Alnwick Castle – Selfies from the Soccer Pitch

You may recognize some of the exterior of Alnwick Castle as being Hogwarts Castle from the first two Harry Potter films. In reality, it is a spread out installation of fortified stone buildings ranging across a low hilltop, and ringed by vast crenellated walls overlooking the River Aln. Sounds impressive, and it is!

Located near the Scottish border in the town of Alnwick, Northumberland, it was originally built in 1096 as a defensive fortification by the de Vesci family from Normandy. Over time (and many sieges) it was rebuilt, remodeled and expanded. In 1253 however, the castle with all of its considerable property and adjoining estates, were sold by the guardian of the (then under-aged) de Vesci lord, to the Percy family from Yorkshire. During the ensuing centuries, the Percys became powerful lords in northern England. The castle was besieged many times, as the Percy family was intimately involved in royal politics. In the last few centuries the castle has been used as both a fortress and a home, but also as a prison, a school and a gallery/museum.

To this day the Percys still own the castle, and even live there during the winter months. During the summer months, the property is open to the public to tour some of the family’s opulent private living areas, as well as some of the fortified outer buildings and grounds. Unfortunately, taking photos of the interior, private living areas is strictly forbidden. We were able to take plenty of pictures of the exterior grounds though! Enjoy!

View of the castle grounds from across the river

The River Aln

The famous Lion Bridge leading to the castle over the River Aln

Meow!

An incredibly substantial gate in the outer wall

View of the inner castle atop the hill

Spirited decorative accents or protectors of the castle?

A fairly impressive front door

Inside the central plaza of the inhabited castle

The high tech mechanization of the day

A nice front porch light

Outside the inhabited portion of the castle

There are some really thick walls in the outer buildings

Cannons, just in case you don’t like whoever may be sailing up the river

The collection of swords, guns and powder horns was ridiculous

Another view of the inner castle

Alnwick Castle, Alnwick

Working on that curb appeal

Rolling turf between the inner castle and outer wall fortifications

Open grounds outside the wall

4 Replies to “Alnwick Castle”

Hard to believe it’s still habitable especially during the winter months.

Angela Jones says:

November 22, 2024 at 2:41 pm

Actually, the interior is ridiculously plush. The walls are incredibly thick, so there’s really good insulation and there is at least one huge fireplace in each room. These people are so sickeningly rich, though, that I’m sure they also have installed modern heating throughout the place.

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