landmark
Craster
A small fishing village famous for oak-smoked kippers and as the starting point for the walk to Dunstanburgh Castle.
10 km · about 20 min drive
EuropeUnited KingdomEngland
Alnwick
England, United Kingdom · Europe
About Alnwick
Alnwick works well as a base: 10 minutes from Shilbottle, 10km from Warkworth Castle.
Alnwick is in England, United Kingdom, with about 8,400 people. You drive on the left here. The nearest town is Shilbottle, about 5 km away.
Alnwick ( AN-ik) is a market town in Northumberland, England, of which it is the traditional county town. The population at the 2021 Census was 8,430.
The town is 32 miles (51 km) south of Berwick-upon-Tweed and the Scottish border, 5 miles (8 km) inland from the North Sea at Alnmouth and 34 miles (55 km) north ofRead more
Newcastle upon Tyne; it is sited on the south bank of the River Aln.
The town dates to about AD 600 and thrived as an agricultural centre. Alnwick Castle was the home of the most powerful medieval northern baronial family, the Earls of Northumberland. It was a staging post on the Great North Road between Edinburgh and London.
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Frequently Asked Questions
What is there to see near Alnwick?
Within an hour or so of Alnwick: Craster (10 km), Warkworth Castle (10 km), Dunstanburgh Castle (11 km), Cragside (16 km).
Are there any good drives near Alnwick?
The nearest famous roads are Holy Island Causeway, College Valley and A68 Jedburgh to Edinburgh (Carter Bar).
Where is Alnwick?
Alnwick is in England, United Kingdom, about 5 km from Shilbottle.
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Quick Information
- Population
- 8,430
- Continent
- Europe
- Country
- United Kingdom
- Region
- England
- Timezone
- Europe/London
- Coordinates
- 55.4132, -1.7056
Emergency & Services
Essential numbers in United Kingdom
112 also works. NHS non-emergency medical advice: 111. National Highways breakdown assistance on motorways: 0300 123 5000.
Full driving guide for United KingdomTags
Worth the detour from Alnwick
8 notable places within an hour's drive.
castle
Warkworth Castle
A striking cross-shaped keep above the River Coquet, the Percy family stronghold that appears in Shakespeare's Henry IV.
10 km · about 20 min drive
castle
Dunstanburgh Castle
A vast ruined 14th-century castle on a remote headland, reached only on foot along the coast from Craster.
11 km · about 20 min drive
museum
Cragside
The Victorian home of engineer Lord Armstrong, the first house in the world lit by hydroelectric power, set in a vast rock garden estate.
16 km · about 20 min drive
beach
Druridge Bay
Seven miles of near-empty sand backed by dunes and reclaimed opencast lakes now managed as nature reserves.
16 km · about 20 min drive
castle
Bamburgh Castle
Imposing Norman fortress perched on a volcanic outcrop above miles of golden beach, once the royal seat of the ancient Kingdom of Northumbria.
22 km · about 25 min drive
film location
Bamburgh Castle (Indiana Jones, Macbeth, The Last Kingdom)
The vast coastal fortress on a basalt outcrop has stood in for Camelot and appears in Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny, Macbeth and The Last Kingdom.
22 km · about 25 min drive
beach
Bamburgh Beach
A vast sweep of pale sand and dunes below Bamburgh Castle, looking out to the Farne Islands.
22 km · about 25 min drive
Driving roads near Alnwick
- 29 kmThe CheviotThe highest hill in Northumberland at 815 m, a broad peat-capped dome at the northern end of the Pennine Way.
- 31 kmHoly Island CausewayThe tidal road to Lindisfarne, submerged twice daily; crossing outside the published safe times regularly strands vehicles.
- 33 kmCollege ValleyA remote Cheviot valley reached by a permit-only single-track road, one of the quietest drives in England.
- 49 kmA68 Jedburgh to Edinburgh (Carter Bar)A rollercoaster of blind crests over the Cheviots crossing the border at Carter Bar, then across the Lammermuirs.
- 59 kmB6318 Military Road (Hadrian's Wall)General Wade's arrow-straight road along Hadrian's Wall, rolling over the whin sill with Roman forts on either side.
- 63 kmSteel RiggA car park and viewpoint on the Whin Sill giving the classic switchback view of Hadrian's Wall towards Sycamore Gap.
Driving in United Kingdom
- Drives on
- the left
- Petrol
- ~€1.73/litre
- Motorway tolls
- None
When to drive here
May to September
Far northern latitude: short daylight hours outside summer make long drives harder.
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