About Alnwick, Northumberland
The town of Alnwick in Northumberland is the home of the Percy family, and the Dukes of
Northumberland. The Percys took up their seat in Alnwick Castle after being handed the town in 1309 by the De Vesci family, who had
held power for over two hundred years.
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.
Alnwick town centre is made up of beautiful stone buildings varying in age. In the very middle of the town centre there is a Market place, which once was the location of an agricultural market. Around the market place is a network of both expansive cobble lined streets and tiny ornated lanes. Amongst these streets is Narrowgate, Fenkle Street and Bondgate which is divided into two parts, within and without, by one of the original gates to the old town wall. Named after Harry Hotspur - once Earl of Northumberland - a main character in Shakespeare's Henry the Fourth, the tower now restricts vehicles entering and leaving the town.
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.
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.
Because of the proximity of Alnwick to the Scottish border wars between the Percy family representing the English and the Scots were commonplace in Alnwick. At every turn across the town there are memorials to these wars, one of which can be found on the riverbank facing Alnwick Castle which celebrates the slaying of King Malcolm of Scotland in 1093 on that very spot, and another on the lead up to Hulne Park is a memorial to the place where William the Lion of Scotland was captured by the English armies 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.
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