The Alnwick Garden in Northumberland, one of the world’s most contemporary gardens, is a new CTA member keen to attract coach groups. The venue is also home to Lilidorei at Alnwick Garden, an enchanted children’s play world.

Created by the Duchess of Northumberland in 2001, The Alnwick Garden is a modern display combining sculpture, water features, and plants that change across the seasons to create a memorable attraction. The garden features what is said to be the largest collection of European plants in the UK, and the largest Japanese Cherry Orchard in the World.

Interestingly, The Alnwick Garden plays host to the small but deadly Poison Garden, filled exclusively with around 100 toxic, intoxicating, and narcotic plants. The boundaries of the Poison Garden are kept behind black iron gates, only open on guided tours.

In the Ornamental Garden, over 16,000 European plants are designed as a series of ‘rooms’ each framed by carefully selected shrubs and trees. Meanwhile, The Bamboo Labyrinth is planted with over 500 Chinese bamboo plants, designed by Adrian Fisher, one of the world’s leading maze-makers.

In addition, The Alnwick Gardens hosts a variety of other landscapes, such as The Rose Garden and The Allotment.

Over in Lilidorei at Alnwick Garden, dominating the landscape is Elfwin Drin, the world’s largest play structure of its kind, boasting a peak height of 26 metres. The aim is for every child to fully engage in an immersive experience filled with peculiar sounds, captivating storytelling, and mythical lore.