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.

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.

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.

To the north of the town sits Alnwick Castle, which protected the town from invaders from the North across hundreds of years. To this day the castle is inhabited by the Percys. The Duke and Duchess of Northumberland currently sit in residence at the castle making it the second largest inhabited castle in the country after Windsor Castle. The Alnwick Garden project sits within the grounds of the castle, and is a visitor attraction in its own right. Open all year its majesty has received worldwide acclaim. the castle also acts as a headquarters for the Duke of Northumberland's business operation Northumberland Estates, as a university campus for students from St. Cloud university in Minnesota, USA, and attracts thousands of tourists each year from across the globe. the castle and its grounds have also received worldwide attention on the silver screen. It has featured in dozens of movies and television programmes. These include Harry Potter and the Chamber of secrets, Blackadder, Robin Hood prince of thieves, The fast show, & Elizabeth.

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.

There are numerous memorials around Alnwick dedicated to the countless wars between the Percy family and the Scots. On a hill facing the castle on the north bank sits a large stone cross which commemorates the killing of King Malcolm III of Scotland whilst invading on the outskirts of the town. Near the entrance to Hulne Park an engraved memorial records the place where William of Scotland was siezed by Odinel de Umfraville in the 1100s. Others exist.

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. 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.