Day 1: Following your home taxi service we join our tour coach and head north to Alnwick and our hotel for the next 4 nights, the White Swan in Alnwick, on a dinner bed and breakfast basis.
Day 2: Today we spend at leisure in Alnwick. We include a visit to the delightful Alnwick Gardens. Set within a secretive walled garden, its centrepiece the Grand Cascade, the largest water feature of its kind in the country. More than 120 separate water jets create spellbinding water displays. It is a garden for all seasons; the Tree House (one of the largest structures of its kind in the world) will provide an amazing selection of buildings linked together by suspended walkways in the sky. A place to eat, walk, rest and much more. The rest of the day is yours to explore at your leisure.
You may wish to visit Alnwick Castle. (entry not included) Dubbed the Windsor of the North, Alnwick Castle is the second largest inhabited castle in the country and has been home to the Duke of Northumberland’s family, the Percys, for over 700 years. The Castle’s rich history is brimming with drama, intrigue and extraordinary people; from a gunpowder plotter and visionary collectors, to decadent hosts and medieval England’s most celebrated knight: Harry Hotspur. In recent years it has also taken starring roles in a number of film and television productions, featuring as the magnificent Brancaster Castle in Downton Abbey and previously appearing as Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry in the Harry Potter films.
Day 3: Today we journey through beautiful countryside to the capital of Coquetdale, Rothbury. This traditional market town is a peaceful and picturesque haven, which is built of the same mellow sandstone as the rolling hills that surround it. Enjoy the scenery with the many walking routes around the town, and take in the beautiful River Coquet meandering through the centre. You can also relax at the many shops, pubs, and tea rooms on Rothbury’s bustling high street.
From here we head for magnificent Cragside House, an impressive Victorian building described as ‘a palace of the modern magician’. Rising from an outcrop of rocks and surrounded by towering trees, Cragside is a masterpiece of late nineteenth century architecture. A dynamic and visionary couple, the first Lord and Lady Armstrong commissioned era-defining architect Richard Norman Shaw to create their dream home. Lord Armstrong, inventor and industrialist, made Cragside the first house in the world to be lit by hydroelectric power. Alongside the fascinating house, the gardens are spectacular, with towering conifers, rocky crags, waterfalls and more.
Day 4: Today’s excursion takes us to the north of Northumberland across the causeway to Holy Island where you may wish to visit the mysterious Lindisfarne Castle (fare to the castle not included). On our return we have free time in the village of Bamburgh. Whilst here why not visit the mighty castle on the beach, or head into the Grace Darling Museum. (attractions today subject to individual choice and payment) NOTE: The crossing of the causeway to Holy Island is governed by tide times. It may be necessary to amend this excursion.
Day 5: Sadly after breakfast we make our way back to Norfolk, making suitable stops en route. Upon arrival, our door to door taxi service will be waiting to take you home.
Holiday Information:
4 Nights Dinner, Bed & Breakfast
Price: £775pp
Single Supplement: £nil (Limited Availability)
Additional Singles Beyond Allocation From: £178 (Will be allocated a twin or double for sole occupancy, depending on availability)
Insurance: TBC (Insurance not currently available)
Tour Reference: AWE4737
Deposit Required: £50pp
Balance Due: 10 weeks prior to departure (please note that the balance due date is slightly earlier due to hotel cancellation deadlines)