From Harry Hotspur to Harry Potter! (Alnwick Castle)

Member Name: jeffjen

Product:	Alnwick Castle
Date:	23/10/09 (128 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Great day out

Disadvantages: None

I recently paid a visit to some parts of Northumberland I had not been to for a while. Living in the North East as I do, the Northumberland coastline is right on the doorstep, and as well as the beautiful beaches and scenery, it has some great places to visit, and quite a few castles!

Alnwick Castle is somewhere I have visited a couple of times over the years, but as it is years since my last visit, I decided it was time I went there again.

~~~~~~~~~
WHERE IS IT?
~~~~~~~~~

Alnwick Castle (pronounced 'Annick') is located just off the A1, in the historic market town of Alnwick, here in Northumberland.
It is easily reached by car, by simply following the brown tourist signs. If travelling by train, the nearest station is Alnmouth which is approx 15 minutes away. The city of Newcastle is 45 mins away, and there are bus services from here.

~~~~~~~~~~~~
A LITTLE HISTORY
~~~~~~~~~~~~

Alnwick Castle is one of the largest inhabited castles in England, and often referred to as 'The Windsor of the North'.
Home of the Percy Family for 700 years, it is now home to the Duke and Duchess of Northumberland and their family.

The earliest mention of Alnwick Castle in the history books appears soon after 1096 when Yves de Vescy became baron of Alnwick and built the earliest parts of the Castle.
The castle was restored as a fortress by the 1st Lord Percy of Alnwick in the early 1300's, and since then, generations of the Percy family have added to it.
During the late 17th century, the castle fell into decay, until Elizabeth Seymour and her husband Hugh Smithson, turned it into a residence of 'Gothick' style. The pair became the first Duke and Duchess of Northumberland.
Over the years. more has been added to the castle and it became one of the first homes in the North East to have electricity.

Over recent years the castle has become famous for being the home of Hogwarts in the Harry Potter films, although the castle is no stranger to the TV and film industry as scenes from many Catherine Cookson adaptations, Robin Hood, Prince of Thieves and Blackadder, as well as many others have been filmed here.

Next month (November 2009) sees the castle celebrating 700 years since the purchase of the castle by the Percy family, and also looking back over this period, which remembers the siege of 1462, to the housing of Cromwellian soldiers during the Civil War and schoolgirls evacuated from Newcastle during the Second World War.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
VISITING THE CASTLE
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

There is so much to see and do at Alnwick Castle and it was quite busy on the day of my visit.
There are guided tours of both the castle and grounds, as well as Birds of Prey demonstrations and Archery lessons available. If it is a nice day it is worth taking a picnic to eat in the grounds.

Within the grounds and castle walls, the stone towers are home to several museums. We visited the Constable Tower, which is a museum dedicated to the life and times of the Percy Tenantry Volunteers. It was very interesting hearing about the Duke's 'Home Guard' soldiers.
The Postern and Abbot's Tower also house museums dedicated to Briitish Archaeology and the Regiment of the Northumberland Fusiliers.

Inside the castle you will find the state rooms, which contain art and furniture collected over the years by the Percy Family. The library had a huge selection of books, and the dining room housed the longest table I have ever seen! It has played host to many royal guests over the years.

We also visited Ramparts Walk and Hotspur's seat, which was built in the 14th century as a watchtower, and renamed 'Hotspur's Seat' after being rebuilt by the 1st Duke and Duchess who were proud of their ancestry.

The Outer Bailey is quite impressive and is now recognised as the place where Harry Potter learnt to fly. The Inner Bailey we learned was once home to a bake house, slaughter house, brewery, chapel and school.

The Clock Tower, Gun Terrace, which displays a selection of cannons and Coach House are all worth a visit, but really there is so much to visit here, you will easily fill your day.

There is a cafe and restaurant but as I mentioned before, it is worth taking a picnic if it is a nice day, as the lawned picnic area has great views of the castle and also the River Aln.
Gifts, books and souvenirs are available in the castle shop.

There seems to be plenty activities for children at Alnwick Castle which makes it popular for a family day out. Aside from the Archery and Birds of Prey, you have of course, the famous Harry Potter setting and kids will love the magic and wizardry theme.
Also there are other activities such as the chance to dress as a knight or lady of the realm and follow in Harry Hotspur's footsteps as Alnwick's most famous battling son. Children can learn some of his fighting skills and put them to good use in accepting the challenge to defeat the monster in Dragon's Quest. This seems to be excellent fun for children (and adults too!) with plenty of screaming going on as you go through a tunnel full of realistic looking skulls and skeletons which suddenly jump to scare you!

To celebrate the 700 year history, a new exhibition trail has been created, which appeals to both adults and children alike. It tells of the 700 year history through the personalities of the Percy family, whilst leading you around the castle and grounds on a discovery trail.

If you have time, I would recommend a visit to the Alnwick Garden, which I have reviewed previously. It is just 300 metres from the castle, but as it is possible to spend a whole day there also, you may wish to visit on another day.

I can thoroughly recommend a visit to Alnwick Castle. I enjoyed visiting here again and found the guides in particular to be very friendly. I noticed they are happy to answer any questions and spend time explaining everything in a factual but interesting way, which adds to the enjoyment of your visit.
Overall, it's a great day out, whether you enjoy castles, history, or are just simply a Harry Potter fan.

Alnwick Castle is open from beginning of April to the end of October.
Admission is £11.95 for adults, £4.95 for children aged 5-15. Concessions are £9.95.
Family tickets are available at £29.95, and weekly or season tickets are also available, just ask for details.

Email - enquiries@alnwickcastle.com
Tel. 01665 510777
24hr information line - 01665 511100

Summary: Ideal place to visit for both adults and children.