A Perfect Day in Alnwick

Some towns do one thing well. Alnwick does about six, all within a few minutes' walk of each other: a castle that's been the Percy family's home for 700 years, one of the most imaginative gardens in the country, a treehouse restaurant, the biggest play structure in the world, a secondhand bookshop in an old railway station, and a proper little theatre to round it all off. Here's how we'd fit it all into one very full, very happy day.

Breakfast at Barter Books

Start where the locals do, at Barter Books. It's one of the largest secondhand bookshops in Britain, and it lives in Alnwick's grand Victorian railway station, with open fires in winter, a model railway running along the tops of the shelves, and more books than you could get through in several lifetimes. This is also where the original "Keep Calm and Carry On" poster was rediscovered in 2000, tucked away in a box of old books.

The Station Buffet, in the old waiting rooms, does a very good breakfast. Take your time over it, then allow at least as long again for browsing. Nobody leaves Barter Books with fewer books than they meant to buy.

Into the Castle

Alnwick Castle is the second-largest inhabited castle in England and still the family home of the Duke of Northumberland. You may recognise it: the outer bailey was Hogwarts in the first two Harry Potter films, and it has also appeared in Downton Abbey. There's broomstick training on the lawn where Harry had his first flying lesson, which is every bit as silly and fun as it sounds, whatever your age.

Inside, the State Rooms are some of the most lavish in the country, full of Italian Renaissance décor, paintings and treasures collected by the family over the centuries. Give yourself a good couple of hours to explore properly. The castle opens from spring to autumn, so check dates and book ahead in the school holidays.

Lunch in the Treehouse

A short walk from the castle, The Alnwick Garden has one of the most memorable places to eat in Northumberland: the Treehouse Restaurant, a huge wooden treehouse built among the trees, with rope bridges, walkways and a roaring fire in the middle. The food is hearty and local, and it's the kind of place where you find yourself pointing at things for the first ten minutes. Booking is a good idea.

The Alnwick Garden

After lunch, head into the garden itself. The centrepiece is the Grand Cascade, a great staircase of water that tumbles down the hillside in a series of weirs and fountains. Around it you'll find the Rose Garden, the cherry orchard (spectacular when it blossoms in spring), the bamboo labyrinth and the ornamental garden.

Don't miss the Poison Garden. Behind a pair of locked black gates, it's home to around 100 toxic, intoxicating and narcotic plants, and you can only go in on a guided tour. The guides tell wonderfully grisly stories about what each plant can do, and it's one of the most entertaining half-hours you'll spend anywhere.

Lilidorei

If you've got children with you, or you're simply young at heart, save some energy for Lilidorei, right next to the garden. It's a magical elf village hidden among 1,500 Christmas trees, and it's home to the largest play structure in the world, a tangle of towers, slides, tunnels and walkways. It's designed mainly for children aged 11 and under, and sessions are timed, so book online before you go. There's a combined ticket if you want to do the garden and Lilidorei on the same day.

An Early Dinner in Town

By late afternoon you'll have earned a sit-down. Alnwick's old town is packed with good places to eat and drink within a few minutes' walk of the Playhouse. The Dirty Bottles on Narrowgate is famous for its home-smoked meats and has a terrace for a drink in the sun. Caffe Tirreno, directly opposite the Playhouse on Bondgate Without, is a friendly Italian that's perfect for a pre-show pizza or pasta. If you're after something special, Sonnet, also on Bondgate Without, serves a tasting menu that's worth planning a whole evening around.

A Night at the Playhouse

End the day at the Alnwick Playhouse, right beside the medieval Bondgate Tower. It's the town's arts centre, with a busy programme of touring theatre, comedy, music, dance and cinema all year round, plus local productions and festivals. It's small enough to feel intimate but big enough to attract some very good touring shows. The café on the ground floor stays open until 7pm before performances, and there's a bar upstairs for a drink in the interval.

Check what's on and book tickets on the Playhouse website before your trip, especially for weekend shows. There's free parking behind the building off Greenwell Road; some spaces need a £1 disc, which you can buy locally.

Staying Nearby

Alnwick is an easy drive from all of our coastal cottages. From Cowbell Cottage in Beadnell and from Eider Cottage in Seahouses, it's around 25 minutes. That makes it a perfect day out when you fancy a break from the beach, and on a rainy day Barter Books, the castle State Rooms and an evening at the Playhouse are hard to beat.

Alnwick, what a day.