Grannies

Alnwick is a delectable, medieval gem, with a proud castle, dubbed ‘the Windsor of the North’, serpentine streets and an appealing mix of old buildings. The castle and fabulous gardens are well worth exploring (don’t miss the enormous tree house).

Below the stronghold in the traditional stone high street, you’ll spy Grannies, a charismatic tea room with large windows and handsome, blue and gold shop front. The deli upstairs is a hoard of toothsome Northumberland delicacies – cheeses, jams, pickles and honey. The tea room is downstairs in the old cellar where the remains of a coal chute indicate its former life. It’s a cosy room (though the claustrophobic might disagree) with chunky furniture, antique curiosities decorating the shelves and grannie’s bloomers pegged out on the ceiling. Food is generous and tasty: perhaps smoked salmon croissants, jacket potatoes, paninis with homemade coleslaw, hunks of homemade cakes and huge scones.