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. 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.

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. 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.

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.

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 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.

Across the town in various different locations are structures dedicated to the numerous wars between the Percys and the Scots. On the north side of the river Aln there is a memorial to where King Malcolm of Scotland was killed in the 11th century, and a little way along the river, a stone structure marks the spot where William the Lion was taken prisoner by Odinel De Umfraville in the 12th century.

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.

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.