Alnwick Castle, Northumberland

We enjoyed two tours here today. First, an outside tour, about the history of the castle, followed by an inside tour of the Italian style State Rooms.

It is the home of the Duke and Duchess of Northumberland. There have been extensive internal renovations of late, and it is quite stunning inside.

Paintings by Canaletto, Turner, Titian, Van Dyck; magnificent chandeliers and ceilings; and the Cucci cabinets, which come from the time of Louis XIV at Versailles. We timed our visit well, as we were able to access the Chapel, only open for a short time each day.

The Castle has been the setting for a number of movies, including Harry Potter. Only once have they allowed film crews inside. That was for the Christmas edition of Downton Abbey.