Howick Hall Gardens and Arboretum in Alnwick are a delight for garden lovers, and offer a variety of unusual plants throughout the seasons. Families can also enjoy the woodland walks on Howick's seasonal "Family Challenge", where they can spot red squirrels, ducks, swans and herons along the way. Relax in the Earl Grey Tea House afterwards, and learn about the Grey family seat of Howick.

For those more inclined to country houses, Cragside, a Victorian house owned by the famous inventor Lord Armstrong, provides an opportunity to see ingenious gadgets, one of the largest rock gardens in Europe, and the first house in the world to be lit by hydroelectricity.

There are even more activities to be found inland. The market town of Alnwick offers Alnwick Castle, home to the Duke and Duchess of Northumberland, and famous filming location of the Harry Potter films. Learn how to fly with broomstick lessons hosted by Hogwarts Professors in the courtyard, and test your nerve by visiting the dungeons beneath the ancient fortress.