When Andrew and I first visited the Alnwick Garden, it was somewhere neither of us had been before and both of us were keen to see. We had often looked at the website and thought that it would be a great place to take some interesting shots, but had never got round to it for one reason or another... mainly due to work and family commitments and the very fact that it was on our own doorstep! Let me tell you we are so glad we did, as it has since become one of our very favourite places to photograph because of the many stunning exhibits and incredible beauty of the place. Visiting at this time of the year during the months of May and June was possibly the very best time to come as the garden was in full bloom. The floral displays were amazing and one of the very first things we noticed was an incredible mass of pink tulips that have been planted there along the incline of the Woodland Walk. I also got to try out my new camera for the very first time and really enjoyed testing its capabilities! The garden is extremely well thought out and there is something of interest to photograph around every twist and turn of the main routes through it. It is set on a gradient so you should take your time and do it in stages to fully appreciate all the variety of plants and flowers you can see. There are plenty of benches on the walk to stop for a breather if you need to though and these are dotted up the incline.
An intriguing Poison garden can be found behind locked gates. It has many deadly plants; some of which are housed behind bars (including cannabis and coca plants). If you should get a chance, go on the informative tour with a guide, it's really interesting to learn about all the facts, science and history of the species kept there. We did and were amazed at the things we discovered! Some of these plants can be found in your own back garden!
The centrepiece of the garden has to be the Grand Cascade, magnificent tiered water feature, also the largest of its kind in this country. The waterfalls are programmed to spring into life for display purposes on the hour and half hour.
When you become weary of all the walking around; and believe me there is some distance to be covered, you can head back to the visitor centre and pavilion where all manner of tasty food and drinks are on offer. Andrew and I spent so long wandering about and shooting pictures that we were starving and feel that the cafe's tuna and cucumber sandwiches on a hot day deserve a mention, (only me as I stole the last one, much to Andrew's disgust!) as do the amazing hot roast pork baps dipped in gravy which we devoured another day when it was wet and chilly! Not to mention the amazing cakes and treats such as caramel shortbreads dipped in chocolate! All that walking deserves treats in my book! There is also plenty of seating and tables to sit down here, which is a definite plus as so often these places are way overcrowded with inadequate facilities. We spent a chilly and wet afternoon inside and a boiling hot June day outside on the terrace, both of which were fun and interesting shooting days. There is a gift shop where we both bought Alnwick Garden mugs with pictures of the Grand Cascade as souvenirs of the day and it has to be said that the toilet facilities are pretty outstanding and state of the art.The garden has many amazing features and we found it to be an awe inspiring place. If you haven’t visited, put it on your to-do list. It’s well worth it!
An intriguing Poison garden can be found behind locked gates. It has many deadly plants; some of which are housed behind bars (including cannabis and coca plants). If you should get a chance, go on the informative tour with a guide, it's really interesting to learn about all the facts, science and history of the species kept there. We did and were amazed at the things we discovered! Some of these plants can be found in your own back garden!
The centrepiece of the garden has to be the Grand Cascade, magnificent tiered water feature, also the largest of its kind in this country. The waterfalls are programmed to spring into life for display purposes on the hour and half hour.
When you become weary of all the walking around; and believe me there is some distance to be covered, you can head back to the visitor centre and pavilion where all manner of tasty food and drinks are on offer. Andrew and I spent so long wandering about and shooting pictures that we were starving and feel that the cafe's tuna and cucumber sandwiches on a hot day deserve a mention, (only me as I stole the last one, much to Andrew's disgust!) as do the amazing hot roast pork baps dipped in gravy which we devoured another day when it was wet and chilly! Not to mention the amazing cakes and treats such as caramel shortbreads dipped in chocolate! All that walking deserves treats in my book! There is also plenty of seating and tables to sit down here, which is a definite plus as so often these places are way overcrowded with inadequate facilities. We spent a chilly and wet afternoon inside and a boiling hot June day outside on the terrace, both of which were fun and interesting shooting days. There is a gift shop where we both bought Alnwick Garden mugs with pictures of the Grand Cascade as souvenirs of the day and it has to be said that the toilet facilities are pretty outstanding and state of the art.The garden has many amazing features and we found it to be an awe inspiring place. If you haven’t visited, put it on your to-do list. It’s well worth it!
