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. 'The best place to live in Britain' was how Country Life magazine described this beautiful market town in October '02. With a population of just under 8,000 it lies a short distance from the border with Scotland in Berwick-upon-Tweed and a mere four or five miles along the river Aln from the coast with the North Sea at the mouth of the river in Alnmouth. Records of Alnwick date back to the sixth century AD, and despite scottish marauders almost entirely obliterating the town with fire in the 15th century, the town has gone from strength to strength in its development as a rural market town.

At the core of the town is the castle which once prompted the town to be described as 'The Windsor of the North', and is today the home of the Duke and Duchess of Northumberland. The town sits just off the A1 - the main road link between Edinburgh and London, and now exists as a commuter location being within travelling distance of both Morpeth and the nearest city, Newcastle upon Tyne in Tyne & Wear. Because Alnwick has held on to its "quintessential Englishness" it attracts thousands of tourists. It has sister towns in Bryne (Norway), Lagny (France) and Voerde (Germany).

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.

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 landmarks in Alnwick include the gothic styled Pottergate tower which stands on the site of an ancient gate, & was rebuilt in the 18th century. It once boasted an ornate spire but this was destroyed in a storm in the early 1800s. Just outside the old walls there is a multi-purpose arts centre, The Playhouse, which stages theatre productions, music, dance and visual arts as well as featuring 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.

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. Every year on shrove Tuesday a football match is played between the two parishes of the town on the pastures below the foot of the castle. The ball is thrown by the Duke from the walls of the castle and the winning team is the first to score 3 goals (or hales as they are known). Also annually is Alnwick Fair, a recreation of a medieval fair where everyone dressed up in medieval dress. Alnwick can also boast an International music festival with participants from across the globe, and a medieval jousting tournament which is held in the shadow of Alnwick 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.