rom farming to fortress, has Now peaceful, Alnwick’s history can lnwick’s 160 retailers are a mix of Fhad a turbulent and fascinating history. be read upon its streets and in the Afavourite national shops together Once a ‘village by the river’, Alnwick was given town’s Bailiffgate Museum. with local boutiques and are located in the centre of Alnwick within easy walking to Baron de Vesci after the Norman Conquest, At one end of the town, the 15th distance of each other. and later acquired by the Percy family. They century Hotspur Tower is one of built and expanded , the original gates to Alnwick, Do you enjoy locally produced, high quality and a wall was constructed around the and an 18th century replica of food, home bakers, speciality teas, award town itself to defend it against the Scots another stands in Pottergate, winning local butchers, cheese shops, MALCOLM’S CROSS MALCOLM’S Border Lords. The Dukes of at the northern entrance jewellery, books, household gifts, represented to the town. Buildings and antiques, weekly/monthly auctions the King in the Northern frontier monuments from the 17th, 18th and and open-air markets? of and kept the peace. 19th century can be seen in the main Alnwick has it all. POTTERGATE TOWER POTTERGATE Sometimes loyal to the king streets of Narrowgate, Fenkle Street Coffee shops and cosy cafés, an award of the day, and sometimes Look out for the illustrated maps located and Bondgate Within, and the 15th winning fish and chip restaurant: Alnwick not, the Dukes participated around the town which provide a century St Michael’s Church stands serves everything from snacks and light description of the principal historic sites. in civil wars, insurrections, near the Castle. lunches to battles and politics as the most In Alnwick’s Marketplace there is an old stone traditional powerful aristocrats of their day. cross, the Town Hall and the 19th century Northumbrian The fractious relationship between England Northumberland Hall. food and drink. BARTER BOOKS BARTER and Scotland meant that Alnwick has survived More recently, a bronze International wars, skirmishes, sacking and burning. King statue of Alnwick’s cuisine is not

BAILIFFGATE MUSEUM BAILIFFGATE Malcolm III of Scotland was killed here, famous son, Harry neglected marked with a cross near the castle, Hotspur, was with established Italian, Indian, Chinese and and King William of Scotland was erected in 2010 in Thai restaurants located centrally. captured here in the Second NARROWGATE Narrowgate, and Traditional pub food . immediately outside the town centre is and real ale are the Tenantry Column, the old Railway available in the Station (now home to Barter Books) and town’s excellent HARRY HOTSPUR STATUE HOTSPUR HARRY The Alnwick Garden. hostelries. ALNWICK CASTLE

Alnwick hosts many, many events Tourist Information Centre throughout the year. The central Market Place is a focus for many of these Centrally situated in the Market Place, Alnwick Tourist as well as weekly markets and a monthly Farmers Information Centre offers a wide range of services Market. Community Groups in the Town organise a designed to help you enjoy your visit to the town and host of free events in Alnwick each year. the surrounding area. Friendly staff are on hand to advise you where to go, what to see and how to get April November there. A wide range of guide books, Opening Times 14th: Spring Flower Alnwick Fireworks information on local events and Easter to October: Show Display maps are available together with an Daily accommodation booking service November to Easter: 23rd: Christmas Lights June both locally and throughout the UK. Monday to Saturday switch-on 23rd & 24th: Taste of Northumberland’s finest display visitnorthumberland.com/alnwick the North Festival 24th: Christmas August Lantern Parade Useful Publications 4th - 11th: Alnwick December Alnwick Town Trail International Music A walking guide and map to Alnwick’s heritage Festival 1st & 2nd: Alnwick Christmas sites – available from the Tourist Information September Market & Small Centre (price £1). Business Saturday 21st, 22nd & 23rd: Alnwick’s Inspired Alnwick Beer Festival March Christian Heritage A leaflet and guide, describing 22nd & 23rd: Alnwick 5th: Ancient Shrove nearly 1000 years of religious heritage in Tuesday Football Food Festival Alnwick and Northumberland, is available to download free from The major visitor attractions sites.google.com/site/ also hold a wide range of inspiredalnwick/home events themselves, dates and details can be viewed on their Telling the Story of Alnwick & District websites overleaf. An illustrated history of Alnwick published by Bailiffgate Museum (price £5.99) and available from the Museum and the Tourist Information Centre. Useful Websites

The following websites can help you plan your visit: visitalnwick.org.uk Alnwick Tourism Association website. For information about accommodation and the area. alnwick-tc.gov.uk The Alnwick Town Council website which includes information on parking and events.

Published by Alnwick Town Council. Telephone 01665 602574. Email: [email protected] Alnwick Castle is the second largest One of the world’s most contemporary Trains run at Aln Valley Railway’s Lionheart inhabited castle in England; it has been gardens, The Alnwick Garden’s enchanting Station on Sundays from April 16th to home to the Duke of Northumberland’s landscape offers adventure and intrigue in September 24th. family, the Percys, for over 700 years. the heart of Northumberland. We also run on other days during the holidays The castle’s rich history is brimming with Scale the treetops in Europe’s largest wooden and have a programme of Special Events too. drama, intrigue, and extraordinary people; treehouse, lose yourself in the mysterious Our steam engine Richboro’ runs on Special from a gunpower plotter and visionary Bamboo Labyrinth, steal through the Poison Event weekends with our two restored Mk1 collectors, to decadent hosts and medieval Garden or gaze upon the Grand Cascade. coaches. England’s most celebrated knight, Harry Transformed across seasons, no two days in Hotspur. Combining magnificent medieval the garden are ever the same, as it greets all On other days we have diesel-hauled brake architecture with spectacular Italianate State visitors with an array of colour and geometric van rides and the Wickham trolley ‘Buzz’ runs Rooms, Alnwick Castle is one of the UK’s designs, including a traditional ornamental during school holidays. most significant heritage destinations. In garden and innovative water sculptures, as Parking and entry to the site are free recent years it has also taken starring roles in well as varied programmes of music, arts, (donations welcome at Special Events), and we a number of film and television productions, theatre and interaction. A garden with a have a cafe, shop and museum. featuring as Hogwarts School of Witchcraft purpose, The Alnwick Garden is a registered To find us go to the A1/South Road junction and Wizardry in the Harry Potter films and as a charity (No.1095435) that places people at the and follow the brown loco signs. location for ITV’s Downton Abbey. forefront of all of its activities. Satnav: NE66 2EZ. Telephone: 01665 511100 Telephone: 01665 511350 Telephone: 0300 030 3311 www.alnwickcastle.com www.alnwickgarden.com www.alnvalleyrailway.co.uk

Barter Books is one of the largest second Visit Bailiffgate and uncover the rich history hand and antiquarian bookshops in Britain of Alnwick and North Northumberland. Opened by HRH The Princess Margaret on with over a half-million books. It is also the 18th July 1987, the Museum houses Located on Bailiffgate, near Alnwick Castle, one of the biggest tourist attractions in the arguably the finest collection in the world the museum tells the North East with over 300,000 visitors a year. exciting story of the of fishing tackle and associated products. The bookshop is located within a magnificent town and people from its If you are inspired by our rich angling heritage old Victorian railway station on the main road beginnings until the present after your museum visit, then browse our fully into Alnwick off the A1. There is plenty of day. Great for families with refurbished fishing tackle store. comfortable seating, coal fires, and a framed a programme of special copy of the WWII poster, Keep Calm and Carry The Compleat Angler is one of the best exhibitions and holiday On, that was rediscovered here in 2000 and equipped angling stores in the country. activities. was to become one of the first iconic images Our range includes Hardy’s, Greys, Chub, Check us out on Twitter of the 21st century. Shakespeare, Penn, Abu Garcia, Berkley, and Facebook. Spiderwire, Mitchell, Hodgman and JRC. Barter Books also owns and operates an in- ‘A small gem‘ ‘Something for all ages’ house Station Buffet. The Buffet serves fresh We welcome all abilities from absolute beginners to seasoned professionals with OPENING TIMES homely food from breakfast in the morning on prices to suit all. Tuesday to Sunday and Bank Holiday Mondays to early supper. (Last hot food orders: 6pm.) from 10am until 4pm (closed mid-December – Barter Books is open every day except Telephone: 01665 602771 mid-January) Christmas Day from 9am – 7pm. www.purefishing.com Telephone: 01665 605847 Telephone: 01665 604888 www.bailiffgatemuseum.co.uk www.barterbooks.co.uk