Unlock a world of intrigue and excitement at The Alnwick Garden in Northumberland, where the infamous Poison Garden offers a thrilling experience unlike any other.

Imagine stepping behind locked gates to discover around 100 toxic, narcotic, and poisonous plants, from deadly nightshade to the sources of strychnine – all safely explored on a guided tour. But the adventure doesn't stop there! Complementing this unique horticultural dare is the enchanting village of Lilidorei, home to the world's largest play structure, inviting children into a realm of magical clans and endless imaginative play.

How to get there

Driving: Located off the A1, use postcode NE66 1YU for the shared car park with Alnwick Castle (off Denwick Lane, B1340). Parking is £3.50 per day (contactless card only). Free parking for Blue Badge holders is available closer to the entrance.

Train: Nearest station is Alnmouth (approx. 4 miles away), on the East Coast mainline.

Bus: From Alnmouth station, Arriva X20 (Mon-Sat) or X18 (daily) to Alnwick Playhouse stop (5-10 min walk to Garden). Direct buses (X15, X18, X20) also run from Newcastle, Morpeth, and Berwick-upon-Tweed. Check for potential fare discounts.

What to Expect

Opening Times: Hours vary significantly by season and for Lilidorei. Crucially, always check the official Alnwick Garden website for the most current opening times for your specific visit date to avoid disappointment. Last admission is typically one hour before closing.

Ticket Information: Booking online in advance is usually cheaper. Look for the "Kids Go Free" deal for The Alnwick Garden (up to 4 children 0-16 free with a paying adult). Lilidorei has separate pricing, but combined tickets offer savings. Free carer tickets are available with proof of entitlement. MAX Card holders may also receive discounts.

For the Kids: Bring spare clothes for water features like the Serpent Garden and Grand Cascade. Lilidorei offers a huge play structure. Sensory packs (ear defenders, fidget toys) are available free from admissions. Baby changing facilities are available.

Accessibility: The Garden is committed to accessibility with smooth, wheelchair-accessible routes. Free manual wheelchair hire (pre-book recommended: 01665 511350, option 1). Mobility scooters welcome. Accessible parking (free for Blue Badge holders) and toilets, including a Changing Places facility, are on site. Guide/assistance dogs welcome. Hearing loops available.

Dining & Picnics: Options include The Pavilion Cafe, The Bakery, The Treehouse Restaurant, The Potting Shed, and dining within Lilidorei ("The Groggery," "The Magic Muffin"). Picnics are welcome, with plenty of benches and lawns; please take litter home or use bins. Pre-orderable picnic boxes are also an option.

The Poison Garden: A Thrilling Walk on the Wild Side

For an experience that is both fascinating and slightly unnerving, look no further than The Poison Garden. Opened in February 2005, this unique garden was the brainchild of the Duchess of Northumberland herself, who wanted to create something truly different from conventional gardens.

Securely housed behind imposing locked gates, The Poison Garden is home to around 100 different species of plants that are toxic, narcotic, or otherwise poisonous. Visitors will encounter infamous plants such as Strychnos nux-vomica (the source of strychnine), deadly hemlock (Conium maculatum), the castor bean plant (Ricinus communis, source of both harmless castor oil and the deadly toxin ricin), foxglove (Digitalis purpurea), deadly nightshade (Atropa belladonna), as well as Brugmansia and Laburnum. The mission of The Poison Garden also extends to drug education, and with a special license from the Home Office, it features plantings of cannabis, coca (the source of cocaine), and the opium poppy (Papaver somniferum).

Due to the hazardous nature of its inhabitants, access to The Poison Garden is strictly by guided tour only. These tours, typically lasting between 15 and 30 minutes, run regularly throughout the day. Visitors are sternly warned and strictly prohibited from smelling, touching, or, of course, tasting any of the plants. The potency of some plants is such that there have even been reports of visitors occasionally fainting from inhaling fumes while walking through the garden. It’s a captivating and educational experience that offers a memorable walk on the wild side.

Lilidorei: Step into a Fairytale Village

A fantastic addition for families and a perfect counterpoint to the thrills of the Poison Garden is Lilidorei, which opened its magical gates in 2023. This is described as a "magical, mysterious village full of play," designed to transport children into an immersive world of fantasy and adventure. Lilidorei is said to be home to nine clans who worship Christmas, all ruled by the enigmatic Lord Elfwin. He resides in Elfwin Drin, which is celebrated as the biggest play structure in the world.

When visiting Lilidorei, children are encouraged to create their own narratives as they explore the clan houses, engage in daily activities, and listen to tales spun by the resident Story Keepers. The entire village is set outdoors within a charming forest of 1500 Christmas trees, so dressing appropriately for the Northumberland weather is essential. Lilidorei also has its own dedicated food outlets, "The Groggery" and "The Magic Muffin," as well as a toy and sweet shop, ensuring that young adventurers can refuel and find a memento of their magical day. This imaginative realm provides hours of fun and makes The Alnwick Garden an even more compelling destination for families with children.

The Grand Cascade: A Spectacle of Dancing Water

The Sage Wealth Management Grand Cascade is undeniably the breathtaking centrepiece of The Alnwick Garden. One of the very first features to be unveiled when the redeveloped garden opened in 2001, it immediately captures attention with its magnificent tumbling mass of water, culminating in a dramatic eruption of fountains. This is one of the largest water features of its kind in the country, a truly impressive feat of engineering and design. It boasts 21 weirs down which 7,260 gallons of water tumble every minute, 120 individual water jets, and a staggering 250,000 gallons of water stored underground, which is cleverly filtered and recycled. The fountains themselves can reach heights of up to 6 metres, and the water is re-circulated up and down a vertical drop of 10 metres.

Designed by Jacques Wirtz, the Cascade artfully blends the site's history with a contemporary aesthetic. Every half hour, a sensational choreographed display takes place, with the water jets performing an intricate dance synchronized by a sophisticated computer system housed in the Pump Room beneath the feature. For those curious about the mechanics, behind-the-scenes Pump Room Tours are often available daily. Adding to the spectacle, "Sparkle Lighting" was installed around the Cascade in 2013, enhancing its beauty, especially as dusk falls. Beyond its visual grandeur, the Grand Cascade also offers interactive enjoyment, particularly for younger visitors who delight in playing amongst the water jets at its base.

The Treehouse: Adventures Among the Treetops

A true icon of The Alnwick Garden, The Treehouse is a fantastical structure that seems to have sprung from the pages of a fairytale. Opened in December 2004, it is proudly acclaimed as one of the largest wooden treehouses in the world. This magical construction is built around 16 mature lime trees, with its walkways and rooms nestled an impressive 18 metres (nearly 60 feet) above the ground.

Crafted with sustainably sourced wood, The Treehouse features wobbly rope bridges that add to the sense of adventure (these are fully wheelchair accessible), and mysterious passageways that invite exploration. At its heart is an atmospheric restaurant and café, complete with a roaring log fire in cooler months and trees growing right through the floor, further blurring the lines between indoors and out. Whether grabbing a bite to eat or simply exploring its enchanting nooks and crannies, The Treehouse offers a unique and unforgettable experience for visitors of all ages.

Blooms and Beauty: The Rose Garden & The Ornamental Garden

Amidst the innovative and adventurous attractions, The Alnwick Garden also cherishes the timeless appeal of traditional horticulture, showcased beautifully in its Rose Garden and Ornamental Garden.

The Rose Garden: A haven of fragrance and colour, The Rose Garden has been kindly sponsored by the renowned David Austin Roses since 2001. It is a romantic space featuring an impressive 3,000 English shrub roses and climbers, which erupt into a breathtaking display, particularly in late June and early July. A star of the collection is "The Alnwick Rose," a variety bred specifically for the garden by David Austin Roses and unveiled at the prestigious Chelsea Flower Show in 2001. It's known for its beautiful blooms and subtle notes of raspberry in its fragrance. Adding a touch of artistry and history, the Duchess's Gate, an interactive creation by local blacksmith Stephen Lunn and his daughter Ashlee, along with glass artist Helen Grierson, was installed in 2015. These impressive gates, weighing 640kg and two years in the making, stand in the corner of The Rose Garden, which was the original entrance to The Garden before its redevelopment. Another historical artifact is the charming fox sculpture at the centre of the Rose Garden, originally made for Painshill Park in Surrey around 1750 and later acquired by the present Duke's father.

The Ornamental Garden: Step through the magnificent 16th-century Venetian Gates – acquired in Italy by the 4th Duke of Northumberland in the 1850s and meticulously restored by local specialists in 2000 – and enter a world of "calm, colour, and tranquility". The Ornamental Garden is a masterpiece of planting, designed as a series of distinct 'rooms,' each framed by carefully selected shrubs and trees. It proudly houses the largest collection of European plants in the UK, with over 16,000 individual plants creating a rich tapestry of texture and hue. At the heart of The Ornamental Garden lies a serene pool, known as the source pool, which also plays a functional role in regulating the water for The Grand Cascade. This pool spills into shallow rills, perfect for a gentle paddle on a warm day, and is surrounded by an elegant pergola adorned with climbing roses, clematis, and honeysuckle, providing a scented canopy above inviting seats. The central spaces are enclosed by espaliered Malus “Red Sentinel” (crab apple) trees, while low-growing Malus “Evereste” forms clipped hedges. This garden space has a rich history: originally the kitchen garden for Alnwick Castle, it was transformed by the 4th Duke into an Italianate garden, later used for the "Dig for Victory" campaign during wartime, and then became a larch seed orchard before its revival began in 1996.

A Fleeting Wonder: The Taihaku Cherry Orchard

One of The Alnwick Garden's most breathtaking seasonal spectacles is the Taihaku Cherry Orchard. It holds the distinction of being the largest collection of 'Taihaku' cherry trees in the world, comprising 329 trees. For a magical period of up to two weeks, usually around the end of April or the beginning of May, all these trees burst into bloom simultaneously, creating an ethereal cloud of pure white blossom.

The story of the Taihaku cherry, also known as the 'Great White' for its large, snow-like 7cm blooms, is fascinating. It had become extinct in its native Japan. However, in 1926, Captain Collingwood “Cherry” Ingram, a noted English cherry expert, was visiting Japan and was shown a picture of this lost variety in an 18th-century book. He recognized it as identical to a tree that had been imported to a garden in Sussex, England, in 1899. Ingram was able to take cuttings from this Sussex tree and successfully reintroduced the Taihaku to Japan in 1932. Remarkably, all Taihaku cherry trees in cultivation today are descendants of that single tree in Sussex. To enhance the experience of this stunning orchard, 50 swings were installed among the trees in 2018, inviting visitors to relax and immerse themselves in the beauty. Adding a touch of poignant individuality, one tree in the orchard blooms pink; it is dedicated to Ian August, who was the Duchess of Northumberland's valued right-hand man during the garden's development.

Art, Science, and Play: The Serpent Garden & The Bamboo Labyrinth

The Alnwick Garden excels at blending artistic design with scientific principles and playful interaction, and nowhere is this more evident than in the Serpent Garden and the Bamboo Labyrinth.

The Serpent Garden: This intriguing garden features eight captivating water sculptures nestled within the coils of a giant topiary serpent, intricately formed from holly, with the sculptures themselves set within large beds of yew. Created by William Pye, one of the world's foremost water sculptors, each polished stainless-steel artwork demonstrates a different fascinating aspect of water and how its movement can be manipulated, often using scientific principles in an interactive way. Visitors can marvel at 'Torricelli,' which illustrates hydrostatic pressure through leaping water jets; 'Waterglass,' a perfectly clear, unbroken curtain of falling water that can be experienced from within; 'Canyon,' where water creates rhythmic rollwave patterns as it flows down smooth surfaces; and 'Coanda,' which demonstrates water appearing to defy gravity by clinging to the underside of overhanging surfaces. Other sculptures include 'Meniscus,' 'Vortex,' 'Reflection,' and 'Starburst,' each offering a unique visual and often tactile experience. The Serpent Garden is designed for hands-on exploration, and children (and playful adults!) often delight in trying to navigate features like the 'Canyon' without getting wet – so those spare clothes can come in very handy here!

The Bamboo Labyrinth: Prepare to lose yourself (in the best possible way!) in the mysterious Bamboo Labyrinth. Designed by Adrian Fisher, one of the world's leading maze-makers, this living puzzle is planted with over 500 'Fargesia rufa' bamboo plants, a new Chinese variety whose canes arch over the twisting and turning paths, creating an enclosed and slightly disorienting atmosphere. At the entrance, a boulder bears the intriguing inscription: “Only dead fish swim with the stream,” a hint that conventional thinking might not be the best approach to navigating its perplexing ways, and a nod to the garden's aim to provide challenges and new perspectives. Deeper within the labyrinth, another inscription, this time in Latin, offers a message to successful explorers. Adding to the charm, the paths are scattered with bronze leaves that appear as if they have been naturally shed by the bamboo. It’s a fun and engaging feature for all ages.

From Ducal Grandeur to Wartime Fields: The Early Chapters

The story begins in 1750, when Hugh Percy, who would later become the 1st Duke of Northumberland, initiated the first garden on this site. He engaged the services of the most celebrated landscape architect of the era, Lancelot 'Capability' Brown, to design the parkland adjoining what was then Alnwick Museum. The substantial boundary walls that still enclose the present 12-acre garden were constructed from 1777, using bricks that had an interesting past themselves—transported to Alnwick as ship ballast.

The 19th century saw further development and flourishing. The 3rd Duke was an avid plant collector, sourcing seeds from across the globe, and the garden even boasted hothouses where pineapples were successfully cultivated. In the mid-1800s, the 4th Duke embraced the popular Italianate style, creating a formal garden complete with a large conservatory. It was also the 4th Duke who, during the 1850s, acquired the magnificent 16th-century Venetian gates that now form the entrance to the Ornamental Garden. By the close of the century, the gardens were considered to be at their zenith, featuring elaborate yew topiary, grand avenues of lime trees, and vast expanses of flowers.

However, the 20th century brought significant changes. During the Second World War, in response to the national "Dig for Victory" campaign, the beautiful ornamental grounds were turned over to practical food production. In the post-war era, the austerity and economic constraints of the time meant that the once-splendid garden gradually fell into disrepair. What is now the serene Ornamental Garden, for instance, became a utilitarian larch seed orchard under the Forestry Department of Northumberland Estates. By 1950, The Alnwick Garden was officially closed as a working garden, its former glory faded.

A Duchess's Vision: The Modern Renaissance

The revival of The Alnwick Garden is a tale of remarkable vision and determination, spearheaded by Jane Percy, Duchess of Northumberland. In 1996, the Duchess conceived the idea to transform the derelict site , and by 1997, the ambitious redevelopment project was instigated. This wasn't merely about restoring what was lost; it was about creating something entirely new, bold, and contemporary.

To bring this vision to life, the Duchess enlisted the expertise of internationally acclaimed Belgian landscape architects Jacques and Peter Wirtz. The Wirtz signature style, characterized by strong architectural green structures such as hornbeam-covered pergolas, striking yew topiary, and meticulously shaped box and beech hedges, is evident throughout the garden's design. The decision to engage such high-profile international designers, along with architects like Sir Michael Hopkins for the Pavilion and Visitor Centre , signaled a clear intent: to create a garden of global significance and cutting-edge design, rather than a simple heritage restoration. This was about forging a new legacy.

The scale of the undertaking was immense, described as the most ambitious new garden created in the United Kingdom since the Second World War. The reported total development cost reached an impressive £42 million. The 12th Duke of Northumberland played a crucial role by donating the 42-acre site and contributing £9 million towards the redevelopment costs.

The transformation unfolded in phases. Construction began in 2000. Phase 1 opened to the public in October 2001, unveiling the magnificent Grand Cascade and the initial garden plantings. The iconic Treehouse complex, complete with its café, followed in December 2004. May 2006 saw the opening of the award-winning Pavilion and Visitor Centre, designed by Sir Michael Hopkins and Buro Happold, featuring a distinctive barrel-vaulted gridshell roof and capacity for 1,000 people.

Today, The Alnwick Garden operates as a charitable trust (Registered Charity No. 1095435), distinct from the Northumberland Estates, with a mission that extends far beyond horticulture.

Alnwick Garden