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.
According to Country Life in 2002, the picturesque market town of Alnwick in Northumberland is "the best place to live in Great Britain".
With a population of around 7,000 it is located 32 miles south of the Scottish border & 5 miles inland from the North Sea at Alnmouth. It
lies at 55°25 00 N, 01°42 00 W upon the river Aln & dates back to approximately 600AD and despite much of the town being razed to
the ground in 1424 by Scottish invaders, over the centuries it has thrived as an agricultural town, the location of Alnwick Castle and
home of the Earls of Northumberland, as a stopping place on the Great North Road between Edinburgh & London.
Despite it's recent
growth it still has much of its original character. Most recently it has become a modern rural communter town. It is twinned with Bryne in
Norway, Lagny-sur-Marne in France and the German town Voerde.
Largely a rural community, Alnwick now lies within commutable distance of the nearest city, Newcastle-Upon-Tyne & has a large
commuter population. Some major employers in Alnwick include House of Hardy, world-renowned makers of fly-fishing tackle, Greys of
Alnwick, also world-renowned makers of fly-fishing tackle, Northumberland Estates, the Duke of Northumberland's agricultural, forestry
and property interests, Barter Books, one of the largest second-hand book shops in Europe, & Sanofi Synthelabo, a large pharmaceutical
research and testing centre. The main East Coast railway link runs via the nearby Alnmouth for Alnwick Station. Alnwick was once
connected to the main line by the Alnwick branch line, however, this was closed in January 1968. The old station building now houses
Barter Books - a vast collection of used books available to buy. The old railway station building is particularly grand for a town of its size.
Its grandeur stems from is frequently being used by royals visiting the Duke of Northumberland in residence at the castle.
Alnwick town centre is made up of beautiful stone buildings varying in age. In the very middle of the town centre there is a Market place, which once was the location of an agricultural market. Around the market place is a network of both expansive cobble lined streets and tiny ornated lanes. Amongst these streets is Narrowgate, Fenkle Street and Bondgate which is divided into two parts, within and without, by one of the original gates to the old town wall. Named after Harry Hotspur - once Earl of Northumberland - a main character in Shakespeare's Henry the Fourth, the tower now restricts vehicles entering and leaving the town.
the castle which casts its shadow over Alnwick is seat of the house of Percy and the Dukes of Northumberland. It is also adjoined to the recent Alnwick Garden development, which includes an impressive Treehouse restaurant which takes inspiration from JRR Tolkein's Rivindell. From the castle, the Duke of Northumberland operates Northumberland Estates, and it is a study centre for students from the US studying in Europe. Primarily though it acts as a tourist attraction. Open all thoughout the summer, it is second in size only to Windsor Castle, and it's appearance has prompted many people to describe it as the Windsor of the North. Because of its condition and stature, the castle has prompted many TV & film makers to use it as a setting for huge hollywood blockbusters. These include Kevin Costner's Robin Hood, Elizabeth starring Cate Blanchett and Judy Dench, and most recently it starred as Hogwart's school in the Harry Potter films.
Another fine building in the town centre is the gothic Pottergate tower. This is a beautiful ornate gatehouse was built in the eighteenth century on the site of the original gate. It once had an elegant spire, but this proved to be quite delicate and was destroyed a short time after it was built by a storm. The Playhouse is an all purpose arts centre, which contains a theatre, a cinema and a gallery.
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.
Across the town in various different locations are structures dedicated to the numerous wars between the Percys and the Scots. On the north side of the river Aln there is a memorial to where King Malcolm of Scotland was killed in the 11th century, and a little way along the river, a stone structure marks the spot where William the Lion was taken prisoner by Odinel De Umfraville 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.
Each year, a football match is contested between the parishes of st. Paul and st. Michael on the pastured land below Alnwick Castle. It
takes place on Shrove Tuesday and kicks off with the Duke of Northumberland pitching the ball down from the battlements of the castle.
Once a team scores 3 goals, or hales, then the match is won. Other yearly events include the Alnwick Castle tournament which is a
mediaeval spectacular involving jousting, fire eating and juggling, held below the castle, Alnwick Fair, which takes place each summer
and is a costumed fair which hopes to replicate an authentic mediaeval event, and an International Music festival which attracts acts
festival which attracts acts
from all over the world.
Alnwick has several famous sons. These include Bernard Bosanquet the philosopher, George Biddel Airy who established the system by which time was measured worldwide, and centres around GMT, and Ralph Tate the world famous geologist.
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