Sipping tea in a giant treehouse, exploring a fairy-tale castle, hunting for your favourite novels in an immense railway station… you’ll find that Alnwick is a little different to your standard market town.

Begin your adventures at one of the country’s top attractions, Alnwick Castle. The historic home of the Dukes of Northumberland is a fabulous mash-up of medieval architecture and lavishly decorated regency interiors. Yet there’s more than history here: there are dragons to hunt, traditional crafts to learn and broomsticks to fly – in the same spot Harry Potter did!

Alnwick Gardens is similarly spellbinding. With a dramatic contemporary waterfall at its heart, it’s a beautiful and innovative attraction. A poison garden, treehouse restaurant and bamboo maze complement more traditional sights like the rose garden and restful cherry orchard.

Alnwick itself is worthy of an in-depth visit. Its meandering cobbled lanes are filled with unique restaurants and shops, including famous Barter Books.

• Bustling market town
• Handsome Georgian architecture
• Alnwick Castle
• Alnwick Gardens
• Great independent shops, like Barter Books