Alnwick

About four miles from Bilton is Alnwick, a medium-sized, traditional market town with good amenities and shops, including a Sainsburys supermarket. Driving from Bilton down the bank towards Alnmouth, you would turn left at the roundabout for Alnwick. A bus service goes every hour to Alnwick from Alnmouth Station. There is a footpath to Alnwick that utlises part of the disused railway line into the town. This walk can be accessed from the track at the head of the lane that runs behind The Summerhgouse cottage. An Ordinance Survey map is recommended and these can be purchased in Alnmouth.

In the centre of town is Alnwick Castle, the seat of the Duke of Northumberland (the setting for Hogwarts) and the location of the now internationally famous Alnwick Gardens with the amazing new Tree House www.alnwickgarden.com. "Alnwick Town - voted the Best Place to live in Britain - best for beauty, for community, for affordability and quality of life" according to a nation wide survey carried out by Country Life Magazine 31st October 2002. More about Alnwick from http://www.alnwick-online.co.uk/

Most of the holiday accommodation around Alnwick is in self catering cottages, as there are few hotels and B&Bs.