Fabulous Kynren, Alnwick & Co. Durham

The 3* Hall Garth Hotel & Country Club near Darlington stands in 70 acres of grounds, with bedrooms located across 4 different sections of the hotel. The original house dates as early as the 15th-century, rooms in this section of the hotel retain many of the original features of the house and are full of character. The main hotel wing is an extension to the original and offers comfortable classic hotel bedrooms with all of the usual amenities.

Wednesday Day 1 – Travelling north with comfort breaks, a stop will be made at Hardwick Hall (NT), an Elizabethan masterpiece where the stunning house and beautiful landscape was created by a cast of thousands. It was the formidable Bess of Hardwick, niece to Mary Queen of Scots, who first created Hardwick in the 1500’s. Wander around Elizabethan walled garden courtyards. Although little remains of Bess's original gardens, they are still spectacular. Laid out in Elizabethan fashion, four rectangular courtyards each contain their own unique gardens, surrounded by high sandstone walls. Departing here we continue on to Darlington and your hotel, where dinner is included.

Thursday Day 2 - Breakfast included. Today begins in the City of Durham, known as the ‘City of the Prince Bishops’. which dates back 1000 years to the arrival of a religious community seeking a permanent resting place for the body of St Cuthbert of Lindisfarne. You will have free time to explore when you may choose to visit the iconic Durham Cathedral and Castle, a World Heritage Site (local costs apply). This afternoon’s included excursion is to nearby Beamish, Britain’s favourite ‘open air museum’. Set in over 300 hundred acres of beautiful countryside, this museum vividly recreates life in the North of England in the early 1800’s and 1900’s. This attraction demonstrates the recent history of the region in a ’living’ way and provides entertainment and education for all ages and interests. Dinner included at the hotel.

Friday Day 3 - Breakfast included. Today is dedicated to Alnwick, beginning with an included self-guided visit to the Castle, also known as the ‘Windsor of the North’. This foreboding & magnificent medieval castle has been owned by the same family for nearly 700 years. It has many stunning state rooms containing fine furniture and paintings by Canaletto, Van Dyck and Titian. The castle was also fortunate and privileged in being a location for the Harry Potter films. It is then just a short walk to the adjacent Alnwick Garden (entrance included), the Vision of the Duchess of Northumberland who wanted to create a beautiful public space accessible to everyone. Adrian Fisher the world's leading maze designer, Caroline Holmes a renowned figure in the horticultural world and William Pye a celebrated water sculptor, combined their talents to create stunning features within the Garden.

A special feature is the small but deadly ‘Poison Garden’, which is kept behind iron gates & is filled exclusively with around 100 toxic and narcotic plants. There may also be time to visit the town centre of Alnwick, accessible on foot from both attractions. A photo stop will be made at Anthony Gormley’s iconic Angel of the North during the return journey to the hotel, where dinner is included.

It is just a short transfer to nearby Bishop Auckland and the Auckland Project, which will enrich your mind, body and spirit with a feast of history, nature and art. The natural starting point for your visit is the Auckland Tower - Not suitable for anyone who does not like heights where you can ‘climb high to see far’. This 29m tower with its 15m viewing platform offers 360° views across Auckland Park, Bishop Auckland town and the rural landscape beyond. With your ‘Auckland Untapped’ ticket, entry is included to Auckland Palace + a guided tour, one of the best-preserved bishops’ palaces in Europe, where after major conservation work, its state rooms have been transformed to their original Georgian Gothic splendour. Lunch can be purchased during your time here. You can also visit the Spanish Gallery, immersing yourself in the Spanish Golden Age at the UK’s first gallery dedicated to the art, history and culture of Spain. There is also the Mining Art Gallery home to an intimate and awe-inspiring art collection which gives a truly unique insight into the lives and souls of coal miners. Dinner is included at a local venue before continuing on to the 11 Arches site for an evening performance of Kynren. This is a spectacular live action ‘outdoor theatre show’ held on a 7.5-acre stage where 1000 cast and crew tell the 2,000-year tale & the history of England, bringing to life a ground-shaking story of invasions, royal splendour, wars, heroic sacrifice, daily life and seismic change. Take your seat with around 8,000 others and be swept along by a thrilling journey. Dazzling pyrotechnics, beautiful choreography, amazing stunts and hard-to-believe horsemanship, combine with an inspired original soundtrack. (This is an outdoor performance with pre-reserved seats). You will be returned to the hotel late evening.

Sunday Day 5 – Checking out of the hotel after breakfast we retrace our steps, making a stop at Brodsworth House & Gardens (EH) in South Yorkshire, where lunch can be purchased. Brodsworth Hall was built in the 1860’s for the Thellusson family, but as the family’s fortune diminished, the house and gardens gradually fell into decline and disrepair. Today, the Victorian pleasure gardens have been expertly restored to their former glory, and the house has been gently conserved to tell the stories of the generations of people who lived and worked here. Designed in the Italianate style of the 1860’s, the 'grand rooms' on the ground floor recall its Victorian heyday. Many of the original furnishings can still be seen - Don't miss the cavernous Victorian kitchen with its impressive cooking range and the cosier 'Aga kitchen' and scullery with the original housekeeper's chair. The gardens are the perfect place for a stroll through the statue walks, the fern grotto and the beautiful dells. Continuing homewards you will be returned to your original departure point(s).