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Alnwick

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Template:Short description {{#invoke:other uses|otheruses}} Template:Use British English Template:Use dmy dates Template:Infobox UK place Alnwick (Template:IPAc-en Template:Respell) is a market town in Northumberland, England, of which it is the traditional county town. The population at the 2011 Census was 8,116.

The town is Template:Convert south of Berwick-upon-Tweed and the Scottish border, Template:Convert inland from the North Sea at Alnmouth and Template:Convert north of Newcastle upon Tyne; it is sited on the south bank of the River Aln.

The town dates to about AD 600 and thrived as an agricultural centre. Alnwick Castle was the home of the most powerful medieval northern baronial family, the Earls of Northumberland. It was a staging post on the Great North Road between Edinburgh and London.

ToponymyEdit

The name Alnwick comes from the Old English wic ('dairy farm, settlement') and the name of the river Aln.<ref>Template:Cite book</ref>

HistoryEdit

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File:Alnwick Castle in winter (2013) - panoramio.jpg
Alnwick Castle in winter (December 2013)

The history of Alnwick is the history of the castle and its lords, starting with Gilbert Tyson (written variously as "Tison", "Tisson" and "De Tesson"), one of William the Conqueror's standard-bearers, upon whom this northern estate was bestowed. It was held by the De Vesci family (now spelt "Vasey" – a name found all over south-east Northumberland) for over 200 years and then passed into the hands of the House of Percy in 1309.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>

The castle was founded as a timber structure by Ivo de Vesci in about 1096. In 1136, it was first recorded as being captured by David I of Scotland. In 1147, Alnwick Abbey was founded for Premonstratensian canons, a short distance west of the castle.<ref name=":0">Template:Cite book</ref> At about the same time, the castle was rebuilt in stone.<ref name=":1">Template:Cite book</ref>

At various points in the town are memorials of the constant wars with the 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, during the first Battle of Alnwick in 1093. At the side of the broad shady road called Ratten Row, leading from the West Lodge to Bailiffgate, a stone tablet marks the spot where William the Lion of Scotland was captured during the second Battle of Alnwick in 1174 by a party of about 400 mounted knights, led by Ranulf de Glanvill.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>

Hulne Priory, outside the town walls in Hulne Park, the Duke of Northumberland's walled estate, was a friary founded in about 1240 for the Carmelites by William de Vesci.<ref>Template:Cite book</ref> It is said that the site was chosen for some slight resemblance to Mount Carmel where the order originated.<ref>Template:Cite book</ref>

In 1314, Sir John Felton was governor of Alnwick.<ref>Template:Cite DNB</ref> During the 14th century the Percys did extensive work on the castle, adding new towers in the outer wall, strong gates to the wall and keep, and new domestic apartments.<ref name=":1" /> After the Percys challenged King Henry IV, the king moved against their castles, taking Alnwick in 1403, despite its improvements.

In winter 1424, much of the town was burnt by a Scottish raiding party. Again in 1448, the town was burnt by a Scottish army led by William Douglas, 8th Earl of Douglas and George Douglas, 4th Earl of Angus. Following these setbacks, in the 15th century both monastic houses gained defensive towers and the town was walled.<ref>Template:Cite book</ref>

In addition to the threat from Scotland, Alnwick was heavily contested in the Wars of the Roses.<ref>Template:Cite book</ref> It was held for Henry VI until the Lancastrian collapse of 1461, when it fell to Edward IV. That winter the Lancastrians recaptured it but, in July 1462, the Yorkists retook it. By the autumn, the Lancastrians were again in possession and quickly came under Yorkist siege. Despite Franco-Scottish reinforcements, the Lancastrians abandoned the castle to the Yorkists in January 1463, though by May they had regained it through betrayal. On 23 June, it was surrendered to the Yorkists for the final time.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> According to historian Dan Spencer, this made Alnwick the most besieged place in the country in the Wars of the Roses.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> Sir Thomas Malory mentions Alnwick as a possible location for Lancelot's castle Joyous Garde.<ref>Template:Cite journal</ref>

In the English Reformation, monastic life at Alnwick came to an end, with both Alnwick Abbey and Hulne Priory being suppressed in 1539.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref><ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> Shortly afterwards, the Percys also left Alnwick to decay, only resuming residence in the mid-18th century.<ref>Template:Cite book</ref> Since then the Percys have remained at Alnwick. There was a Church of Scotland congregation in Alnwick in the 17th and 18th centuries.<ref>Template:Cite book</ref>

A Royal Air Force distribution depot was constructed at Alnwick during the Second World War with four main fuel storage tanks (total capacity 1700 tons) and road and rail loading facilities. The tanks were above ground and surrounded by concrete. The site was closed in the 1970s, and its demolition and disposal were completed in 1980.<ref>Template:Cite book</ref>

The Alnwick by-pass takes the A1 London–Edinburgh trunk road around the town; it was opened in 1968.<ref name=Autocar196802>Template:Cite magazine</ref>

GeographyEdit

Alnwick lies at Template:Coord (55.417, -1.700)1. The River Aln forms its unofficial northern boundary.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>

GovernanceEdit

File:Alnwick Town Hall as seen from the west.jpg
The rear view of Alnwick Town Hall (the main entrance is in the Market Place)

Historically, the town was partly within the Bamburgh Ward and Coquetdale Ward and later included in the East Division of Coquetdale Ward in 1832.<ref name=tate>George Tate, The History of the Borough, Castle and Barony of Alnwick (Vol. 1). Alnwick: Henry Hunter Blair, 1866.</ref> Alnwick Town Hall was the home of the common council of Alnwick.<ref name=tate/> By the time of the 2011 Census, an electoral ward covering only part of Alnwick parish existed. The total population of this ward was 4,766.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>

EconomyEdit

File:Barter Books, Alnwick - geograph.org.uk - 86554.jpg
Barter Books in Alnwick

Some major or noteworthy employers in the town are:

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  • NFU Mutual, provider of insurance, pensions and investments<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation

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EducationEdit

Secondary schools in Alnwick include The Duchess's Community High School.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>

LandmarksEdit

The town's greatest building is Alnwick Castle, one of the homes of the Duke of Northumberland, and site of The Alnwick Garden.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> The castle has extensive grounds landscaped by Capability Brown, which include several follies as well as the ruins of St Leonard's Hospital, Alnwick Abbey and Hulne Priory.

File:Alnwick marketplace - snow - night.jpg
Alnwick marketplace at night in winter

The town centre is the marketplace, with its market cross and the 19th century Northumberland Hall, used as a meeting place.<ref>Template:NHLE</ref>

The Alnwick Playhouse is a thriving multi-purpose arts centre that stages theatre, dance, music, cinema and visual arts productions.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>

In 2003, the Willowburn Leisure Centre was opened on the southern outskirts of the enlarged town; it replaced the old sports centre located by the Lindisfarne Middle School and the now-demolished youth centre.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>

File:Front of Bailiffgate Museum squared up.jpg
Bailiffgate Museum, a local history museum

Alnwick's museum, Bailiffgate Museum, is close to the Bailiffgate entrance to the castle. Its collection is dedicated to local social history and has recently had a major refit funded by the Heritage Lottery Fund. Its collection includes a variety of agricultural objects, domestic items, railway items, coal mining artefacts, printing objects, a sizeable photographic collection, paintings and a range of activities for children.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>

File:Brizlee Tower - Alnwick - Northumberland - UK - 2006-03-04.jpg
Brizlee Tower, a folly and observation platform overlooking Hulne Park, the Duke of Northumberland's walled estate by Alnwick Castle

Other places of interest in and near the town include:

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  • the Bondgate Tower, also known as the Hotspur Tower or Hotspur Gate, the only upstanding survival of the medieval town wall and named after Sir Henry Percy, also called Harry Hotspur, the eldest son of the 1st Earl of Northumberland.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation

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  • Camphill Column, an 1814 construction celebrating British victories in Europe and possibly erected as a reaction against the French Revolution.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation

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  • The Nelson Memorial, Swarland, emphasising a local link to the admired Admiral.<ref>Template:NHLE</ref>
  • the Pottergate Tower, a Gothick eye-catcher of 1768 straddling Pottergate on the site of the medieval gate.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation

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  • RAF Boulmer was an airfield during World War II. It now has a role in early warning radar surveillance and communications.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation

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  • St Leonard's Hospital Chapel, within the castle park. Meagre ruins of c. 1200 from a hospital founded for the soul of King Malcolm of Scotland.<ref name=":0" />
  • St Mary's Chantry, in Walkergate, the ruins of a medieval chantry house licensed in 1448.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation

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SportEdit

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Local mediaEdit

Local news and television programmes is provided by BBC North East and Cumbria and ITV Tyne Tees. Television signals are received from the Chatton TV transmitter.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>

Alnwick's local radio stations are BBC Radio Newcastle on 96.0 FM, Hits Radio North East on 102.6 FM and Lionheart Radio on 107.3 FM, a community-based radio station.

The Northumberland Gazette is the town's local newspaper.

EventsEdit

File:Alnwick.jpg
Bondgate Tower with its Christmas lights (2012)

Alnwick Fair was an annual costumed event, held each summer from 1969 to 2007, recreating some of the appearance of medieval trading fairs and 17th century agricultural fairs.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>

TransportEdit

RoadEdit

File:HotspurTower.JPG
Bondgate Tower

Alnwick lies adjacent to the A1, the main national north–south trunk road, providing easy access to Newcastle upon Tyne (Template:Convert south) and Edinburgh (Template:Convert north).<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>

RailEdit

The nearest National Rail station is at Template:Rws, about Template:Convert away. London North Eastern Railway operates services between Template:Rws (journey time approximately 1h:10m) and Template:Rws (journey time approximately 3h:45m) on the East Coast Main Line. It has a weekday service of 15 trains per day north to Edinburgh and 13 trains per day south to London.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>

The Alnwick branch line formerly linked Alnwick railway station to Alnmouth, but this line closed in January 1968. Since the 2010s, the Aln Valley Railway Trust have worked to reopen the branch as a heritage railway but, due to construction of the A1 Alnwick bypass removing a section of the original trackbed on the edge of the town, their purpose-built station at Template:Rws is located near the Lionheart Enterprise Estate on the outskirts of the town. The reopening project is ongoing and, as of July 2020, the line's eastern terminus had reached a new station at Greenrigg Halt, approximately Template:Convert from Lionheart; it is yet to carry passengers over the full length.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>

AirEdit

Newcastle Airport lies around 45 minutes away and provides 19 daily flights to London Heathrow, Gatwick, Stansted and London City, with regular flights to other UK centres.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>

Twin townsEdit

Alnwick is twinned with:<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>

Notable peopleEdit

File:Stella Vine 2001.jpg
Stella Vine

Born in AlnwickEdit

Lived in AlnwickEdit

  • John Scafe (1776–1843), poet.
  • Lucy Bronze (born 1991), footballer for Barcelona and England, played junior football in Alnwick and had plaque erected in her honour at Alnwick Town FC.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation

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Died in AlnwickEdit

Freedom of the TownEdit

The following people have received the Freedom of the Town of Alnwick:

  • Bill Batey: 2019<ref name="Smith">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation

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  • Adrian Ions: 12 November 2021<ref name="Smith"/>
  • William "Bill" Hugonin: 18 March 2022.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation

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Filming locationEdit

Template:In popular culture Template:See also Alnwick has been used as a setting in films and television series:

Films
Television

ReferencesEdit

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External linksEdit

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