Today we set off up the A1 to Alnwick to visit the formal gardens which are attached to Alnwick Castle. Mum had previously visited the castle, so we were spared the ‘Harry Potter’ experience (scenes from the movie franchise were filmed there) and the tribes of young children with cheap chinese made replica ‘broomsticks’.

We’d tried to book a table in ‘The Treehouse’ but it was full, so we ended up in ‘The Potting Shed’, with sausage sandwiches, fries and coffee and walnut cake. At least the hot food came from the restaurant. Of course it began raining, after all this is the UK in August. A brief foray into the gardens was made but it was too wet to walk round comfortably so we retreated into the covered entrance area along with 90% of that afternoons visitors.

However it did stop raining and we made our way through the tree and shrub lined paths to the ornamental gardens at the top of the hill. These are really beautiful and on exiting you are presented with a wonderful view of the cascading water feature.

To descend the hill, we walked off to the right and followed a winding path, lined by groves of flowering cherry trees, under which are installed adult sized, two person swing seats. It must be breathtaking in the Spring…

Wearily, we got back to the car park and retraced our route home, though being delayed half an hour by traffic on the A1 near the dreaded Metro Centre wasn’t in our plans. Tomorrow Susie and I will hopefully be visiting the Orient, looking at botanicals and eating at ‘Cafedral’…..