About Alnwick, Northumberland
Alnwick, Northumberland is currently the seat of the Percy family, who
have held the town since 1309 when the town was handed over from the De Vescis - a family who had previously been in possession of
the town for over two centuries.
'The best place to live in Britain' was how Country Life magazine
described this beautiful market town in October '02. With a population of just under 8,000 it lies a short distance from the border with
Scotland in Berwick-upon-Tweed and a mere four or five miles along the river Aln from the coast with the North Sea at the mouth of the
river in Alnmouth. Records of Alnwick date back to the sixth century AD, and despite scottish marauders almost entirely obliterating the
town with fire in the 15th century, the town has gone from strength to strength in its development as a rural market town.
At the core of
the town is the castle which once prompted the town to be described as 'The Windsor of the North', and is today the home of the Duke
and Duchess of Northumberland. The town sits just off the A1 - the main road link between Edinburgh and London, and now exists as a
commuter location being within travelling distance of both Morpeth and the nearest city, Newcastle upon Tyne in Tyne & Wear. Because
Alnwick has held on to its "quintessential Englishness" it attracts thousands of tourists. It has sister towns in Bryne (Norway), Lagny
(France) and Voerde (Germany).
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.
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.
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 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.
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 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.
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 Castle.
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.
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