Alnwick Castle – a grand finale to my visit to Northumberland

On my last full day in Alnwick I visited Alnwick Castle, excited to see the film site that was “Hogwarts” in the first two Harry Potter movies. Harry, Ron and Hermione learned to ride their brooms on the inner lawn next to the curtain wall and Barbican (below), and today visitors young and old can sign up for a broom riding lesson.

The origins of the castle date from Norman times, and since 1309 the history of the castle has been linked with that of the Percy family. Home to the current Duke of Northumberland, Ralph Percy, and his family, Alwick is the second largest inhabited castle in the U.K. The current Duchess famously revived and expanded the beautiful and much lauded “Alnwick Gardens” which are located near the castle and also open to visitors.

I took two excellent guided tours of the grounds. One focused on the modern film history of the castle as many TV and movie productions as diverse as “Elizabeth” and “Transformers: The Last Knight” have been filmed here. The other tour described important events in the castle’s 950 year history, including its development over the centuries and its strategic importance to the region and to the fortunes of the Percy family.

Here are several photos taken from around the inner grounds of this large and historic castle.

The 14th century Constables Tower and a section of the outer defensive wall.

A view of the 12th century keep. Alnwick is one of the earliest castles in England to be built without a square keep.

An alternate view of the keep, featuring the exterior of the chapel.

Below are two views of the entrance gate that leads into the inner courtyard of the keep, and from there into the keep itself and the State Rooms.

Unfortunately, no photography is allowed inside the stunning State Rooms (images are available online if you are interested). Spacious, elegant, and beautifully decorated in the Italian Rennaisance style, they are filled with treasure after treasure including paintings by the likes of Titian, Canaletto, and Van Dyke. The most valuable treasure is a pair of large Baroque cabinets that were made for Louis XIV’s palace at Versailles. The cabinets are described as “priceless”, and I overheard one guide say, “they are worth more than everything else put together”, and that is saying something! In 2012, the Duke of Northumberland sold several works of art from his vast collection in order to pay for repairs to buildings badly damaged by flood waters. Two items alone netted over 16 million British pounds – a 1st century Roman marble statue of Aphrodite, and a painting, “Garden of Eden” by Jan Brueghel the Elder. That is some garage sale!

After viewing the castle grounds and the impressive State Rooms, I exited and walked a distance away from the castle in order to get this image of just how massive it is.

I walked a little further downhill, away from the castle, and was drawn to the Lion Bridge in the distance.

I crossed over the scenic bridge to the north side of the River Aln, and then walked along the riverside path back towards the caste.

Such a beautiful scene and a peaceful day, nothing like it would have been with an invading army camped on my side of the river!

And here is a picture of me on my last full day in beautiful Northumberland. What a grand finale to an exceptional trip! The next day offered a scenic and restful train ride back up the northeast coast (there’s Lindisfarne!) and then on to Glasgow. I was feeling a little sad to end my voyage, but also very happy with all that I had seen and done, and I was also feeling eager for my planned stopover in Iceland where I would meet up with Sophie, Brent and Daniel for a six day visit. Thank you, very much, to everyone for coming along with me on this journey!

Alnwick, Barter Books, and Hulne Park

Hello. I wrote the following post while in Alnwick and am just now finally publishing it. So, “this morning” was actually 18 months ago! Oops! After this post, there will be one more, my last, from my wonderful trip to the Scottish Borders along St. Cuthbert’s Way, and beautiful and historic coastal Northumberland.

I started off this morning feeling rather crabby after an awful night at Warkworth’s Sun Hotel. My first “miss” with regards to accommodation choice! I had very little sleep due to the noise of a wedding at my hotel. The loud music from the party room thankfully ended by midnight, but the drunk drama in the hallway outside my room went on until almost 2 a.m. Oh well! Lesson learned – do not book a weekend night at a hotel that caters to weddings!

I left Warkworth after breakfast (my visit to the village and castle was otherwise lovely!) and travelled by bus to Alnwick, the biggest and busiest town I have visited since Edinburgh. My first goal, while I waited for my check-in time, was to visit Barter Books which is a giant used book store housed in the old Alnwick railway station. It was wonderful! They have thousands of used books, lots of cozy chairs and sofas for reading, a cafe, and in one large section a model train circles above peoples’ heads atop the book shelves. It was very busy, but in a good way.

There were people of all ages in the bookstore, and the two kids reading in one of the next photos reminded me of Sophie and Daniel. The original “Keep Calm and Carry On” poster from the war era was found by the owners of Barter Books in a box in a storage area in the old railway station, and from there it became a world-wide phenomenon.

These gentlemen wanted me to take their photo. They come here almost every day to chat and have a coffee that “costs only 35 pence.” They said that this area used to be the waiting room in the old station, with the newspapers and magazine racks where the coffee is now. They said it’s a wonderful place to sit in the winter when the fire is on.

4E1EEDA8-AAF1-4194-BB38-F168F7CDF9EB After my restorative and fun time at Barter Books, with several purchases, I headed back up the Main Street to do a much-needed laundry, check-in to my airbnb, and find some groceries. Here is my little two bedroom apartment, tucked in off Market Street, in the center of town with everything close by. Obviously I don’t need both bedrooms, but the price and location were very good!

There was some olive oil and pasta in the cupboard left from a previous guest, so a quick shop later, I had enough food to make breakfast, lunch, and dinner for all three of my days here, at less than £15 (the average cost of one pub or restaurant dinner). I am impressed by food prices here in the U.K., and by the quality of the produce (though they tend to over package the produce in plastic).

Unfortunately, the wifi in the apartment was troublesome, so I spent the evening reading and watching a bit of television. I was feeling a bit under the weather, so it was good to snuggle under a blanket on the couch and read and watch t.v.

This morning, I woke to a grey day of rain. My outing for the day was a walk in Hulne Park which forms part of the estate of the Duke of Northumberland and was the former hunting grounds for the Percy family. At 6,000 acres, part of it is farmed and the woodlands are selectively logged. There are three paths available to the public, and I chose the red path, a distance of about 8 km.

There is a gatehouse at the entrance to the park, and the path passed manicured fields before dipping down towards the Aln River, which it crossed multiple times.

There were many old and beautiful trees, including some large Douglas firs, stately oaks, and a beautiful pine.

On the approach to Hulne Park, I had seen a sign that read “Percy Hunt Ride”, with an arrow pointing down a road. Sure enough, in one section of the walk I began to see many horse trailers and riders across the river. I asked someone stationed at a fence about the ride and learned that fox hunting is now illegal in Britain, and that this was simply a fun ride, with participants of all ages. I arrived shortly after the end of the ride, but it was still exciting to see all of the horses.

The highlight of my walk was Hulne Abbey. Built in the mid 13th century by Carmelite Friars, it was taken over by the Percy family following the dissolution of the monasteries by Henry VIII.

There was not another soul at these atmospheric ruins and I sat for quite a while enjoying the silence and sense of peace. Then, I continued my walk in Hulne Park and had fun finding beautiful pheasant feathers alongside the path. Here they are arranged on a table at my accommodation. Such gorgeous colours!

I finished off my afternoon with tea and scones. I bought a package of four because that was less expensive than buying one! More for later I reasoned. 🙂

Warkworth and Warkworth Castle

I woke to a last morning in my lovely Sun Studio in Almouth and dawdled a bit, reluctant to leave. It had worked out well to book a three night stay here and use the local bus to help me access portions of the Northumberland Coastal Path. That way, I could walk with just a light day pack, and it felt like coming home each evening after a day full of exploration. But, there were more adventures ahead, so I finally packed up, cleaned up, and headed out of town to catch a bus south to the pretty village of Warkworth that I had walked to yesterday.

Upon arrival at the bus stop in the village center, I walked a few short blocks uphill to my hotel which was located directly across from the castle. Dropping off my bag at reception, I crossed the street and took this first photo of Warkworth Castle.

Sited on a rocky hilltop, Warkworth castle is surrounded on three sides by a loop of the River Coquet. I recommend having a look at Warkworth Castle on a google map satellite image. It becomes immediately obvious how strategic and defensible the location is, with easy access to the sea and commanding views of the surrounding countryside in all directions.

With evidence of occupation on the site as early as Anglo-Saxon times, the present castle dates largely from the early 12th century. Granted to Henry Percy in 1332 by Edward III, the castle remained in the holdings of the Percy family for most of its long history and played an important role in the history of Northumberland and in the many disputes and border wars between England and Scotland.

I walked towards the entrance of the castle which is located at the impressive East Gate. Guard rooms are built on either side of the narrow entrance passage, with slits through the thick stone walls that enable spears to pass through and stab any enemies who might manage to get inside the gate.

After passing through, with luckily no guards on duty to stab me, I paid my fee to English Heritage who provided me with an excellent audio tour of the castle. Complete with historical details and interesting stories, the tour was educational, fascinating, and enjoyable and it started here, with a magnificent view across the grounds towards the Great Tower.

I walked across the grassy lawn of the outer ward to arrive at the stone foundations of a ruined church, with an intact passage that in Medieval times was the only access from the outer ward to the inner ward and Great Tower.

I continued across to the towering keep, well-preserved and unique among castles for its cruciform shape.

From the raised wooden platform leading into the keep, I stopped to take photos of the view back across the site towards the East Gate, as well as views of the remains of walls and towers along the north and south sides of the castle.

Inside the keep, the audio tour guided me through a labyrinth of passages, rooms, and chambers over three levels. Here are just a few photos taken from inside the atmospheric keep.

Archways lead into the Great Kitchen, with two enormous fireplaces that were needed for cooking the huge banquets served in the Great Hall.

And here is my favourite photo of the interior. I can imagine a Lady of the castle taking a moment here to gaze out of the windows, during a quiet moment, to ponder her joys and sorrows.

Back outside, I toured the rest of the castle grounds, exploring every nook and cranny of the towers and walls and climbing every stair possible.

From the upper level of the Guard House in the East Gate, I took one last photo across the grounds of this exceptional castle, looking towards the Great Tower.

After my wonderful tour of Warkworth Castle, I found a path that led downhill to the serene, tree-lined Coquet River.

A pleasant trail paralleled the river and I walked upstream for about about a half mile to a small dock where it is possible, several days a week, to be rowed across the river by English Heritage to view and enter a secretive hermitage. Carved into a low sandstone cliff on the north bank of the river, and hidden from view by the trees, the hermitage, comprised of two small rooms with altars, was likely built as a private chapel for the first Earl of Northumberland in about 1400. On the day I visited, the Hermitage was sadly not open for viewing so I continued my walk upstream for a while longer, and then retraced my steps along the river all the way back to the edge of the village.

I entered the village and greatly enjoyed strolling by the well-kept and pretty shops, inns, and restaurants. I made a rare purchase in a gift shop, and then sat at a small outdoor cafe to enjoy a late lunch.

Afterwards, I visited the lovely Church of St. Lawrence, built in the early 12th century. A wooden Anglo-Saxon church is recorded to have been located on this site in AD 737, and it was almost certainly destroyed in 875 by the Danish Viking raider Halfdan Ragnarsson (a son of Ragnar Lothbrok) who “pitched his camp by the Tyne and wasted the land cruelly from sea to sea.”

Luckily for me, the grounds and interior today could not have been more quiet and peaceful. I wandered slowly about the church, admiring the stained glass windows, the beautiful arches above the altar, and a charming children’s reading corner.

After my visit to the church, I wandered slowly back through the town and up the hill towards the castle and my hotel, very happy with my day in Warkworth. Inadequate wifi meant that my blog post of the day would be delayed, but luckily I had a good book to read and I was looking forward to a quiet evening and early bedtime. Alas, a wedding was being hosted in the hotel and I was actually in for a rough night. Oh well, at least it wasn’t the Vikings at my door!

Magnificent Bamburgh Castle and Beach – Day One

From Lindisfarne I took a local bus south to the little town of Bamburgh, dominated by its massive castle and gifted with miles and miles of wide, golden sand beaches. I had a lovely single room in a hotel, high up under the eaves and with a view towards the 12th century Church of St. Aiden, and beyond that the sea. How lucky I am!

After checking in, I stepped out onto the main street, lined with small hotels, pubs, restaurants, and pretty stone cottages that once housed fishermen and their families and which are now largely converted into holiday homes. I walked just a few blocks down the street to this amazing view of Bamburgh Castle.

I had already planned to save my tour of the inside of the castle for the following day, so I walked to the playing field and green, just before the castle, turned left and headed towards the sea with exceptional views of the castle as I passed.

Soon I left the field and was traipsing up and down over small grassy dunes, with the castle behind me and the sea ahead.

You can see Lindisfarne and its castle in the far distance on the horizon.

Upon reaching the golden sands of the beach, I turned to the south to appreciate this amazing view of the castle and of the long beach stretching ahead, with rain falling in the far distance and a tiny glimpse of Inner Farne with its bright white lighthouse lit by the sun.

I began to walk south, passing in front of the castle and heading towards closer views of Inner Farne.

The clouds and light kept shifting, and the strong wind behind me sent thin rivers of dry sand racing and swirling ahead of me, creating ever-changing patterns of gold against the darker wet sand.

I continued to walk south, exhilarated by the wind, the sea, the light, and the joy of walking.

After several kilometres, I moved closer to the waters edge, looking out towards Inner Farne where St. Cuthbert lived in isolation for many years near the end of his life.

I continued south, and soon began to see the village of Seahouses in the distance, another several kilometres away. You can walk almost the entire 5 km distance from Bamburgh to Seahouses on the beach!

At this point, I turned and headed north back up the beach, and after about a kilometre I was soon appreciating new views of the castle, back-lit by the sun, as I approached.

I decided to climb up into the dune and was delighted to find these gorgeous yellow clematis growing wild amidst the grasses.

I continued along the top of the dunes until I reached a trail that dipped down and led to a small water meadow.

Then I climbed up again, towards the castle, and found a trail that led around the base of the castle walls from the southern side to the western-facing side. There, the stones of the wall and castle were being warmly lit from the low, late-afternoon sun.

The trail ended at the large green playing field where I had started my walk …

and I had to cross the whole of the wide field before I could fit the entire length of the castle into my camera’s field of view.

Feeling a little tired, but very happy with my day, I headed back to my hotel and indulged in the rare treat of a restaurant dinner before retiring early. Tomorrow, the inside of the castle! Good night.