About Alnwick, Northumberland
The town of Alnwick in Northumberland is the home of the Percy family, and the Dukes of
Northumberland. The Percys took up their seat in Alnwick Castle after being handed the town in 1309 by the De Vesci family, who had
held power for over two hundred years.
'The best place to live in Britain' was how Country Life magazine
described this beautiful market town in October '02. With a population of just under 8,000 it lies a short distance from the border with
Scotland in Berwick-upon-Tweed and a mere four or five miles along the river Aln from the coast with the North Sea at the mouth of the
river in Alnmouth. Records of Alnwick date back to the sixth century AD, and despite scottish marauders almost entirely obliterating the
town with fire in the 15th century, the town has gone from strength to strength in its development as a rural market town.
At the core of
the town is the castle which once prompted the town to be described as 'The Windsor of the North', and is today the home of the Duke
and Duchess of Northumberland. The town sits just off the A1 - the main road link between Edinburgh and London, and now exists as a
commuter location being within travelling distance of both Morpeth and the nearest city, Newcastle upon Tyne in Tyne & Wear. Because
Alnwick has held on to its "quintessential Englishness" it attracts thousands of tourists. It has sister towns in Bryne (Norway), Lagny
(France) and Voerde (Germany).
With Newcastle upon Tyne being an hour's drive away, many of the predominantly rural population of Alnwick work in the city,
however there are several noteable employers including Sanofi Synthelabo - a pharmeceuticals company, Hardy's of Alnwick who make
high calibre fishing rods, and Northumberland Estates which is an agicultural operation run by the Duke. The old railway station now
houses Barter Books, which is now one of the biggest used books shop in Europe. The rather grand railway station was in use until the
late sixties when the line closed. This grandeur owes to the Royal family having regularly used the station when visiting the Duke of
Northumberland at the castle. The rail network can now be accessed via the Alnmouth railway station which lies around five miles west
of the town towards the coast.
In the centre of town is the market square which is built around a market cross, & the Northumberland Hall which is used as a meeting
place. Surrounding the market square is the main shopping area. the streets of Narrowgate, Fenkle Street, and Bondgate Within. The
latter of which is a wide, cobbled road fronted by attractive buildings. In mediaeval times, the town was walled and one of the original
gatehouses, Hotspur tower, remains. This divides Bondgate Within from Bondgate Without & restricting vehicles to single file. It was
named for Sir Henry Percy (also called Harry Hotspur) son of the 1st Earl of Northumberland - a character in Henry IV, Part I.
Alnwick Castle which looms over the town is the home of the Percy family, the Duke of Northumberland & the world famous Alnwick
Garden. It dominates the west of Alnwick above the river Aln. the castle is home to commerce, education & tourism - It currently
provides an education centre for American students studying in Europe; is the HQ of Northumberland Estates, & is a tourist attraction of
its own. Open from April to September (the Gardens all year round), it is the second biggest inhabited castle in England after Windsor
Castle. Benjamin Disraeli once described Alnwick as 'Montacute'. the castle is popular with TV & film-makers, with Blackadder, Robin
Hood, Prince of Thieves, Elizabeth all filmed here. Most famously, Alnwick Castle found fame as Hogwart's school of witchcraft and
wizardry in the Harry Potter films.
Other landmarks in Alnwick include the gothic styled Pottergate tower which stands on the site of an ancient gate, & was rebuilt in the
18th century. It once boasted an ornate spire but this was destroyed in a storm in the early 1800s. Just outside the old walls there is a
multi-purpose arts centre, The Playhouse, which stages theatre productions, music, dance and visual arts as well as featuring a cinema.
The Northumberland Gazette is a weekly newspaper which covers the Alnwick district and who has its main office in the town centre. The town also has countless leisure and sports facilities which include a brand new leisure centre, football rugby and cricket clubs and pitches. There is also the opportunity for rock climbing, walking, water sports, cycling and equestrianism. There are also upwards of fifteen golf courses within a short distance of the town.
Because of the proximity of Alnwick to the Scottish border wars between the Percy family representing the English and the Scots were commonplace in Alnwick. At every turn across the town there are memorials to these wars, one of which can be found on the riverbank facing Alnwick Castle which celebrates the slaying of King Malcolm of Scotland in 1093 on that very spot, and another on the lead up to Hulne Park is a memorial to the place where William the Lion of Scotland was captured by the English armies in the 12th century.
Amongst the other attractions in the town are Brizlee Tower, which is an ornate folly which looks down on Hulne park, the private estate which was designed by Robert Adam and built in the 18th century, The White Swan, a hotel, the original of which was built in the 1700s, and which features the lounge taken out of the Olympic, the sister ship from the Titanic when it was broken up after its sinking for fears of a repeat, the Northumberland Fusiliers museum which is housed in Alnwick Castle and the Percy tenantry column which was built in the 19th century in thanks to the Duke of Northumberland of the time.
The Shrove-tide football match is held annually on the banks of the river Aln overlooked by the castle on Shrove Tuesday. Two of the town's parishes compete to be the first to score 3 'hales' (goals). The match is kicked off by the Duke of Northumberland tossing the ball from the castle ramparts. Other annual events include an International music festival for which people travel from far and wide to take part, a re-enactment of a mediaeval fair where all attendees dress up in period outfits, and a mediaeval tournament which is held beneath the castle and comprises jousting and various other mediaeval entertainments
.
Airy is just one of the famous people to have been born in the town. Others include philosoper Bernard Bosanquet, and Ralph Tate, who was a leading light in the field of geology. |
