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. According to Country Life in 2002, the picturesque market town of Alnwick in Northumberland is "the best place to live in Great Britain". With a population of around 7,000 it is located 32 miles south of the Scottish border & 5 miles inland from the North Sea at Alnmouth. It lies at 55°25 00 N, 01°42 00 W upon the river Aln & dates back to approximately 600AD and despite much of the town being razed to the ground in 1424 by Scottish invaders, over the centuries it has thrived as an agricultural town, the location of Alnwick Castle and home of the Earls of Northumberland, as a stopping place on the Great North Road between Edinburgh & London.

Despite it's recent growth it still has much of its original character. Most recently it has become a modern rural communter town. It is twinned with Bryne in Norway, Lagny-sur-Marne in France and the German town Voerde. 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.

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.

Another fine building in the town centre is the gothic Pottergate tower. This is a beautiful ornate gatehouse was built in the eighteenth century on the site of the original gate. It once had an elegant spire, but this proved to be quite delicate and was destroyed a short time after it was built by a storm. The Playhouse is an all purpose arts centre, which contains a theatre, a cinema and a gallery. 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.

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.

A Shrove Tuesday football match is played beneath the shadow of Alnwick Castle between the parishes of st. Paul' and St. Michael's. The ball is thrown from the castle walls and the game is won by whichever team is first to score 3 "hales" or goals. Alnwick Fair is held annually & is a costumed re-enactment of a mediaeval fair in which the townsfolk of Alnwick dress up in period costumes. Alnwick also hosts an international music festival, and a mediaeval Tournament – a jousting spectacular on the pastures overlooked by the castle. Airy is just one of the famous people to have been born in the town. Others include philosoper Bernard Bosanquet, and Ralph Tate, who was a leading light in the field of geology.