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 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.

At the very core of the town centre is a once thriving cobbled Marketplace which acted as a venue for the cattle market which was the main industry of the town. Beautiful little picture postcard streets such as Fenkle Street, Pottergate and Narrowgate surround the marketplace, many of which are cobbled, and all of which are lined by charismatic period buildings. Historically, Alnwick was surrounded by a defensive wall to stave off attacks from invaders, but this wall has since been almost completely demolished, and only one of the majestic gatehouses survice. Hotspur tower as it is known was built at the turn of the second millenium and derives its name from the 2nd earl of Northumberland, known as Harry Hotspur, who gained notoriety as a key combattant in William Shakespeare's Henry the 4th Part 1

Alnwick Castle which looms over the town is the home of the Percy family, the Duke of Northumberland & the world famous Alnwick Garden. It dominates the west of Alnwick above the river Aln. the castle is home to commerce, education & tourism - It currently provides an education centre for American students studying in Europe; is the HQ of Northumberland Estates, & is a tourist attraction of its own. Open from April to September (the Gardens all year round), it is the second biggest inhabited castle in England after Windsor Castle. Benjamin Disraeli once described Alnwick as 'Montacute'. the castle is popular with TV & film-makers, with Blackadder, Robin Hood, Prince of Thieves, Elizabeth all filmed here. Most famously, Alnwick Castle found fame as Hogwart's school of witchcraft and wizardry in the Harry Potter films.

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. 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. 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

. 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.