Alnwick
) is a small
market town in north
Northumberland, in the north-east of
England. It serves as the administrative centre for the
Alnwick district, and had a population of 7,100 at the time of the 2001 census.
According to
Country Life, October
2002, the "historic county town of Northumberland and seat of the
Duke of Northumberland, Alnwick is the most picturesque market town in Northumberland, and the best place to live in Britain". The town in situated 30 miles south of
Berwick-upon-Tweed and the Scottish border, and 4 miles inland from the
North Sea.
The town dates back to approximately
600AD, and over the centuries has thrived as an agricultural centre; as the location of Alnwick Castle and home of what were in medieval times the most powerful northern barons, the Earls of Northumberland; as a staging post on the
Great North Road between
Edinburgh and
London, and latterly as a modern rural centre cum
dormitory town. The fabric of the town centre has changed relatively little and still retains much of its original character; however there has been appreciable growth in size over the last ten years, with a number of housing estates covering what had been pasture, and new factory and trading estate developments along the roads to the south of the town.
The town's greatest building is
Alnwick Castle, the home of the
Percy family, the Dukes of Northumberland, and site of the
Alnwick Garden; it dominates the west of the town, above the River Aln. The Castle is the hub of a number of commercial, educational and tourism operations. It houses
American students studying in Europe; is the base of Northumberland Estates, the Duke's commercial enteprise; and is in its own right a tourist attraction. The castle is open from April to September, and the Gardens all year around. It is the second largest inhabited castle in England, after
Windsor.
Benjamin Disraeli describes Alnwick as 'Montacute' in his novel
Tancred.
The centre of town is the marketplace, with its
market cross, and the relatively modern Northumberland Hall, used as a meeting place. Surrounding the marketplace are the main shopping streets, Narrowgate, Fenkle Street, and Bondgate Within. The last of these is a wide, spacious road fronted by attractive commercial buildings. In medieval times, Alnwick was a walled city, and one remain - Hotspur Tower, an ancient gate - is extant, dividing Bondgate Within from Bondgate Without, and restricting vehicles to a single lane used alternately in each direction. Pottergate Tower, at the other side of the town, also stands on the site of an ancient gate, but the tower itself was rebuilt in the 18th century. Its ornate spire was destroyed in a storm in 1812. Outside the line of the walls, the old railway station building is relatively ostentatious for such a small town, arising out of its frequently being used by royal travellers visiting the Duke and Alnwick Castle.
The town has a thriving playhouse, a multi-purpose arts centre, which stages a hectic programme of theatre, dance, music, cinema, and visual arts exhibitions, and supports a weekly local newspaper - the
Northumberland Gazette.
In
2003, the Willowburn Sports and Leisure Centre was opened on the southern outskirts of the enlarged town. More widely, the Alnwick district boasts a wealth of sporting and leisure facilities, including football, cricket, rugby, rambling, rock climbing, water sports, cycling and horse riding. Golfers can find thirteen golf courses within 30 minutes drive of the town.
The castle is popular with film-makers:
Harry Potter;
Blackadder and
Robin Hood, Prince of Thieves are some of the films shot here.
Major events in the Alnwick calendar include:
*A
Shrove Tuesday football match, known as
Scoring the Hales is played on the fields below the castle between the parishes of St. Paul and St. Michaels. The ball is fetched from Alnwick Castle in procession, preceded by the Duke of Northumberland's piper. The game is won by whichever team is first to score 3 "hales" or goals.
*
Alnwick Fayre, staged in the summer as a costumed re-enactment of a mediaeval fair in which residents of the town dress up in authentic costumes
* the
Alnwick International Music Festival* the Alnwick Castle Tournament â€" a medieval jousting spectacular in the grounds of Alnwick Castle.
Other places of interest in and near the town include:
|
Brizlee Tower, a folly and observation platform overlooking Hulne Park, the Duke of Northumberand's walled estate by Alnwick Castle |
* Brizlee Tower, a Grade 1 listed folly tower set atop a hill in Hulne Park, the Duke's walled estate, designed by
Robert Adam in
1777 and erected in
1781 for
Hugh Percy, 1st Duke of Northumberland.
* the Hotspur Tower, part of the remains of the ancient town wall, and named for Sir
Henry Percy, also called Harry Hotspur, the eldest son of the
1st Earl of Northumberland and a major character in
Henry IV, Part 1.
* the
Nelson Memorial, Swarland, emphasising a local link to the admired
Admiral.
* the White Swan Hotel, an 18th Century Coaching Inn that now houses the First Class Lounge and other fittings from the
Titanic's near identical sister ship
RMS Olympic * the
Northumberland Fusiliers Museum.
* the Pinfold, a stone circular structure within the centre of the town, built to imprison stray cattle.
*
RAF Boulmer, which serves as the base for an air-sea rescue helicoptor, and has a role in early warning radar surveillance and communications, but which is threatened with closure.
* the
Tenantry Column - much in the style of
Nelson's Column, 83 feet tall and topped by the Percy Lion, symbol of the Percy family - designed by
Charles Harper and erected for
Hugh Percy, 2nd Duke of Northumberland in
1816.
The history of Alnwick is the history of the castle and its lords, from the days of Gilbert Tyson, variously known as Tison, Tisson, and De Tesson, one of the
Conqueror's standardbearers, upon whom this northern estate was bestowed, until the present time. After being held by the family of De Vesci (of which the modern rendering is Vasey â€" a name found all over south-east Northumberland) for over two hundred years, it passed into the hands of the
house of Percy in
1309.
At various points in the town are memorials of the constant wars between Percys and Scots in which so many Percys spent the greater part of their lives. A cross near Broomhouse Hill across the river from the castle marks the spot where
Malcolm III of Scotland was killed in
1093. At the side of the broad shady road called Rotten Row, leading from the West Lodge to Bailiffgate, a tablet of stone marks the spot where
William the Lion of Scotland was captured in
1174, by Odinel de Umfraville and his friends; and there are many others of similar interest.
Hulne Priory, outside the town walls and within Hulne Park, the Duke's walled estate, was a
monastery founded in the
13th century by the
Carmelites; it is said that the site was chosen for some slight resemblance to
Mount Carmel where the order originated. Substantial ruins remain.
In the winter of
1424, much of the town was burnt by a Scottish raiding party.
Formerly a largely rural and agrarian community, the town now lies well within the "travel to work" radius of
Morpeth and
Newcastle Upon Tyne and has a sizeable commuter population. Some major or noteworthy employers in the town include:
* House of Hardy, world-renowned makers of
fly-fishing tackle.
* Greys of Alnwick, also world-renowned makers of fly-fishing tackle.
* Northumberland Estates, which manages the Duke of Northumberland's agricultural, forestry and property interests.
* Barter Books, one of the largest second-hand book shops in England, set in the town's former railway station.
*
Sanofi Alnwick Research Centre, a very large
pharmaceutical research and testing centre.
*
Alnwick District Council.
* Tagish Ltd, an independent company specialising in the delivery of ICT solutions and consultancy.
Road
Alnwick town lies adjacent to the
A1, the main national north/south trunk road, providing easy access to Newcastle upon Tyne (30 miles south) and to the Scottish capital Edinburgh (80 miles north).
Rail
The main
East Coast railway link between Edinburgh (journey time approximately 1:10) and
London (journey time approximately 3:45) runs via the nearby
Alnmouth for Alnwick Station, with a weekday service of 14 trains per day north to Edinburgh and 11 trains per day south to London. The town was once connected to the main line by the
Alnwick branch line, but this was closed in January
1968.
Air
Newcastle Airport lies around 45 minutes drive-time away, and provides 18 daily flights to London (
Heathrow,
Gatwick and
Stansted), with regular flights to other UK centres. The airport also operates regular flights to many European destinations.
Alnwick lies at (55.4167, -1.7000)
1. The
River Aln forms its northern boundary.
Born in Alnwick
*
George Biddell Airy, (
1801 -
1892),
Astronomer Royal from
1835 to
1881 *
Bernard Bosanquet, (
1848 -
1923),
philosopher*
John Busby, (
1765 -
1857), mining engineer
*
Henry 'Hotspur' Percy, (
1364? -
1403), son of the 1st Earl of Northumberland
*
T. J. Cobden Sanderson, (
1840 -
1922), and
bookbinder associated with the
Arts and Crafts movement*
Prideaux John Selby, (
1788 -
1867),
ornithologist,
botanist and
artist*
Ralph Tate, (
1840 -
1901),
botanist and
geologistDied in Alnwick
*
Malcolm III of Scotland - (d.
1093)
*
Tip Tipping, (
1958 -
1993), actor, died in a
parachuting accident
*
Alnwick described on the
Keys to the Past website.
*
Alnwick District Council*
Alnwick Castle*
Alnwick Photos*
Alnwick Deanery*
Alnwick Garden*
Alnwick International Music Festival*
Alnwick Playhouse*
Alnwick Rum*
Alnwick Rugby Football Club*
Alnwick Stage Musical Society*
Barter Books*
House of Hardy*
Greys of Alnwick*
Some photos of Alnwick Shrove Tuesday Football Match *
A (non-serious) local community newsfeed *
Alnwick North - A satirical collection of Alnwick-based animation and humour*
Tagish Ltd
