About Alnwick, Northumberland

Once a held by the De Vesci family for several centuries at the dawn of the second millenium, Alnwick Northumberland was handed on to the house of Percy in 1309. The Percys are still seated in the castle at the centre of the town. 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.

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.

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 weekly newspaper is the Northumberland Gazette which covers the town and the district & they have their head office in the town. Alnwick has numerous opportunites for leisure & sports which include the new Willowburn leisure centre, football rugby and cricket clubs. Because of the nature of the area there is also scope for rock climbing, walking, water sports, horse riding, cycling & there are also dozens of golf courses in the area.

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.

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

. Amongst the famous people born in Alnwick are George Biddell Airy who was the Astronomer Royal from 1835 to 1881, The philosopher Bernard Bosanquet, and the geologist Ralph Tate.