The reason for our adventure to the UK was to join Rob’s Dad on a pilgrimage back to the town of his childhood. Rob’s Dad spent the first 10 years of his life in a small market village in Northumberland – North Eastern England. So we, along with Rob’s siblings travelled to the other side of the world to share in the family history and meet the extended family who still call England home.

I was adamant that we drive the ‘scenic’ route up to Alnwick from York to pass through the Yorkshire Dales National Park and have the opportunity to stop in at seaside villages such as Robin Hoods Bay and Whitby. The English weather had other ideas. Our view was of a hazy and drizzly white mist.

We continued on, despite the weather to the other stops on our list. Robin Hoods Bay was a delightful little sea side village cascading down the cliffs to the sea. We could imagine on a clear day it would be a very nice place to escape. Still, despite the weather, the charm of the village won us over and we bought an ice cream and ate it as we looked out over the North Sea.

We had one more stop before getting to Alnwick however sadly by this point in the day, we had lost our resilience to the weather and couldn’t bring ourselves to get out of the car. We briefly drove through the historic town of Whitby where Captain Cook learnt to sail. Despite the rain the town was bustling and we wished we had more time to wait out the weather and explore the town. Although misty the below pic gives and idea of the quaintness of the town that even the drizzle can’t disguise.

After what felt like a long day of driving (even thought it was only a few hours) we finally arrived at our destination. Alnwick is a small-ish town with some big things going for it. In fact, all of Northumberland had plenty going for it! From castles, to beaches, roman ruins and postcard perfect sandstone villages – the region really was quite spectacular. The town was once enclosed within the city walls and some of the old gates into the town are still standing. We spent our first morning walking through town to soak up the sites.

The main attraction in Alnwick would be the Alnwick Castle. It is the second largest occupied castle in Europe – after Windsor Castle. Used as the backdrop for many scenes, most famously the broomstick riding lessons in Harry Potter. The Duke and Duchess of Northumberland call the castle home today and open their home to visitors during the day. Although their residences are in a private section of the castle, the thousands of visitors it attracts every year get a glimpse into the history rich lifestyle of the family. 

Another stately home in Northumberland is famous for being the first house in the UK to have electricity. Cragside has been powered by hydro electricity since 1868. The mansion is in classic English Gothic Style and the estate and it’s furnishings are now looked after by the National Trust. Just as impressive as the house was the expansive gardens that surround it.

On a finer day, we headed out as a group to the nearly island of Lindisfarne. Also known as Holy Island, it has a rich history of Celtic Christianity. Accessible by foot and car only in low tide, it is a sleepy haven of ruins and coastal scenery. Most iconic is the castle, perched high on a rocky outcrop it offers suburb views over the island and out to the North sea.

What would a family holiday be without a family Photo?

We drove back to Alnwick via the coast. It was a really beautiful drive past more castles and idylic coastal scenery.

Another local icon is the second hand book store ‘Barter Books’. It is one of the largest second handbook stores in Europe and operates in the old Victorian Station. The store made headlines in 2000 when the owner discovered an original WWII poster inside a tin of old books bought at auction. The simple poster had the slogan ‘Keep calm and carry on’ – which is now famous around the world. A little closer to my heart, the station on which the book store now stands, is the same station Rob’s Dad departed from when he left Alnwick all those years ago. I found book stores to be a pretty magical places, and this one was no exception. It was a treasure trove of books familiar and new – along with a few collectable classics, the most expensive of which came in at a staggering 38,000GBP.

Our last adventure in Alnwick led us to the Alnwick Garden. An initiative of the Duchess of Northumberland, the garden makes good use of disused estate which is now open to the public. The garden had quite a festive atmosphere with buskers, live music and kids playing in the water fountains. For those looking for something a little more edgy, then the poison garden is for you! Home to an array of poisons plants, a 15  minute tour shows you some all too familiar plants in a scary new light as well as some restricted and potent plants that myths are made of.

Despite the wonderful sights we saw – our time in Alnwick was all about family. We were so warmly welcomed by the extended family and it felt a privilege to belong to such a wonderful bunch of people. Thank you to everyone who made us feel so welcome and so much a part of the clan even though we live so far apart. Thank you Alnwick for having us, we had such a great time!