Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
( &   01665/576231; www.english-heritage.org.uk). This impressive ruin is accessi-
ble only on foot from the pleasant little resort of Craster. It's open 10am to 4 or 5pm
daily (except Tues-Wed Nov-Mar); admission is £4 adults, £2.40 for children.
Just to the south, Howick Hall Gardens ( &   01665/577285; www.howickhall
gardens.org) is another highly rated spot for lovers of horticulture, with a Woodland
Garden, a Bog Garden mostly planted from seed collected in the wild, and a new
family trail in search of red squirrels, herons, and other wildlife. Howick is open mid-
February to mid-November, daily noon to 6pm in summer and 10:30am to 4pm the
rest of the year; children enter free, adults pay £6.
But the jewel in the crown of the Northumberland coast lies farther north, in the
form of Holy Island or Lindisfarne (www.lindisfarne.org.uk), home to a monastery
that was established by St. Aidan in 635 and became the main center of learning in
Christendom under St. Cuthbert, until Viking raiders destroyed the community in
875 (Cuthbert's shrine is in Durham Cathedral; p. 656). Part of visiting Lindisfarne
is the adventure of getting there—this is a tidal island, so check crossing times on the
website before driving over the causeway. Once safely over, you have to leave your car
in the parking lot to discover the village and the evocatively ruined Lindisfarne
Priory ( &   0870/333-1181; www.english-heritage.org.uk)—not the original monas-
tery but one built by Benedictine monks from Durham in the 12th century, with a
visitor center recounting the site's history. It's open daily April to September 9:30am
to 5pm (rest of year 10am-4pm), with admission £4.80 for adults, £2.90 for children.
You can also visit the 16th-century Lindisfarne Castle ( &   01289/389244; www.
nationaltrust.org.uk), a Tudor fort built to protect the harbor but converted into a
private house by Sir Edwin Lutyens in 1903, with a walled garden by Gertrude Jekyll.
Admission is £7.20 adults, £3.60 children 5 to 17; times vary according to tidal access
to the island so check the website.
Lindisfarne and the other Farne Islands are a significant wildlife habitat for,
among other creatures, gray seals and puffins. Boat trips ( &   01665/720308; www.
farne-islands.com/boat-trips) from the little resort of Seahouses will take you to Inner
Farne, the only inhabited island except Lindisfarne (and then only for part of the year,
by National Trust bird wardens), and a couple of other islands.
Alnwick Castle CASTLE Kids are thrilled to recognize this medieval
castle from the first two Harry Potter movies, where it doubled as “Hogwarts.” In
addition to tours of the structure and grounds, the castle hosts events and activities
aplenty, including Knight's Quest, when kids can dress as medieval knights, learn
about dragons, and master the art of swordsmanship, archery, hands-on workshops,
theatrical falconry, Harry Potter-themed magic and wizardry, and historical re-enact-
ments. Combined tickets are available with The Alnwick Garden.
Alnwick. &   01665/511100. www.alnwickcastle.com. Admission £13 adults, £6 children 5-16. Daily
10am-6pm Apr-Oct.
The Alnwick Garden GARDEN Set up just a decade ago by the lady
of Alnwick Castle, the Duchess of Northumberland, one of the world's most exciting
contemporary gardens occupies once-derelict terrain. Though boasting beautifully
landscaped gardens and splendid architecture, it was conceived with families in
mind, and younger visitors get lots of opportunities to engage in water-based play,
including dodging the jets of the Grand Cascade, the largest water feature of its kind
in the country. There's also a Bamboo Labyrinth, rope bridges leading to The
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