Search hotels in Alnwick

You could visit Alnwick and think 'that was a nice place to visit' and move on to another destination. But if you spend time in Alnwick and really experience what it has to offer you will almost certainly want to return. There are pubs and restaurants that you walk past with varying degrees of interest as you peer through the windows, but go in and eat or drink and most of them will surprise you. Some pubs in the back streets may seem from the outside to be uninviting, but there are some absolutely unique and friendly pubs around including some that make you feel like a regular straight away, don't be put off by previous experiences. Whilst the prices may not be as low as non tourist destinations, the quality is definitely up there, as is the ambiance, and I have yet to visit a town where the friendliness of the people in the bars, restaurants and shops is so overwhelmingly genuine. I am originally from Mansfield in Nottinghamshire, more recently from North Norfolk, and now have bought in Alnwick. I travel abroad for work so have a lot of experience of staying in different towns and cities and Alnwick is right at the top of my list, hence my wanting to retire here. I could name my favourites but that would be unfair as I have different tastes to other people, so I would rather talk about the town overall, and there is very little not to like. The theatre is so active it is unbelievable, well worth several visits, and the tapas style bar for pre show meals is superb. So many of the hotels and restaurants are a real surprise serving absolutely first class food and drink, the cafes that really should be called restaurants, the food is so good..... The castle of course and the general location, not far from the coast and in easy reach of so many more excellent towns, it is a gem. My advice - give it a try, book a few days, but actually do try the restaurants, cafes, theatre, castle etc, see if you don't fall in love with Alnwick like I have.

I stayed at hallow and crux and attended a wedding at the alnwick Tree House, I only had a brief stay so didn't get to see much of the area, but what I did see of it when walking from venue back to the hotel was lovely, very clean, people seemed friendly and helpful, id like to visit for a longer period and see the gardens and castle as well as more of the town

Alnwick town centre is attractive to look at with some lovely buildings and a nice market square. However, the shops are uninteresting and the town lacked good places to eat and coffee shops. We didn't spend much time there. However, Alnwick Castle is amazing - you could spend a day there and The Alnwick Gardens which you pay for and go to separately were stunning with an incredible cascade water feature. Alnwick is a good base for exploring elsewhere such as Holy Island, Bamburgh Castle, Cragside NT, Howick Hall Gardens and boat trips to the Farne Islands.

The gardens are superb and a must visit , the poison garden talk is very informative and dispels life long housewife tales. The castle is great and the history of the Percy family is very interesting , the ceilings in the castle are incredible with venetian influence but crafted by British artists. Also dont miss barton book shop at the old railway station a very pleasant experience

Alnwick is a very beautiful and scenic place also steeped in history. Make sure you prioritise whatever you want to do in case you run out of time. I travelled by bus and got on well most of the time, but plan your day in advance and know what time your bus is to get home. Some bus services can be infrequent, just one every 2 hours, and can stop early.

There have been no negatives of Alnwick. It is a perfect place to explore the county. The castle and gardens were beautiful and packed full of history. Barter Books is certainly a place to visit if you love books. I will definitely be going back to explore more of Northumbria.