Alnwick

The cobbles still echo with centuries of footsteps here, where dukes once plotted and Harry Potter learned to fly. Alnwick commands the Northumberland countryside from its hilltop perch, dominated by one of England's largest inhabited castles - though you'll know it better as Hogwarts from the first two films.

This isn't some sleepy heritage town trading on past glories. The Saturday market still thrums with proper local energy, while independent shops line the medieval streets. Barter Books, housed in the old Victorian railway station, is worth the trip alone - a cathedral of second-hand volumes where you can lose hours among the stacks.

Alnwick Castle steals the show, naturally. The Percy family has called it home for over 700 years, and they've opened their doors wide. Beyond the Harry Potter connection, the state rooms are genuinely magnificent, and the grounds host everything from medieval tournaments to outdoor cinema.

Ten minutes east, the coast opens up dramatically. Embleton Bay stretches for miles - a proper beach where you can walk for ages without seeing another soul midweek. The ruins of Dunstanburgh Castle brood on their rocky outcrop, reached by a windswept clifftop walk that's absolutely cracking on a clear day. Golfers rate the course here highly, with the North Sea as your constant companion.

Howick Hall Gardens offer something completely different - 65 acres of rare trees and shrubs that explode with colour through spring and summer. The Arboretum here is particularly fine, with specimens from across the globe thriving in this surprisingly mild coastal microclimate.

The A1 runs just west of town, making Alnwick easily reached from Edinburgh or Newcastle. Staying at one of the nearby parks gives you the best of both worlds - quick access to this fascinating town and the wild Northumberland coast, plus you're perfectly placed for day trips to Hadrian's Wall or the Scottish Borders.