fully accessible toilets in a variety of spots around The Alnwick Garden. This includes within the shop and The Pavilion.
Can you take dogs to The Alnwick Garden?
Sadly this is not a day out you can enjoy with your fur baby. To ensure it is a safe, happy day out for everyone they only allow assistance dogs inside.
With that, I've shared everything you need to know about heading to Alnwick Garden for yourself. I really hope you enjoy it as much as we did as a family, I can't wait for our next visit.
For more blog posts about exploring the beautiful outdoor spaces England has to offer, check out my days out and travel blog. Have you found somewhere amazing to visit in Northumberland? We love to explore new spots, so feel free to share in the comments below.
Pin It!
Discover what Housesteads Roman Fort has to offer and how to explore and enjoy this family day out.