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.

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 landmarks in Alnwick include the gothic styled Pottergate tower which stands on the site of an ancient gate, & was rebuilt in the 18th century. It once boasted an ornate spire but this was destroyed in a storm in the early 1800s. Just outside the old walls there is a multi-purpose arts centre, The Playhouse, which stages theatre productions, music, dance and visual arts as well as featuring 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.

Amongst the other attractions in the town are Brizlee Tower, which is an ornate folly which looks down on Hulne park, the private estate which was designed by Robert Adam and built in the 18th century, The White Swan, a hotel, the original of which was built in the 1700s, and which features the lounge taken out of the Olympic, the sister ship from the Titanic when it was broken up after its sinking for fears of a repeat, the Northumberland Fusiliers museum which is housed in Alnwick Castle and the Percy tenantry column which was built in the 19th century in thanks to the Duke of Northumberland of the time.

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

. Amongst the famous people born in Alnwick are George Biddell Airy who was the Astronomer Royal from 1835 to 1881, The philosopher Bernard Bosanquet, and the geologist Ralph Tate.