ALNWICK ABBEY (1147)

The town is dominated by the Norman castle, which commanded the coast route between England and Scotland and was strategically important during the centuries of Border warfare.


Since 1309 it has been the principal seat of the Percy family, who later became earls of Northumberland. Begun in the reign (1100-35) of Henry I by Eustace Fitzjohn, it was enlarged by Henry Percy, 1st earl of Northumberland, in the 14th century. The house was rehabilitated in the later half of the 18th century under the direction of Robert Adam, and the surrounding park was landscaped by Lancelot ("Capability") Brown.


Much of Adam´s work in Gothic style was replaced about 1855 by the architect Anthony Salvin, who converted the interior to an Italian Renaissance-style palace.


Hulne Park and North Demesne are remnants of the ancient hunting grounds of the marcher (border) lords. Parts of the medieval town wall (notably the Hotspur Tower), the gatehouse of Alnwick Abbey (1147), and the 15th-century grammar school survive.