A Garden of Fairy Tales at Alnwick Garden

Alnwick Garden is a place we like to visit every year - there is so much to offer families from a labyrinth maze, tractor rides and poison garden to water play, treehouses and magical fountains (read about our visit last Summer here). This year, a brand new attraction has opened and we couldn't wait to visit and see what 'A Garden of Fairy Tales' was all about. The attraction is ongoing and open 7 days a week (10:30am-5:30pm weekends and school holidays or 11am-4:30pm on school day). The garden, trail and crafts are all included with regular admission. Yeah to no additional charges!

The magical trail starts at the Fairy Tale Attic. You can collect a map at the garden's entrance or simply follow the signs.

The Fairy Tale attic really is fabulous. You will meet a few real life fairy tale characters here and have the chance to raid their fantastic dressing up outfits to wear around the trail. Heidi had already prepared herself and dressed as a Fairy for the day but Harry decided to borrow a Robin Hood costume. Very smart he looked too! There are so many outfits and props to choose from and it really adds to the experience when you can spot children dressed as Snow White, Little Red Riding Hood and Prince Charming walking around the garden enjoying the trail.

We were trusted to take part in a very important mission that involved solving clues, taking part in a little magic, meeting the big bad wolf (who is actually very friendly) and completing the trail. Our ultimate mission was to use our special fairy tale map, solve 10 clues and find the deadly poison before the Wicked Queen did and to  #SaveBeauty. 

The trail took us just over an hour and was actually enjoyable for us grown ups too. They have deliberately ensured the clues aren't too easy so grown ups are forced to get involved. It really was a real family effort.

We found secret doorways

A Frog Prince

A magical Rose

Humpty Dumpty even made an apperance

We are Alnwick Garden veterans but the trail forced us to discover parts of the garden we had never seen before including this ancient tree that is hundreds of years old.

Our map also led us through the Cherry Orchard which is a breathtaking part of the garden and an absolute joy to walk through. Our children loved racing ahead to the next clue on every level.

Alnwick Garden is very accessible and has plenty of seating areas where you can sit and take in the view. We could not resist taking a moment in the orchard for a quick family selfie.

We were delighted when we finally found the poison before the Queen did. Yeah! We saved Beauty! We needed a little assistance with a few clues from the staff and characters along the trail but they were all happy to help and point us in the right direction.

The trail ends at Crafty Cottage where we were all given a much coveted wrist band to reward us for our efforts - I loved how the grown ups were included too and our team effort was recognised.

We were encouraged to make our own crowns in Crafty Cottage (at no extra cost) which for us was the perfect way to end our Fairy Tale adventure.

We have made a 3 minute video around the trail which I think really gives you a better feel for what's involved. We'd love you to take a look and let us know what you think. Just hit play below :-)

After such an active morning we had really built up an appetite and decided to pop into the Pavillion restaurant for lunch. We would normally take a picnic or treat ourselves in the Alnwick Treehouse but today decided to try something different. The Pavilion cafe really is perfectly situated with unrivalled views of the Grand Cascade. It was wonderful enjoying an alfresco lunch on the terrace as the fountains did their thing.

I was really impressed with the quality and price of the food too - My pulled pork was plentiful and delicious but I can't hide the fact that I was rather jealous of Steve's sausage roll, chips and beans which were all homemade and an absolute steal at £4.95. The kids enjoyed their picnic lunch too (5 items for £4.95).

After lunch we spent some time exploring the rest of the garden including dodging getting wet in the serpent garden, finding our way through the bamboo labyrinth and admiring the gorgeous flowers in the Rose garden. We had such a lovely day at Alnwick Garden - it really was proper, quality family time. There are plans to keep the Garden of Fairy Tales indefinitely with seasonal changes for Halloween/Christmas which will certainly keep us going back for more.

You can save money by pre-booking day tickets to Alnwick Garden online here or learn about becoming a Friend of The Alnwick Garden to enjoy unlimited access for one year, free parking, restaurant discounts, exclusive event invites from only £20 per year here - become a friend.