Just for the hell of it, and for the grand sum of a pound each way, I caught the Megatrain down to Alnwick for the morning, mainly so I could spend a few hours browsing in Barter Books (“one of the largest secondhand bookshops in Britain”, in a converted railway station, which was pretty chilly), but also to take a look at its castle... which is closed until April. Never mind, the outside was impressive enough on its own.