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 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.

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

the castle which casts its shadow over Alnwick is seat of the house of Percy and the Dukes of Northumberland. It is also adjoined to the recent Alnwick Garden development, which includes an impressive Treehouse restaurant which takes inspiration from JRR Tolkein's Rivindell. From the castle, the Duke of Northumberland operates Northumberland Estates, and it is a study centre for students from the US studying in Europe. Primarily though it acts as a tourist attraction. Open all thoughout the summer, it is second in size only to Windsor Castle, and it's appearance has prompted many people to describe it as the Windsor of the North. Because of its condition and stature, the castle has prompted many TV & film makers to use it as a setting for huge hollywood blockbusters. These include Kevin Costner's Robin Hood, Elizabeth starring Cate Blanchett and Judy Dench, and most recently it starred as Hogwart's school in the Harry Potter films.

Pottergate tower is a beautiful tower built in the eighteen hundreds where the original stone gate once stood. Atop Pottergate tower there was once an elaborate structure which was unfortunately destroyed in bad weather shortly after it was erected. Near to the other gatehouse, The Hotspur Tower, is situated The Playhouse, which is an arts venue which hosts music, dance & theatre productions as well as being a cinema and exhibition space. The town of Alnwick also supports a weekly newspaper- the Northumberland Gazette, and boasts a wealth of sporting and leisure facilities, including a new sports centre, football, cricket, rugby, rambling, rock climbing, water sports, cycling and horse riding facilities. Golfers can find over a dozen courses within half an hour of the town centre.

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.

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.