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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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 CastleBorn in Alnwick were Astronomer Royal George Biddell-Airy, the geologist Ralph Tate, & world renowned philosopher Bernard Bosanquet.
