Alnwick

A stout defensive castle built from 1096 that transitioned into a stately home in the 15th century, but in the 19th century the Duke of Northumberland "re-medievalised" it, for the look of the thing not defence. It's still the ducal home, with interiors of plush Victorian Italianate. Many films and TV series have used it as a location.

East flank of the castle but now managed and ticketed separately. It features a rose garden, numerous modern fountains for kids to play in, and a poison garden by guided tour.

Local history museum in a disused church of 1836.

A standard-gauge branch line connected Alnwick to the main line at Alnmouth until axed in 1968 as part of the Beeching cuts. A heritage railway now runs along 1.5 miles of it east of the A1.

Mansion of the inventor and industrialist Lord Armstrong (1810-1900), founder of the Armstrong Whitworth works on Tyneside. It's in Victorian Tudor Revival style, with all sorts of domestic gadgets he invented, and extensive gardens.

12th century monastery on a tight bend in the River Coquet. As it was the parish church, it survived the Dissolution and was restored in the 19th century. It's now managed by English Heritage.

Arboretum and gardens, and you also visit the ground floor of the Hall.

Dramatic ruin of a 14th century castle on the cliffs north of Craster.