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.
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.
With Alnwick being the rural town it is, transport links are incredibly important and so Alnwick's proximity
to the A1 allows residents the opportunity to commute to the more industrial South East of Northumberland and Tyne and Wear. There
are a handful of sizeable firms in Alnwick employing large numbers - these include Greys of Alnwick, the House of Hardy, Sanofi
Synthelabo. In Barter Books, Alnwick features one of the greatest Second hand bookshops in the country. Barter books can be found
within the once thriving railway station building which became disused in the 1960s when the line was terminated. The building is quite
impressive for a town the size of Alnwick. This was because the station was in constant use by the Royal Family on visits to the castle
when the Duke & Duchess were in residence. The nearest rail link is now accessed at Alnmouth, two or three miles from Alnwick.
In the heart of Alnwick is the Marketplace which centres around an ancient market cross. One of the sides of the marketplace is made up
by one wall of the relatively modern Northumberland Hall, a grand multi-purpose building which houses the newly established Lionheart
radio station. The streets around the marketplace form the CBD of the town. Amongst the most noteable are Fenkle Street, Narrowgate,
& Bondgates Within and Without, which vary from being wide cobbled areas to narrow lanes barely wide enough for a single vehicle.
The town was once surrounded by a defensive wall, and one of the original gates exists to this day. The Hotspur tower was named after
Harry Hotspur, an Earl of Northumberland who featured in Shakespeare.
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.
Pottergate tower is a beautiful tower built in the eighteen hundreds where the original stone gate once stood. Atop Pottergate tower there was once an elaborate structure which was unfortunately destroyed in bad weather shortly after it was erected. Near to the other gatehouse, The Hotspur Tower, is situated The Playhouse, which is an arts venue which hosts music, dance & theatre productions as well as being a cinema and exhibition space.
The town of Alnwick also supports a weekly newspaper- the Northumberland Gazette, and boasts a wealth of sporting and leisure
facilities, including a new sports centre, football, cricket, rugby, rambling, rock climbing, water sports, cycling and horse riding facilities.
Golfers can find over a dozen courses within half an hour of the town centre.
All over Alnwick are memorials to the frequent wars between the Percys and the Scots. A cross across the river from the castle marks
the spot where Malcolm III of Scotland was killed in 1093. At the side of Rotten Row leading up to Hulne Park a tablet marks the location
where William the Lion of Scotland was captured by Odinel de Umfraville 1174. There are dozens of other similar monuments and
memorials.
Other areas of note within Alnwick town include Brizlee tower, a gothic tower which overlooks the Duke's private estate. This was designed by architect Robert Adam and built in 1781 for the 1st Duke, The White Swan Hotel which was once a coach house in the 18th century, and which is now a luxury hotel in which you can find the lounge from the sister ship to the Titanic, the Olympic. This is identical to the once that lies on the bottom of the sea off Newfoundland. Inside Alnwick Castle is the Northumberland Fusiliers museum, and on the south side of the town lies the Percy tenantry column which was built in 1816 in thanks to the 2nd Duke of Northumberland keeping land rental prices low.
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
Born in Alnwick were Astronomer Royal George Biddell-Airy, the geologist Ralph Tate, & world renowned philosopher Bernard Bosanquet.
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