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Alnwick Castle, Northumberland

This photo is by Colin Parks and is copyright free

From their earliest days castles have existed on a spectrum between spiritual symbol and fighting fortress. Early castles consisted of circular earth banks and ditches, and so did early spiritual sites. When Alnwick Castle was first built in 1097 it was very much a fighting castle, designed to defend against attacks by the Scots. By the fourteenth century some of the northern nobles, having made a lot of money out of wars with Scotland, had new castles built as show pieces, while actual fighting against the Scots took place from unglamorous heavily fortified pele towers further north. Raby Castle near Darlington belonging to the Neville family is an example of this fairytale symbol. Sitting safely to the south of Newcastle, Raby was too pretty to be involved in actual warfare. But the older castle at Alnwick was different. Lying well to the north of Newcastle Alnwick was further north than many of the pele towers. In many ways Alnwick was a fortified base on the front line. In 1172 and 1174 battles with the Scots raged around Alnwick's walls. In 1309 Alnwick was purchased by a wealthy noble Henry de Percy, who had helped a grateful Edward I in his endless wars against Scotland. Alnwick's role as a fighting castle continued in 1404 - 05 when the Percys rebelled against Henry IV. Then during the Wars Of The Roses Alnwick changed hands between rival Lancastrian and Yorkist factions several times, valued as a great prize by both sides.

 

Eventually, however, the history of warfare was to leave Alnwick behind. By 1603 with the succession of James I as king of both England and Scotland, northern England was no longer a vital border in the middle of a war zone. Alnwick's history as a fortress was over. And yet the castle survived. Although the castle fell into decay in the seventeenth century, the Percy's did not see their castle as some washed up military bunker which should be abandoned in favour of a more convenient country house. Castles have always been more than military fortifications. From its seventeenth century regeneration the old fighting castle of Alnwick began to take on the closely related role of romantic symbol. After renovations by Robert Adam in the eighteenth century, and by Algernon, 4th Duke of Northumberland in the nineteenth century, Alnwick became a fairytale castle, as seen in the photograph by Colin Park above. Landscaping by Capability Brown in the eighteenth century added to this story book atmosphere. Ironically people visit Alnwick now for its beauty and peace. It seems things have gone full circle at Alnwick, with a fighting castle going back to the kind of spiritual sanctuary which has always been closely associated with castle architecture. It is understandable that people build their physical and spiritual sanctuaries along the same lines. Castles have battlements, turrets and towers, and so do churches. Today Alnwick is a tourist attraction, and some of its buildings are used by an educational institution. Alnwick has also been used as a film location, most famously playing the part of the fairytale school of Hogwarts in the Harry Potter films.

 

Opening Times: 31st March 2012 to 30th October, open daily 10am - 6pm. State Rooms open daily 11am - 5pm, last admission 4.15pm.

Directions: Alnwick is just off the A1 in the town of Alnwick, Northumberland. Click here for an interactive map centred on Alnwick Castle.

Address: Alnwick Castle, Alnwick, Northumberland NE66 1NQ.

Access: Wheelchair access is only partial in both building and grounds. Wheelchairs are available for visitor use. Telephone 01665 511172 to reserve.

Contact:

telephone: 01665 510777

e-mail: enquiries@alnwickcastle.com

web site: http://www.alnwickcastle.com/