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Alnwick Castle, from the east, across the pastures and the River Aln
Alnwick Castle, from the east, across the pastures and the River Aln

Alnwick Castle is a castle and stately home in Alnwick, Northumberland, England and the residence of the Duke of Northumberland, built immediately following the Norman conquest, and renovated and remodelled a number of times. The River Aln runs through the Alnwick district of the county of Northumberland in England discharging into the North Sea on the east coast of England A castle is a defensive structure seen as one of the main symbols of the Middle Ages. A stately home is strictly speaking one of about 500 large properties built in England between the mid-16th century and the early part of the 20th century as well as converted Alnwick ( IPA /ˈænɪk/ is a small Market town in north Northumberland, England. Northumberland is a county in the North East of England. The non-metropolitan county of Northumberland borders Cumbria to the west England is a Country which is part of the United Kingdom. Its inhabitants account for more than 83% of the total UK population whilst its mainland Ralph George Algernon Percy 12th Duke of Northumberland DL (b It is a Grade I listed building. [1]

Contents

History

Yves de Vescy, Baron of Alnwick, erected the first parts of the castle in 1096. It was built to defend England's northern border against the Scottish invasions and border reivers. Scotland ( Gaelic: Alba) is a Country in northwest Europethat occupies the northern third of the island of Great Britain. Border Reivers were raiders along the Anglo - Scottish border ( Border country) for nearly three hundred years from the late 13th century It was besieged in 1172 and again in 1174 by William the Lion, King of Scotland and William was captured outside the walls during the Battle of Alnwick. William I ( Mediaeval Gaelic: Uilliam mac Eanric; Modern Gaelic Uilleam mac Eanraig) known as the Lion or Garbh, "the Rough" The Battle of Alnwick (1174 is one of two battles fought near the town of Alnwick, in Northumberland. In 1309 it was bought from Antony Bek the Bishop of Durham by Henry de Percy, 1st Baron Percy and it has been owned by the Percy family, the Earls and later Dukes of Northumberland since then. Antony Bek (also spelled Beck (died 3 March 1311 was a medieval Prince Bishop of Durham. See also List of Bishops of Durham The Bishop of Durham is the Anglican Bishop responsible for the Diocese of Durham in Henry de Percy 8th Baron Percy (1st creation and 1st Baron Percy of Alnwick, 1273-1314 was the son of Henry de Percy 7th Baron Percy and Eleanor Plantagenet daughter The title of Earl of Northumberland was created several times in the Peerages of England and Great Britain. The Duke of Northumberland is a title in the Peerage of Great Britain. The first Percy lord of Alnwick restored the castle and the Abbot's Tower, the Middle Gateway and the Constable's Tower survive from this period. In 1404-5 the Percys rebelled against Henry IV who besieged and then took the castle. Henry IV (3 April 1367 &ndash 20 March 1413 was King of England and Lord of Ireland (1399&ndash1413

During the Wars of the Roses it was held against King Edward until its surrender in mid-September 1461 after the Battle of Towton. The Wars of the Roses (1455–1485 were a series of dynastic Civil wars fought in England between supporters of the Houses of Lancaster and York Edward IV ( 28 April 1442 – 9 April 1483) was King of England from 4 March 1461 until 2 October The Battle of Towton in the Wars of the Roses was the largest and bloodiest ever fought on British soil with casualties believed to have been about 28000 (perhaps Re-captured by Sir William Tailboys during the winter he surrendered to Hastings, Sir John Howard and Sir Ralph Grey of Heton in late July 1462. Grey was appointed captain but surrendered after a sharp siege in the early autumn. King Edward responded with vigour and when the Earl of Warwick arrived in November Queen Margaret and her French advisor, Pierre de Breze were forced to sail to Scotland for help. They organised a mainly Scots relief force which under Angus and de Breze set out on 22 November. Warwick's army, commanded by the experienced Earl of Kent and the recently pardoned Lord Scales, prevented news getting through to the starving garrisons. As a result the nearby Bamburgh and Dunstanburgh castles soon agreed terms and surrendered. Bamburgh Castle is an imposing Castle located on the coast at Bamburgh in Northumberland, England ( Dunstanburgh Castle lies on a spectacular headland on the coast of Northumberland in northern England, between the villages of Craster and Embleton But Hungerford and Whittingham held Alnwick until Warwick was forced to withdraw when de Breze and Angus arrived on 5 January 1463.

The Lancastrians missed a great chance to bring Warwick to battle instead being content to retire, leaving behind only a token force which surrendered next day.

Alnwick Castle, chromolithograph by Alexander Francis Lydon, 1870
Alnwick Castle, chromolithograph by Alexander Francis Lydon, 1870

By May 1463 Alnwick was in Lancastrian hands for the third time since Towton, betrayed by Grey of Heton who tricked the commander, Sir John Astley. Chromolithography is a method for making multi-color prints. This type of color printing stemmed from the process of Lithography, and it includes all types of lithography Alexander Francis Lydon (1836-1917 was an English engraver of natural history Astley was imprisoned and Hungerford resumed command.

After Montagu's triumphs at Hedgeley Moor and Hexham in 1464 Warwick arrived before Alnwick on 23 June and received its surrender next day. The Battle of Hedgeley Moor, 25 April 1464, was a battle of the Wars of the Roses. The Battle of Hexham ( May 15, 1464) marked the end of significant Lancastrian resistance in the north of England during the early part of

The 6th Earl of Northumberland carried out renovations in the 16th century. Henry Percy 6th Earl of Northumberland (1502&ndash1537 was the son of Henry Algernon Percy 5th Earl of Northumberland. In the second half of the 18th century Robert Adam carried out many alterations. Robert Adam ( 3 July 1728 &ndash 3 March 1792) was a Scottish neoclassical Architect, Interior designer The interiors were largely in a Strawberry Hill gothic style which was not at all typical of his work, which was usually neoclassical. See also Gothic art Gothic architecture is a style of Architecture which flourished during the high and late medieval period. However in the 19th century Algernon, 4th Duke of Northumberland replaced much of this with less ostentatious architecture designed by Anthony Salvin. Algernon Percy 4th Duke of Northumberland ( 15 December 1792 &ndash 12 February 1865) was a British aristocrat and Conservative Anthony Salvin ( 17 October 1799 &ndash 17 December 1881) was an English Architect. According to the official website a large amount of Adam's work survives, but little or none of it remains in the principal rooms shown to the public, which were redecorated in an opulent Italianate style in the Victorian era by Luigi Canina. In the course of the history of Classical architecture, an Italianate style of architecture was a distinct nineteenth-century phase in which Italian sixteenth-century Culture The Victorian fascination with novelty resulted in a deep interest in the relationship between modernity and cultural continuities Luigi Canina (1795 &ndash 1856 was an Italian Archaeologist and Architect.

Current use

Since the Second World War, parts of the castle have been used by various educational establishments: Firstly, by the Newcastle Church High School for Girls then, from 1945 to 1975, as a teacher training college and, since 1981, by St. Cloud State University as a branch campus forming part of their International Study Programme. World War II, or the Second World War, (often abbreviated WWII) was a global military conflict which involved a majority of the world's nations, including Education encompasses both the Teaching and Learning of Knowledge, proper conduct, and technical competency St Cloud State University is a four year university and part of the Minnesota State Colleges and Universities (MnSCU system located in St A campus is traditionally the land on which a College or University and related institutional buildings are situated

Special exhibitions are housed in three of the castle's perimeter towers. The Postern Tower, as well as featuring an exhibition on the Dukes of Northumberland and their interest in archaeology, includes frescoes from Pompeii, relics from Ancient Egypt and Romano-British objects. Archaeology, archeology, or archæology (from Greek grc ἀρχαιολογία archaiologia – grc ἀρχαῖος archaīos Fresco (plural either frescos or frescoes) is any of several related Painting types done on Plaster on walls or Pompeii is a ruined and partially buried Roman town-city near modern Naples and Caserta in the Italian region of Campania, in A relic is an object or a personal item of religious significance carefully preserved with an air of Veneration as a tangible memorial Ancient Egypt was an Ancient Civilization in eastern North Africa, concentrated along the lower reaches of the Nile River in what is now Romano-British culture is that of the Romanized Britons under the Roman Empire and later the Western Roman Empire, and of those exposed to Roman culture in the years Constable's Tower houses military displays like the Percy Tenantry Volunteers exhibition, local, volunteer soldiers raised to repel Napoleon's planned invasion in the period 1798-1814. A volunteer is someone who works for a community or for the benefit of environment primarily because they choose to do so A soldier is a general English term that refers to a member of a land component of National Armed forces. Napoleon Bonaparte (15 August 1769 – 5 May 1821 was a French military and political leader who had a significant impact on the History of Europe. An invasion is a military offensive consisting of all or large parts of the Armed forces of one geopolitical entity aggressively entering territory The Abbot's Tower houses the Regimental Museum of the Royal Northumberland Fusiliers. The Northumberland Fusiliers Museum is a Museum located within the Abbot's Tower of Alnwick Castle in Alnwick, Northumberland, England

Other facilities open to the public including Knight's Quest (formerly Knight's School), Dragons Quest, the Gift Shop, the Courtyard Cafe and restaurant; The Sanctuary at the Castle.

The castle is used as a stand in for the exterior and interior of Hogwarts in the Harry Potter films (though the wide angle images are computer generated). Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry is a setting in J K The Harry Potter films are a fantasy series It has previously been a location used in Becket, Blackadder I, Robin Hood Prince of Thieves and many others listed in the Location section of the Alnwick Castle website. Becket is a 1964 Film adaptation of the play Becket or the Honour of God by Jean Anouilh made by Hal Wallis Productions Blackadder is the generic name that encompasses four series of an acclaimed BBC One historical sitcom, along with several one-off instalments Robin Hood Prince of Thieves is a 1991 Adventure film directed by Kevin Reynolds. A website (alternatively web site or Web site, a back-construction from the Proper noun World Wide Web) is a collection of Web pages

The castle is open to the public throughout the summer. After Windsor Castle, it is the second largest inhabited castle in England. Windsor Castle, in Windsor in the English county of Berkshire, is the largest inhabited Castle in the world and dating back to the time of The castle was rated 10th in the Historic Houses Association English Visitor Attractions Survey, with 195,504 visitors in 2006. The Historic Houses Association is a British non profit organisation concerned with the preservation of privately owned Country houses Anyone who owns a qualifying [2]

Construction

Alnwick Castle by Canaletto, circa 1750
Alnwick Castle by Canaletto, circa 1750

The castle consists of two main rings of buildings. This is about the first and better known artist "Canaletto" for his nephew and pupil sometimes also called "Canaletto" especially in Poland and Germany see The inner ring is set around a small courtyard and contains the principal rooms. This structure is at the centre of a large bailey. nA motte-and-bailey is a form of Castle. Many were built in Britain, Ireland and France in the 11th and 12th centuries favored as a relatively As the central block was not large enough to contain all the accommodations required in later centuries, a large range of buildings was constructed along the south wall of the bailey. These two main areas of accommodation are connected by a link building. There are towers at regular intervals along the walls of the outer bailey. About a sixth of the bailey wall has been reduced almost to ground level on the bailey side to open up views into the park. Stable and service yards adjoin the castle outside the bailey; these would not have existed when the castle still had a military function.

Alnwick castle has two parks. A park is a protected area of Land and Water, usually in its natural or semi-natural (landscaped state and set aside for some purpose often to do with human Immediately to the north of the castle is a relatively small park straddling the River Aln which was landscaped by Lancelot Brown ("Capability Brown") and Thomas Call in the 18th century; it is known as locally as The Pastures. Nearby is the much larger Hulne Park, which contains the remains of Hulne Priory. Hulne Park is the only remaining of the three parks that once surrounded Alnwick Castle in Northumberland, providing wood and meat for the table of the Percy family Hulne Priory is a Monastery founded in the 13th century by the Carmelites, or "White Friars" which was one of the Orders of Mendicants bound by their rule

The castle is in good repair and used for many purposes. It provides a home for the present Duke and family and offices for Northumberland Estates, which manages the Duke's extensive farming and property holdings.

Alnwick Garden

Adjacent to the castle, the present Duchess of Northumberland, Jane, has established the Alnwick Garden, a formal garden set around a cascading fountain. A traditional fountain is an arrangement where water issues from a source ( Latin fons) fills a basin of some kind and is drained away It is the most ambitious new garden created in the United Kingdom since the Second World War, with a reported development cost for the whole of £42 million pounds (press release of 7 August 2003). World War II, or the Second World War, (often abbreviated WWII) was a global military conflict which involved a majority of the world's nations, including Events 322 BC - Battle of Crannon between Athens and Macedon following the death of Alexander the Great. Year 2003 ( MMIII) was a Common year starting on Wednesday of the Gregorian calendar. The garden belongs to a charitable trust which is separate from the Northumberland Estates, but the Duke of Northumberland donated the 42 acre (170,000 m²) site and £9 million.

The first phase of development, opened in October 2001, involved the creation of the fountain and initial planting of the gardens. In 2004 a large 6000 sq. ft 'tree house' complex, including a cafe, was opened. It is deemed one of the largest treehouses in the world. By that year it was the third most visited paid entry garden in the UK (after Kew Gardens and Wisley), with over half a million visitors. The Royal Botanic Gardens Kew, usually referred to simply as Kew Gardens, are extensive Gardens and botanical glasshouses between Richmond and The Royal Horticultural Society 's garden at Wisley in the English County of Surrey south of London is one of the three most visited In February 2005, a poison garden, growing plants such as cannabis and opium poppy, was added. In the context of Biology, poisons are substances that can cause damage, Illness, or Death to Organisms usually by Cannabis sativa is an annual plant in the Cannabaceae family It is a Herb that has been used throughout recorded history by humans for various purposes The opium poppy, Papaver somniferum, is the type of Poppy from which Opium and many refined opiates such as Morphine, Thebaine May 2006 saw the opening of a pavilion and visitor centre designed by Sir Michael Hopkins and Buro Happold which can hold up to 1,000 people. Sir Michael Hopkins CBE RA AADipl (b May 5 1935 in Poole, Dorset) is an English Architect Buro Happold is a professional services firm providing Engineering consultancy Design, planning project management and consulting services for all aspects of [3] The pavilion and visitor's centre feature a barrel-vaulted gridshell roof with ETFE foil cushions. Ethylene tetrafluoroethylene, colloquially known by its abbreviation ETFE, is a Fluorocarbon -based Polymer (a Fluoropolymer) a kind of It is hoped that the remaining elements of the plan will all be built by 2008.

The purpose of the garden is to augment the facilities available on the Alnwick Castle site for tourists and educational visitors.

Admission to the Garden and Treehouse costs £7 with the option of donating an extra pound to the charity. Car parking costs £2.


Location filming

Alnwick Castle has been used as a setting in many films and television series.

Films

Television

Notes

  1. ^ Images of England: Alnwick Castle. The Virgin Queen is a 2005 BBC and Power co-production four-part miniseries based upon the life of Queen Elizabeth I, starring Anne-Marie Duff English Heritage. English Heritage is a Non-departmental public body of the United Kingdom government ( Department for Culture Media and Sport) with a broad remit of Retrieved on 2007-11-29. Year 2007 ( MMVII) was a Common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. Events 1777 - San Jose California, is founded as el Pueblo de San José de Guadalupe
  2. ^ Heritage: Britain's stately stars, The Guardian, March 3, 2008; p. The Guardian (until 1959 The Manchester Guardian) is a British Newspaper owned by the Guardian Media Group. 11, according to newsuk. co. uk
  3. ^ Alnwick Garden’s ‘transparent’ visitor centre, Europe Travel News, 16 May, 2006

References

See also

External links

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