Her Grace called into the town last week to join the party for the coming of age of Morpeth Chantry, which marks 21 years as an arts, music and crafts venue, as well as the 500th birthday of Father of Botany William Turner.

First stop was the Turner Garden in Carlisle Park, where the Duchess was asked to call on her horticultural expertise to put the finishing touches to a Mulberry Tree pot, planted in memory of Morpeth's famous 16th Century herbalist.

Castle Morpeth Mayor Irene Brumwell, her Deputy Edward Trevelyan and Member for Economy John Beynon formed the welcoming party, before park staff proudly showed off their work.

Then it was a short walk to Morpeth Chantry, accompanied by Tudor music group the York Waits.

Children from Chantry Middle School welcomed the Duchess with the Fanfare for William Turner, while artist Ivan Webley and needlework experts Valerie Young and Judith Armstrong displayed their work.

Chantry staff showed the Duchess around their shop displays, before she made her way to the Morpeth Bagpipe Museum, where she was invited to cut the 'birthday' cake.

Speaking after the ceremony, the Duchess spoke of her pleasure at joining the celebrations and praised the work and produce she had seen.

"I'm really impressed after seeing the quality of everything. The quality is really first class," she said. "What is being produced in Northumberland more and more is home industry and cottage-based industry. It is of a very high standard and I'm really pleased to see it here because we are selling a lot of it in the Alnwick Garden.

"Northumberland has come a long way in the last 20 years. You can buy something now that represents your area that matches the standard of quality you can find in Southern parts of the UK. I think that is a real feather in our cap."

"I am impressed with the quality we are producing in Northumberland and with how well packaged and promoted it is. It is good having this industry, but to make it look good and something somebody would want to take back to Devon or Cornwall is another thing.

"Everything I have seen is exactly what we should be standing for in Northumberland."

The Duchess was presented with a Castle Morpeth scarf and brooch, as well as flowers from the Turner Garden, to commemorate her visit.