Our primary reason for visiting Alnwick Castle in
Northumberland was to see the spot where several scenes from Harry Potter and
the Philosopher’s (Sorcerer’s) Stone had been filmed. We were thrilled to stand
in the courtyard where Harry first learned to ride a broomstick. But the castle
is also home to several museums and gardens. The most popular of these is the
infamous poison garden which shines an eerie light on the ancient tradition of
cultivating plants specifically for their ability to kill. If you needed to
remove someone who stood between you and the throne, a little hemlock might
just do the trick. Of course, then you’d have to employ a taster to keep your
relatives from employing the same method on you. Some of the specimens in the poison garden are
rare and require a special license to be grown legally. Others, like
belladonna, poppies, laburnum, oleander and foxglove are quite familiar. Even
daffodils can be deadly.
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