If you were to step inside the The Alnwick Garden, through an ancient gate and into the Pavilion, you’d be facing the Grand Cascade; this was one of the first parts of the renewed Alnwick Garden to open back in 2001, and despite being an almost daily sight for many years is still every bit as impressive as the first time I saw it!
Walking forwards towards the Cascade, a fuller view of the garden emerges, until you stand at a short flight of steps towards the lawns.
To the left, a dolomite path leads off, passing an Ice Cream hut, a Pimms trailer, and a old fashioned sweet shop, then the entrance gates to ‘The Poison Garden‘, with The Hovel sitting adjacent, used as base for the Poison Garden Guides between tours and manning the adjacent Herbarium, which is where the LEGO model of The Alnwick Garden currently resides.
This model was built by LEGO artist Steve Mayes, and was unveiled in 2020, so is now around six years old; it contains around 100,000 pieces of LEGO in total, and had a build period of nearly six months.
The model can always be viewed through a large window in the side of the Herbarium, but when open, it allows for a closer look, as well as a chance to spot some animals hiddin within… but you need to visit to find out what is hidden where!
Steve has his own website page dedicated to the LEGO model of The Alnwick Garden which you can view here: https://brickthis.co.uk/project/the-alnwick-garden/
While you near the LEGO model, it is worth looking around the displays in the Herbarium, which are always interesting read, with the stories of poisonous plants told through a revolving set of displays.
This is just one of several models that Steve has built, and they can all be viewed on his website.
Ryan Hogg 