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. Country Life magazine once stated that the historic town of Alnwick in Northumberland is the best place to live in Britain. With seven thousand inhabitants it is approximately thirty miles from Scotland, and five miles from the coast at the mouth of the river Aln. The history of the town goes back to the 6th century and though much of the town was burnt to the ground by invating Scots in the 1400s it has thrived as a successful market town.

Built around the impressive castle at the heart of the town, and the seat of the Earls of Northumberland, it was a staging post on the main trunk road between the capitals of England and Scotland. Alnwick still retains its historic character despite its development, and now thrives as being a small town within commutable distance of Newcastle-upon-Tyne and the more industrial South-East Northumberland. It has twin towns of Bryne, Lagny and Voerde in Norway, France and Germany respectively.

With Alnwick being the rural town it is, transport links are incredibly important and so Alnwick's proximity to the A1 allows residents the opportunity to commute to the more industrial South East of Northumberland and Tyne and Wear. There are a handful of sizeable firms in Alnwick employing large numbers - these include Greys of Alnwick, the House of Hardy, Sanofi Synthelabo. In Barter Books, Alnwick features one of the greatest Second hand bookshops in the country. Barter books can be found within the once thriving railway station building which became disused in the 1960s when the line was terminated. The building is quite impressive for a town the size of Alnwick. This was because the station was in constant use by the Royal Family on visits to the castle when the Duke & Duchess were in residence. The nearest rail link is now accessed at Alnmouth, two or three miles from Alnwick.

In the centre of town is the market square which is built around a market cross, & the Northumberland Hall which is used as a meeting place. Surrounding the market square is the main shopping area. the streets of Narrowgate, Fenkle Street, and Bondgate Within. The latter of which is a wide, cobbled road fronted by attractive buildings. In mediaeval times, the town was walled and one of the original gatehouses, Hotspur tower, remains. This divides Bondgate Within from Bondgate Without & restricting vehicles to single file. It was named for Sir Henry Percy (also called Harry Hotspur) son of the 1st Earl of Northumberland - a character in Henry IV, Part I.

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.

Other noteable buildings within the town walls include Pottergate tower - a fine example of gothic architecture which stands on the site of one of the original gatehouses to the town. It once featured a tall spire which was lost when the town suffered a particularly violent storm in the 19th century. To the south of the town centre there is an arts centre 'The Playhouse'. This features an exhibition space, theatre venue and a cinema. 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.

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 places of interest in Alnwick include Brizlee Tower - a Grade 1 listed folly overlooking Hulne Park, the Duke's walled estate, designed by Robert Adam & erected in 1781 for the 1st Duke of Northumberland, The White Swan Hotel, a Coaching Inn from the 18th century which now houses the First Class Lounge and other items from the RMS Olympic - sister ship to the Titanic, the Northumberland Fusiliers Museum, the 83 feet tall Tenantry Column, topped by the Percy Lion (the symbol of the Percy family) which was designed by Charles Harper and built in 1816 to honour the 2nd Duke of Northumberland.

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