Alnwick Pastures and River Aln Walk
Northumberland
This dog friendly walk loops the Pastures, the broad open grassland that wraps around the foot of Alnwick Castle, with the River Aln on one side and the castle ramparts above. Start from the Lion Bridge, pick up a riverside path west, climb gently to a higher meadow with the famous castle profile in view, and return across open turf. It's the classic Alnwick view familiar from the Harry Potter films, but quiet and rarely crowded.
Dogs love it, this is one of the few large open-access grass walks in Northumberland with reliable off-lead space, no livestock and a river to cool off in. Keep them on a lead crossing the Lion Bridge and round the small clusters of geese and swans at the river bend. Underfoot is short-cropped grass and a stretch of riverside path with a few tree roots, almost flat. Free council parking at Greenwell Road and pay-and-display in Alnwick centre, plenty of pubs and cafes a five-minute walk into town, no facilities on the Pastures themselves.
At a Glance
- Distance
- 5.0 km (3.1 miles)
- Difficulty
- Easy
- Duration
- 1 hr 15 min
- Walk Type
- River, Park, Historic
- Route Type
- Circular
- Off Lead Potential
- High
- Livestock Risk
- None
- Facilities
- None on the route; pubs, cafes and toilets in Alnwick town centre five minutes' walk away.
- Parking
- Free council car park at Greenwell Road on the south side of the Lion Bridge (around 40 spaces) plus pay-and-display in Alnwick.
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