The Old Stables Tea Room

For travellers looking for a quick pit stop close to Alnwick who don’t want to navigate through the town, this friendly, secluded café is the place. The stone stables that give the tea room its name adjoin the small kitchen garden and courtyard. The dog-friendly courtyard is a wonderful suntrap in the afternoon with views of farmland and the distant A1 (which can be seen but delightfully hardly heard). For the most part the only sounds are the wind in the trees and buzzards calling overhead.

On the food front, there’s no escaping the huge cakes on the counter: pistachio, raspberry, lemon and mascarpone Victoria sponge, coffee and walnut. Sandwiches and soups are served with really good homemade bread. As for the coffee, it’s got to be Pumphrey’s, a regional favourite.

They also sell homemade treats and local products including Northumberland honey, so don’t forget to stock up before you leave.