Alnwick
Lying in the heart of the medieval market town Alnwick is dominated by Alnwick Castle, ancestral home of the Duke of Northumberland. Alnwick Castle was of course used as a setting for the recent Harry Potter films. In the centre of town is the pedestrainised Market Place, with stone cross it serves as the venue for the town's major annual events:
The week long costumed enactment of a Medieval fair at the end of June, and the International Music Festival in August. Alnwick also has a cinema/theatre and a large supermarket as well as many interesting local shops. Alnwick is approximately 6 miles from Rock.

Alnwick Garden
The World Class Alnwick Garden has been laid in the historic footprint of gardens dating back to the 18th Century. It is an eclectic mix of formality and informality. In addition to The Ornamental Garden, Rose Garden and water features, future plans include a Poison Garden, Garden of the Senses, Labyrinth and Serpent Garden.

The Alnwick Garden is open from 10.00am until 5.pm or dusk 364 days every year. Visit: www.alnwickgarden.com

Dunstanburgh Castle
Located on a crag above the sea, Dunstanburgh Castle presents a dramatic landscape. It's a fine, sometimes bracing, 1.5 mile walk from the car park at Craster. Also reachable from Embleton.

Thanks to English Heritage, the castle ruin stands prominently on the coastline with the gatehouse an imposing sight. During the War of the Roses (1455-1485), this Lancastrian bastion was damaged by cannon-fire and left a stunning ruin.

Chillingham Castle and Wild Cattle
Situated in romantic grounds, the castle commands breathtaking views over the surrounding countryside. The castle grounds combine, according to season, drifts of snowdrops, daffodils or bluebells and an astonishing display of Rhodedendrons, with the restrained formality of an Elizabethan topiary garden. Complete with jousting course and dungeons, the staterooms are restored with antique furnishings. The Chillingham Wild Cattle at Chillingham are the sole survivors of an ancient breed of wild cattle that roamed the forests of Britain. Chillingham is approximately 20 minutes drive from Rock.

Bamburgh Castle and Beach
The Ancient capital of Northumbria, this dramatic fortress and favoured film set, is a treasury of Northern History containing fascinating rooms, exhibits and the Armstrong industrial heritage museum. Bamburgh is approximately 10-15 minutes drive from Rock and has arguably one of the best beaches in Northumberland, if not the country.

Visit: www.bamburghcastle.com

Holy Island and Lindisfarne Priory
On a windswept island and reached by a tidal causeway, Lindisfarne Priory is one of the most important Christian Sites in Anglo-Saxon England. The priory is still a holy place and a magnet for pilgrims. There is an award-winning museum with a display of unique Anglo-Saxon carved stones.

Northumberland National Park
A walker's and cyclist's paradise. Rock is very close to the Nothumberland National Park and Cheviot hills. The National Park must be one of the quietest places on earth. You can literally walk for miles in peace, across moor land and hills.

Cragside House and Gardens
The revolutionary home of Lord Armstrong, Victorian inventor and landscape genius, is perched on a rocky crag high above the Debdon Burn. In the 1880s the house had hot and cold running water, central heating, fire alarms and telephones, and was the first house in the world to be lit by electricity. Even the variety and scale of Cragside's gardens are incredible. Surrounding the house on all sides is one of the largest ‘hand-made' rock gardens in Europe. In the Pinetum below, England's tallest Douglas Fir soars above other woodland giants. Across the Valley, the Orchard House still produces many varieties of fresh fruit. Today Armstrong's amazing creation can be explored on foot or by car and provides one of the last shelters for the endangered red squirrel. The lakeside walks, adventure play area and labyrinth all appeal especially to families.

Golfing in Northumbria
There are some really wonderful opportunities for golfing around the region, with a number of excellent courses within 15 miles of Rock Farmhouse:

Visit: www.visitnorthumbria.com/nationalparks

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