Alnwick Castle

On the edge of the town of Alnwick, England’s second-most northerly town, situated in Northumberland, England’s most northerly county, a beautiful castle can be found. It’s been the home of the Percy family, the Dukes of Northumberland, since 1309, although its history dates from Norman times. (Handy dates and historical facts come from the castle’s website.) Some of the rooms are open to the public from Easter until October, and the castle attracts visitors from around the world. As I learned on my most recent visit, the land in front of it was developed by the famous landscape architect Capability Brown. He even diverted the course of the river to achieve the result he was looking for.

Fun fact: The castle has starred in various movies and TV productions over the years. Among other appearances, it featured as Nottingham Castle in Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves, as Brancaster Castle in Downton Abbey, and, most famously, as Hogwarts in the first two Harry Potter movies.