Great museum with tons and tons of information on the distinguished history of the regiment ranging…read morefrom the formation all the way to the modern day. They've got uniforms and props of the old weapons and a wonderful selection from the giftshop.

Take no notice of the mini-map - it is wrong. The museum is located on Grand Parade. The address is…read morecorrect. We visited on a drizzly June Sunday in 2010 and were pleasantly surprised. Admission was cheap and it passed an hour or so. The exhibits remind you of a bedroom quickly tidied with the arrival of visitors. There is no logic to the displays, they simply are. Famous names sit next to anonymous teddy bears. Virtually every type of toy is represented. Modern toys and games sit alongside favourites of days gone by. We were able to show our 11 and 8 year olds toys which we had as children. The museum is well worth a visit.

This is a museum which shows you fishing through the ages with different types of equipment like…read morelines and flies and information on famous fishermen. If is free to get into and is attached to the hardy fishing shop and is open at the same times as the shops

this place is like a morgue , avoidread more

The gardens here are SPECTACULAR! I've been in late spring, summer, and early fall... each…read moreopportunity providing an entirely different experience. I don't think there's a wrong time to visit! Though, to be honest, I think late spring is my favorite. There's already so much in bloom, and the cherry blossom trees are absolutely breathtaking! Their orchard has the largest collection of 'Taihaku' in the world comprising of 329 trees. Give yourself plenty of time here, so you can sit on the swings amongst the trees and just take it all in! Other highlights include: - The Poison Garden! Home to around "100 species of dangerous, toxic and harmful plants, each of which has the potential to severely injure you!" Tours here occur every thirty minutes, and a very educated (and humorous) guide will tell you all about the plants! - The Grand Cascade! "​One of the largest water features of its kind, the three-tiered Cascade occupies the main north-south axis and forms the spine of The Garden. The half-hourly water display uses 120 water jets and 250,000 gallons of water circulate through the system." - The Ornamental garden! "This walled space was the original kitchen garden to Alnwick Castle. It is now designed as a series of rooms, each one framed with shrubs and trees. It houses over 16,000 plants and the entrance is through 16th century Venetian gates." - The Bamboo Labyrinth! "The Bamboo Labyrinth sways and rustles above the brick paths that wander between its green walls, confusing the visitor." And so, so, so much more. (Including a full schedule of events that take place within the gardens!) Yes, absolutely, you should visit the castle itself too. There's so much history (the origins of the castle date back to the Normal period; it's the second largest inhabited castle in the UK and has served as a military outpost, a teaching college, a refuge for evacuees, a film set, and a private family home). You can take a tour with a docent, take a self-guided tour, practice your broomstick riding or archery skills, visit the artisan's courtyard, try on some medieval costumes or crafts, and take a side quest involving dragons (so much fun even as an adult with no children, let me just say!).

This castle is BREATHTAKING!! One of my favorite places on earth... and I cannot wait to go back…read more It is truly awe-inspiring. It was amazing to see the dining room, after seeing it in Downton Abbey... it is STUNNING. The gardens are beautiful, too... but nothing compares to the castle itself! I'm so very grateful that they allow the public to visit... we do not have anything even remotely close to this in America, of course.

My wife and I visited in September 2024. We made a Last Kingdom pilgrimage from London to York…read more(Eoforwich) to Durham (Dunholm) to Bamburgh (Bebbanburg) taking in many historic Roman, Saxon and Viking sites along the way. We had so much fun and Bamburgh was the pinnacle of our trail. The castle itself is in incredibly well kept condition. Most of the building is Norman (like most of the medieval structures around Britain) though there is a small stone footing of Saxon origin, and some of the old Roman lookout. Its a muscular structure with an imposing silhouette on the hilltop overlooking the sea, that can be seen for miles around. We took a guided tour with one of the custodians and she was great. Shared so much knowledge and stories of the castle. We then took a self guided audio tour of the interior and State rooms. All of which were beautiful and majestic. The grounds are well groomed and easy for anyone to navigate, with smooth paved paths everywhere. Its a hill-fort, so yeah, its going to have some steepness but nothing too extreme once you are up in the parking lot. The views from up there are just beautiful. We had really great weather that day, clear and sunny, you could see for miles. The highlight for us surely was the Last Kingdom exhibit in the great hall that had props and costumes from several seasons of the show. TLK was one of our very favourite TV shows so it was a real bucket list item to visit Bamburgh. It really didnt disappoint. I wish we had more time, than the three hours we spent at the castle, to go walk on the beach.

We stayed in the castle at the Neville Tower for a week and it was absolutely amazing…read more First things first: the staff there was completely, absolutely, 100% over the top nice and helpful. From the first person we talked to when we arrived to the last person we said goodbye to on our last day the staff was incredibly nice and just so wonderful. They made an incredible spot that much more enjoyable. The castle itself is beyond words. So much history, such incredible views, so beautiful to look at from all the different perspectives, it was something you could never get tired of. There are actually a few apartments at the castle, and I spoke with a gentleman who had lived there for 20 years! It's hard to imagine. Staying at the castle wasn't cheap, but if you want to do a "once in a lifetime" kind of trip like we did you won't be disappointed. Spending a day there would be great too, but staying there was awesome because we had the run of the place after it closed to the public at 5:00 every night. I loved walking the grounds in the evening or early morning before the public was let in (10:00 AM). Having the whole place to yourself is a unique experience.

My wife and I visited Alnwick Castle on a cold blustery day in September 2024. It was one stop of…read moremany in a tour around Roman, Saxon, Viking and Norman historical sites across the country. I'm a sucker for castles me. What boy isn't. Alnwick is so well preserved its a real treat. In fact its a living working home to the Earl of Northumberland.  The history encapsulated in this venue is vast. Built by the Normans, owned by the Percy family and the site of battles and sieges during the Wars Of The Roses, captured by Yorkists, recaptured by Lancaster. The walls have many tales to tell. There are lots of activities outside of historical studies. DragonQuesting, Harry Potter themed events (having been filmed here), knights quest, archery. It's great for kids. But thats not why we were there. We were here for the history. And there are lots of small museum displays around the site. There was a great tour around the State House that went into some good detail of the lives of the Percy family through the years. Its a magnificent building. Stately and opulent. Whereas the outside has the battlements and the armouries. And the grounds are beautiful, alongside the River Aln. We parked on The Peth, luckily found a spot right next to the castle, avoiding the walk from paid parking lots. Spent an hour or two at the end of a long day here, but wish we had more time to leisurely enjoy all Alnwick Castle has to offer.

I especially wanted to visit Alnwick castle as some of the scenes from Harry Potter had been filmed…read morethere. Me and my friend travelled from Edinburgh for the day and it took us 90 minutes each way, but it was so worth it. When we arrived it cost £3 for parking. The car parks are a good 15 minute walk from the castle, so if anyone has walking issues then be prepared. The first bit you reach is the gardens which are beautiful. You pay for the gardens separately to the castle. You could spend a day in both as there is so much to do. You can get your castle tickets validated for a year, meaning you can visit as often as you want for the next year. This is brilliant as your ticket is only £14 per adult. We had been warned that broomstick training tickets sell out quickly so we headed straight there. The tickets are free but are very popular. We arrived at 12pm and the next tickets we could get were for 3pm. To be honest we went to do it, but it was more for kids. So we gave our tickets away and headed for the movie tour, I'll come back to this. We headed to the gardens to have lunch. We got some fish and chips which were reasonably priced and went and sat on the lawn to eat them. We were lucky as we had a lovely sunny day. We then investigated the gardens which included a fairy trail, where you had to find the clues to save the princess, a maze, a beautiful water feature, a maze made from bamboo and a Poisen garden. We never managed the Poisen garden but heard good things. Back to the castle, it is a beautiful castle with stunning views. we wandered about, there was lots of entertainment for all ages. As I said earlier we left the broomstick training to join the movie tour. This was fascinating and we were shown the different places that things had been filmed. I knew about Harry Potter but not about Robin Hood prince of thieves, Black Adder and more recently Downton Abbey. As they say, time passes when you're having fun and the day flew past. We'd didn't even manage to go into the castle or visit the tree house. I will defo be taking advantage of my years free entry. Definitely worth a visit whatever age you are. Oh and all the staff members where lovely and friendly. All me and my friend kept saying was this has just been a perfect day, and it really was..

Great day out packed full of interesting things to see. I've been coming here since I was a kid,…read moreand always enjoy a visit, learning something new about the local history each time. With free entry, and in town, it's definitely worth including it in your day travels.

Another nice and interesting museum in Newcastle, definitely a city of cultural delights. The…read moreDiscovery Museum mostly focuses on telling the story of the city and of the Northeast in general. It goes through the good times and the bad times in the city, including the coal mining boom, the poverty, the World Wars, the politics, everything is covered. There are real life examples- interviews with real Newcastle people over the years, and plenty of interesting memorabilia as well. It's a very cool place. There are also sections devoted to science and technology, and the discoveries made by people from the area. There is a good café with excellent prices, and a nice little shop too. A big advantage of this museum for families is that the exhibits are quite interactive, and should keep children interested as well. Best of all, it's all free. However, if you can, please do donate to keep important institutions like this one accessible to all.

Visited April 2015: "Border town attraction"…read more We didn't think we were going to spend a great deal of time at Melrose Abbey, due to it being a ruin but there was more to do then our first glance. For one, we were able to walk up a very narrow staircase, to the top of the church. You were able to see the entire village, and not feel overwhelmed by the height. Robert Bruce's heart is buried there. We were not provided or offered an audio guide

As Scottish church ruins go, Melrose Abbey is top of the line! Much more interesting and scenic…read morethan St. Andrews Cathedral for what it actually is TODAY - not for what it once was. Great photo opportunity, too. See my photos for reference. This attraction is included in many 1-day coach tours that start off from Edinburgh (mine was by The Highland Experience Tours). Is it worth the trip from Edinburgh on your own (by bus or train)? Well, not really, as you won't spend more than 1 hour max exploring the grounds of Melrose Abbey. And the village of Melrose itself, let's just say that it's a sleepy little hovel between someplace A and nowhere B. But as part of such an organized coach trip, it's well worth your time. The entrance is moderate (5.50 - minus 11% if you're in a group), you can take as many pictures as you'd like. What distinguishes Melrose Abbey from, say, St. Andrews Cathedral, is that a large part of the once mighty construction has survived! So there's actually something to see other than just bricks on the ground that indicate former walls and towers. What's left is enough to let you feel the actual impact the original abbey must have made on visitors. Included in the ticket price is an audio guide. You'll get it when entering through the shop, which is also the ticket office. Since just a couple of clerks are responsible for BOTH shop and tickets you'll find that the simultaneous arrival of two or more bus groups, which is not uncommon, mixed with people who want to get out and buy books or less useful items in the shop, will create an *interesting* situation. Well, that's that particular brand of British efficiency.