About Alnwick, Northumberland
After being held by the family of De Vesci (a family still present in Northumberland) for over 200 years in 1309 Alnwick passed into the
hands of the house of Percy, a family who are to this day remain residents of Alnwick Castle.
Alnwick has been described as 'The best place to live in the country' (Country Life Magazine October
2002), and no doubt the Eight thousand inhabitants of this exquisite Northumbrian town would agree.
It sits on the river Aln in
Northumberland, North East England a stone's throw from Berwick & the Scottish borders and a five minute drive to the coast. Records
show that Alnwick's history stretches back as far as six hundred AD, and has emerged through countless invasions by the Scots including
an attempt in about 1400AD to raze it to the ground. It has remained a successful market town over the centuries, largely due to its
location on the A1 - the main transport link from the Captal to Scotland. Having successfuly retained much of its original charm depsite
its constant growth, it is a great success with tourists. It is twinned with the German town Voerde, the Norwegian town Bryne and Lagny
on the outskirts of Paris.
Alnwick being
inherantly rural by nature, the city of Newcastle is easily commuted to by both road and rail and so much of the town's number work
elsewhere. There are a number of large acclaimed employers in the town, which include the fishing rod manufacturer House of Hardy &
the research and testing facility Sanofi. Alnwick also boasts one of the biggest second hand book stores in Europe. The main east-coast
railway line is situated around 4 miles along the river Aln and can be accessed via the Alnmouth for Alnwick railway station. The town
once had its own rail link, but this ceased in '68 because of the terminal nature of the line and the lack of opportunity for it to be
developed. The building itself is incredibly ornate, which is due to the station's frequent use by royals visiting the Percys at Alnwick Castle.
At the very core of the town centre is a once thriving cobbled Marketplace which acted as a venue for the cattle market which was the
main industry of the town. Beautiful little picture postcard streets such as Fenkle Street, Pottergate and Narrowgate surround the
marketplace, many of which are cobbled, and all of which are lined by charismatic period buildings. Historically, Alnwick was surrounded
by a defensive wall to stave off attacks from invaders, but this wall has since been almost completely demolished, and only one of the
majestic gatehouses survice. Hotspur tower as it is known was built at the turn of the second millenium and derives its name from the
2nd earl of Northumberland, known as Harry Hotspur, who gained notoriety as a key combattant in William Shakespeare's Henry the 4th
Part 1
Undoubtedly the most impressive of all of Alnwick's buildings is the castle around which the town was established. It is still the seat of the long line of Dukes of Northumberland, and home of the Alnwick Garden - project of the current Duchess of Northumberland. Along with being home to the Percy Family the castle acts as a base for Northumberland Estates, a seat of learning for college students from the USA studying in Europe and a world renowned visitor attraction. Due to it's fantastic condition and location, TV and Filmmakers have constantly thought it a suitable location for their productions. These include Robin Hood Prince of thieves, the Fast Show, Harry Potter, Yellow Submarine, Blackadder I, Elizabeth amongst hundreds of others.
Other noteable buildings within the town walls include Pottergate tower - a fine example of gothic architecture which stands on the site of one of the original gatehouses to the town. It once featured a tall spire which was lost when the town suffered a particularly violent storm in the 19th century. To the south of the town centre there is an arts centre 'The Playhouse'. This features an exhibition space, theatre venue and a cinema.
News in Alnwick is reported by its very own Newspaper for the town and Alnwick district - the Northumberland Gazette which is
published weekly and has its offices in the town. Alnwick and district provides excellent sports and leisure opportunities including a
number of spectacular golf courses in all sorts of terrain, along with all manner of sporting clubs - football, rugby, cricket, horse riding,
water sports, walking - this list is endless.
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.
A Shrove Tuesday football match is played beneath the shadow of Alnwick Castle between the parishes of st. Paul' and St. Michael's.
The ball is thrown from the castle walls and the game is won by whichever team is first to score 3 "hales" or goals. Alnwick Fair is held
annually & is a costumed re-enactment of a mediaeval fair in which the townsfolk of Alnwick dress up in period costumes. Alnwick also
hosts an international music festival, and a mediaeval Tournament – a jousting spectacular on the pastures overlooked by the castle.
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. |
