Hogwarts Wizarding School has fascinated me since I first met Harry Potter. It is where all the secret arts of magic are taught and young wizards are produced. I have always wanted to attend that legendary school of Hogwarts knowing that it might be quite different from TTC – the school I went!
Today, my dream has materialized. I got up early, filled my broom with Shell Unleaded and flied along A1 (it is the motor way going to Scotland). Hoping that speed cameras are just dormant, I overtook every wizard I saw along the way so that I would not be late for school ( Professor Snape does not like the late comers!!).
After 26 miles of over speeding, I arrived at Hogwarts which is known by the muggles as The Alnwick Castle. It is situated in the historic town of Alnwick which is 35 miles north of Newcastle. It has been the family home of Dukes and Duchesses of Northumberland for over 700 years now. The castle is so beautiful that it has appeared in many films including in Harry Potter as the Hogwarts Wizarding School.
The 13th century castle stood magnificently in the middle of the vast grass field which is traversed by the river Aln. Walking towards the entrance, I imagined myself as a first year Wizard student coming to Hogwarts for the very first time. Of course half giant Hagrid was escorting our group - Ron and Hermione by my side!
The main building is protected by two walls with a very wide grass field in between. The walls are enormously thick and high to withstand the assaults of the enemies – the Scots! Walking through the grass field, I saw in my mind the Grffindors and the Slytherins practising the Quidith!
The grandeur of the interior of the main building is breath taking. The entrance room is decorated with weapons of the 19th century. All the walls of the room are filled with swords and pistols of the bygone days. The dining room shows a collection of the finest porcelains. The enormous fireplace is decorated with exquisite sculptures. The sword presented by the King is being displayed proudly beside the fireplace. The dinner table can accommodate 16 people. On the walls are hung many gigantic portraits of the family members.
There are many other rooms which show the luxury and the splendour enjoyed by the Lords of Britain. The most striking of them all is the library. It is the biggest room in the castle with all the ancient knowledge stacked beautifully on all four walls. Finely carved wooden panels adorn the walls, windows and the ceiling from which magnificent chandeliers are hanging. The busts of Shakespeare and Bertrand Russell are over looking the visitors. Antique mahogany tables and upholstered chairs are just enhancing the grandeur of the hall. Everything I see is antique and splendid – except a big plasma screen TV and a state of the art DVD player at the corner of the library. The guide says that the Duke’s family is still living in the castle and they love to watch TV in the library!
After admiring the sumptuousness enjoyed by the family of the Duke of Northumberland, I walked out of the castle. I did not have a glimpse of Professor Dumbledoor.
About 5 minutes’ walk from the castle is the Alnwick Garden which is in fact a group of gardens with different themes. The first garden I walked in was the Rose garden in which there are myriads of roses which are of different colours and scents. Walking among many hued roses savouring their sweet smell is an unearthly experience.
Three other gardens namely The Serpent Garden, The Ornamental Garden and The Labyrinth are equally breath taking with their very different beauties. The last garden which is quite interesting by its name is The Poison Garden. Inside is full of plants and flowers which are very beautiful – but lethal! There I saw a beautiful yellow flower which looked very delicate and harmless. The guide told me that it is highly poisonous. An image of a girl swiftly passes through my mind. Then in my mind, I started dialling the Poisons Information Centre for its antidote. There may be an antidote for the flower’s toxin but a poisoned heart can never be cured!
The centre piece of the Alnwick Garden is the Grand Cascade, the largest water feature of its kind in the country. It is about half the size of a football ground. Every minute 7 thousand gallons of water tumble down a series of 21 stages of cascade. At the same time, a spell binding water display is created by some hundreds of separate water jets. The effect is hypnotizing.
The return journey was uneventful. Fortunately, I did not see Voldemort today!
Today, my dream has materialized. I got up early, filled my broom with Shell Unleaded and flied along A1 (it is the motor way going to Scotland). Hoping that speed cameras are just dormant, I overtook every wizard I saw along the way so that I would not be late for school ( Professor Snape does not like the late comers!!).
After 26 miles of over speeding, I arrived at Hogwarts which is known by the muggles as The Alnwick Castle. It is situated in the historic town of Alnwick which is 35 miles north of Newcastle. It has been the family home of Dukes and Duchesses of Northumberland for over 700 years now. The castle is so beautiful that it has appeared in many films including in Harry Potter as the Hogwarts Wizarding School.
The 13th century castle stood magnificently in the middle of the vast grass field which is traversed by the river Aln. Walking towards the entrance, I imagined myself as a first year Wizard student coming to Hogwarts for the very first time. Of course half giant Hagrid was escorting our group - Ron and Hermione by my side!
The main building is protected by two walls with a very wide grass field in between. The walls are enormously thick and high to withstand the assaults of the enemies – the Scots! Walking through the grass field, I saw in my mind the Grffindors and the Slytherins practising the Quidith!
The grandeur of the interior of the main building is breath taking. The entrance room is decorated with weapons of the 19th century. All the walls of the room are filled with swords and pistols of the bygone days. The dining room shows a collection of the finest porcelains. The enormous fireplace is decorated with exquisite sculptures. The sword presented by the King is being displayed proudly beside the fireplace. The dinner table can accommodate 16 people. On the walls are hung many gigantic portraits of the family members.
There are many other rooms which show the luxury and the splendour enjoyed by the Lords of Britain. The most striking of them all is the library. It is the biggest room in the castle with all the ancient knowledge stacked beautifully on all four walls. Finely carved wooden panels adorn the walls, windows and the ceiling from which magnificent chandeliers are hanging. The busts of Shakespeare and Bertrand Russell are over looking the visitors. Antique mahogany tables and upholstered chairs are just enhancing the grandeur of the hall. Everything I see is antique and splendid – except a big plasma screen TV and a state of the art DVD player at the corner of the library. The guide says that the Duke’s family is still living in the castle and they love to watch TV in the library!
After admiring the sumptuousness enjoyed by the family of the Duke of Northumberland, I walked out of the castle. I did not have a glimpse of Professor Dumbledoor.
About 5 minutes’ walk from the castle is the Alnwick Garden which is in fact a group of gardens with different themes. The first garden I walked in was the Rose garden in which there are myriads of roses which are of different colours and scents. Walking among many hued roses savouring their sweet smell is an unearthly experience.
Three other gardens namely The Serpent Garden, The Ornamental Garden and The Labyrinth are equally breath taking with their very different beauties. The last garden which is quite interesting by its name is The Poison Garden. Inside is full of plants and flowers which are very beautiful – but lethal! There I saw a beautiful yellow flower which looked very delicate and harmless. The guide told me that it is highly poisonous. An image of a girl swiftly passes through my mind. Then in my mind, I started dialling the Poisons Information Centre for its antidote. There may be an antidote for the flower’s toxin but a poisoned heart can never be cured!
The centre piece of the Alnwick Garden is the Grand Cascade, the largest water feature of its kind in the country. It is about half the size of a football ground. Every minute 7 thousand gallons of water tumble down a series of 21 stages of cascade. At the same time, a spell binding water display is created by some hundreds of separate water jets. The effect is hypnotizing.
The return journey was uneventful. Fortunately, I did not see Voldemort today!
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