Forget daffodils and daisies. William Wordsworth would have steered well clear of this English garden.
Because it doesn't want to inspire your poetry, it wants to poison your tea.
Introducing the Alnwick Poison Garden - Northumberland's botanical death trap with over a hundred toxic, narcotic and downright sinister plants.
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This English Garden is Trying to Kill You - Here's How to Get There
If you thought gardening was all pottering around in wellies, then you're in for a shock.
This place is a magnet for thrill-seekers and those curious about deadly vegetation.
Want to find out more about this horticultural house of horrors?
Here's what makes it so deadly, as well as how to get there and why it might just be worth the risk.
What Makes Alnwick Poison Garden Dangerous?
The garden was founded by the Duchess of Northumberland in 2001 as a unique space dedicated to alerting and educating people about the dangers of poisonous plants.
She explains "everybody had built apothecary gardens and I just thought, this is pretty boring. The stories of death are so interesting and equally educational."
Mission accomplished, Your Grace.
Which Plants Can You See in Alnwick Poison Garden?
This garden isn't just a deadly tourist attraction - it's dripping with drama and history.
Here are some of the plants you can expect to find inside and where you may have come across them before in books, films and on TV.
Belladonna (aka deadly nightshade)
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Belladonna, or deadly nightshade, is notorious for its poisonous berries, which can be fatal to humans if eaten.
But it's not all bad - the plant is widely used in medicine.
Its derivatives are used in eye drops and medicines to treat stomach cramps and motion sickness.
You've likely heard Belladonna mentioned before - from the video game The Witcher 3 to the film Practical Magic and even the Stevie Nicks album of the same name.
Hemlock
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According to Plato's dialogue Phaedo, the Greek philosopher Socrates was sentenced to death by drinking hemlock as a punishment for corrupting the youth of Athens.
If you've ever visited New York's Metropolitan Museum of Art, you may have seen this depicted in the 1787 painting The Death of Socrates by French Neoclassical painter Jacques-Louis David.
Although it was mixed with opium and alcohol and used as a sedative in the Middle Ages, the plant is so poisonous that it is not used in modern medicine.
Ricinus Communis
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Perhaps most famously used in the 1978 umbrella assassination, Ricin is known to be one of the most potent toxins on Earth.
As well as being used in real-world cases, ricin has received many mentions in films and books, including Breaking Bad, CSI: Crime Scene Investigation and Red Sparrow.
Foxgloves
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How can something so pretty be so dangerous? Sadly it is - parts of the beautiful foxglove plant are poisonous to humans and may be fatal if ingested.
Foxgloves have received mentions for their poisonous properties in films and books through the years, such as The Wicker Man and The Poisoner's Handbook.
The Best Time to Visit Alnwick Poison Garden
If the lure of the country's most poisonous garden has you intrigued, you can pay a visit.
The Poison Garden is open as part of the Alnwick Castle and Garden complex.
However, you can only see it, understandably, via. guided tour booked in advance.
Not only do these keep you safe from harm, they give you the lowdown on how the plants have been used throughout history.
In terms of the best season to plan a visit, spring and summer offer the bonus of blooming plants in their full glory. They may be deadly, but they're a stunning sight.
Autumn brings a different kind of attraction, with rich foliage feeding the garden's eerie atmosphere.
And with winter visits, you can expect frosty mornings adding a dramatic edge to an already sinister setting.
Nearby Attractions
Once you've visited - and survived - the Alnwick Poison Garden, you can explore other, less life-threatening attractions in Alnwick.
Here's what the north-eastern town has to offer.
Alnwick Castle
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It's the castle we all know and love from the Harry Potter films.
Take a stroll where wizards learned to fly their broomsticks or simply enjoy the medieval grandeur of such an impressive place.
And as if one major on-screen credit wasn't enough, Alnwick Castle was also used as a location for the beloved British TV series, Downton Abbey. Jolly good.
Alnwick Gardens
There's more to this place than the Poison Garden. The rest of the Alnwick Gardens are stunning and considerably less deadly.
Stroll among roses, marvel at the grand cascade and enjoy a spot of afternoon tea, sans poisonous additives.
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Barter Books
One of the UK's largest second-hand bookshops, nearby Barter Books is housed in a former railway station. It's cozy, quirky and full of literary treasures.
Bamburgh Castle
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We Brits love a castle. If you're up for a 30-minute drive, Bamburgh Castle offers epic coastal views and centuries of history.
How to Get to Alnwick Poison Gardens
From London
- Train - Hop on a direct train from London Kings Cross to Alnmouth Station. It takes about 3.5 hours and from there, a taxi or the Arriva 418 bus will get you to Alnwick.
- Bus/Coach - National Express or Megabus runs services to Newcastle, where you can switch to a local train or bus.
- Car - Drive north on the A1. It's about five hours, so pack snacks and maybe some caffeine.
From Birmingham
- Train - Services from Birmingham to Newcastle or Alnmouth make the trip straightforward. Add a bus or taxi to complete your journey.
- Coach - National Express runs routes to Newcastle and local transport takes you the rest of the way.
- Car - The drive takes roughly 4.5 hours via the M1 and A1. A playlist of murder mystery podcasts feels oddly appropriate for the journey.
From Manchester
- By Train - Direct trains to Newcastle are your best bet. Then, connect to Alnwick with a bus or train.
- By Bus/Coach - National Express runs routes to Newcastle and local transport can take you the rest of the way.
- By Car - Head north on the M62 and A1 for a 3.5-hour drive.
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