I took my family up to Alnwick last year, visiting all of the usual tourist hotspots.

Alnwick Castle is simply a fantastic location to visit when the weather is fine. Plenty of room for the kids to run about in, plenty to do inside the place, and they often have activities on the go, such as falconry or even exotic dancers!

Alnwick Garden is another story -- sure, they have a fairly nice layout, but for the admission money we spent I felt that the families were being crammed into a small space, and to be honest after the first few drenchings in their water fountains, tehre's not a lot for children to do.

I think that both these attractions will be going back to their previous arrangement of joint ticketing, so if you are in the area for the entire day, and the weather ios good, it's probably worth the money.

The nearby Bailiffgate Museum is the ideal place to go when the weather is not so good, offering seating for weary legs, plenty of scope and things for younger children to do, plus excellent disabled access and a small refreshemts area.
What I did find disappointing though was how all of the Museum's old photographs of the town have been taken away by a Trustee, who has put them into his own personal collection. This means that visitors can no longer look at such historical depictions of old Alnwick.

If you're bringing a dog to the town, there are a few good long walks available, but be sure and ask one of the friendly locals where they are, because some "walks" are actualyl over active farmland, and dogs can't be unleashed there!!

All in all, there's lots to do and see in Alnwick. There are plenty of pubs and cafes and restairants for all tastes, and although the shopping isn't that varied, there are still enough galleries and quality shops to provide a range of gifts, etc.

And if you want to see more, drive outside the town, in almost any direction, and the scenery is magnificent!