Alnwick’s Fairytale Castle

by George Cuthbert
(United Kingdom)

Northumberland is England's most northern county and this gave it a strategic position in the long struggle for domination between England and Scotland until about the middle of the 18th century. As a result of this need for fortification, Northumberland has a wonderful legacy of well -preserved mediaeval and earlier castles. One of the best examples of this is the castle at Alnwick.

Alnwick Castle is home to the Duke of Northumberland and is the second largest inhabited castle in England. The massive structure of the castle is extremely well preserved and is the site for many museums and displays. As would be expected there are a lot of exhibits that have a military connection. For example, the Regiment of the Royal Northumberland Fusiliers is situated in the Abbot's Tower. This museum has a large collection of memorabilia commemorating the many campaigns fought by the regiment.

The interior of Alnwick Castle provides a fascinating glimpse into how the other half lives. Visitors are allowed to view the magnificent staterooms, library, dining room and drawing room, all of which are lavishly decorated and furnished in a manner that befits a Duke of the Realm.

Alnwick Castle has a fairytale castle appearance and this has led to it being chosen to feature in many movies and TV programmes. It has, for instance, being the scene of Harry Potter's School, “Hogwarts”, on many occasions. Other notable film appearances include Robin the "Prince of Thieves” in 1991 and in the earlier film, “The Spaceman and King Arthur. Kids can have fun dressing up as mediaeval characters in the Knight’s Quest, a fun but also educational area where they can learn something of the castle’s history.


The grounds of the castle are beautifully landscaped, retaining much of the original designs of Capability Brown, one of England’s foremost landscape architects of the 18th century. There can be few places in England where one can picnic by the river and be surrounded by such magnificent views.

An amusing feature is to be found on the road leading out of Alnwick which crosses the river Aln via the Lion Bridge. Standing atop of the bridge is a sculpture of a lion which holds its tail out in a rigid straight line. Nobody seems to know why his tail is in this strange position but it never fails to bring a smile to the faces of those who see it for the first time.

There is much to see and do here and it is easy to develop a healthy appetite. Luckily, lunch and snacks are served in two areas of the castle and there is a gift shop which has an excellent range of gifts and souvenirs.

A visit to Alnwick Castle in Northumberland truly has something for the whole family to enjoy. Try not to leave it too long before you go!

Written by George Cuthbert, but travel writer for lowcostusa.com, a specialist supplier of Las Vegas holidays.