The story of Alnwick Castle in Northumberland, and why it’s so important; the Garden and its Poison Garden, the Percy family, and the hero knight, Harry Hotspur.
What You’ll Hear
- 2:15: The origins of the Castle
- 2:46: The Barbican
- 3:50: The Percys’ return to Alnwick
- 4:07: The Alnwick Garden
- 5:02: Who are the Percys?
- 6:31: Harry Hotspur
Listen to the Episode
Alnwick Castle is ancestral home of the powerful Percy family, who also own Warkworth Castle, which is a great example of a motte and bailey castle.
Alnwick Castle is now probably best known for its appearances in two Harry Potter films – The Philosopher’s Stone and the Chamber of Secrets – where it stood in for the wizarding school Hogwarts.
Today, you can do a Harry Potter tour at the castle and attend special events such as wizarding training. The castle has also featured in Downton Abbey, Robin Hood, Prince of Thieves, and Transformers: The Last Knight.
The castle is sited at a point where a road crosses the River Aln, and the very earliest parts were built in 1096 by a Baron of Alnwick, Yves de Vescy. It was captured in 1136 by King David of Scotland.
Later, his descendent William the Lion besieged it twice. It was also ordered to be demolished in 1212, when King John believed that the lord at the time was plotting against him. Fortunately, that didn’t happen.
The de Vescys lost the castle when it was passed down to an underage heir. Put into wardship, it was quickly sold, and in 1309 Henry Percy and his son (also Henry) began the works to convert a modest motte and bailey into what we see today.
The fate of the castle matched that of the Percys – when they were in favour, they were able to continue the building works, such as the Barbican. The castle’s website explains that it was completed in around 1475, and served as a significant defensive structure, where assaults on attackers could be safely deployed.
It was also the main entrance to the castle, allowing visitors into a ‘causeway’, where they could be checked by the porter and the guards. They could search wagons, horse panniers and anyone on foot, and as they could close off the causeway they could keep those within the castle safe.
However, the Percys sometimes chose to fight against rather than for the crown, and the 7th Earl of Northumberland, Thomas Percy, was executed in 1572 after rising up against Queen Elizabeth I.
After his death, the family relocated to Warkworth for the best part of 200 years, with only a few people left to watch over Alnwick Castle. Oliver Cromwell used it for a prison in 1650.
The family returned towards the end of the 18th century, and a great deal of work was carried out by famous architects of the time, adding Gothic architecture. Much of this was replaced between 1854 and 1865, and the Prudhoe Tower was added, amongst other things.
Alnwick Gardens
Many people who visit Alnwick Castle opt for a joint ticket to go along to the Garden, which was established by Jane, the wife of Ralph, 12th earl and present owner, in 2003.
The Garden was first laid down in 1750 by famed landscaper Capability Brown, and hothouses were put up to raise the seeds the 3rd duke collected from all over the world, including pineapples.
The 4th duke added an Italianate garden with conservatory, but it fell into disrepair after the Second World War.
Today, it is popular for Mother’s Day lunches and special occasions, boasting a Garden Pavilion, Treehouse Restaurant and the Treehouse itself, which can be hired for weddings.
The garden has a central water feature and a Poison Garden growing cannabis, opium and other dangerous plants. It is locked behind gates, and visitors on guided tours have been known to faint from the toxic fumes.
The Percy Family
The Percys are an ancient family, and are believed to be the descendants of Manfred, a Danish chieftain who supported Rolf the Ganger (also Gaange Rolf or Rollo – “The Walker”) to conquer Normandy in 912. His grandson, William, was born in around 1030, and is regarded as the founder of the family.
William was a staunch ally to William the Conqueror and left his hometown of Perci in Normandy to move to England just after the Battle of Hastings. Apparently, he sported whiskers which earned him the nickname ‘Al Gernons’, a name later Percys adopted.
William’s popularity with the new Norman king saw him given lands across huge parts of the country, including Nottinghamshire, Lincolnshire and Yorkshire, and he was made a baronet. He fought and died in the Crusades, and his heart was buried at Whitby Abbey, where his brother was the abbot.
His great-granddaughter Agnes married the half-brother of the second wife of Henry I (!) and her descendants took the name Percy. The family continued to be favoured by royalty, and it was the success of Henry de Percy in the late 13th century which led to the move from Yorkshire to Northumberland.
To make things confusing, many of the elder Percy sons were named Henry, and most of them made their mark on history. Not long after one was made Earl of Northumberland by Richard II (1377), he swapped sides in favour of the king’s cousin, the future Henry IV.
Arguably the most famous of these Henrys was Harry Hotspur, who rebelled against Henry IV and died in 1403 at the battle of Shrewsbury.
Harry Hotspur was a respected general and was often sent on diplomatic missions, including representing the Duke of Aquitaine, John of Gaunt. The nickname comes from ‘Haatspore’, because the Scots saw how keen he was to attack their borders, and how quickly he did so.
Hotspur travelled widely on his missions, including Prussia, France to lead raids, and to Cyprus.
He was knighted in 1377 alongside future English kings Richard II and Henry IV and commanded a naval force.
Hotspur was captured and ransomed for 7,000 marks after the Battle of Otterburn and served as the Lord Warden of the Marches, in charge of the eastern border between England and Scotland.
The Percys supported Kings Henry V and VI, and the 3rd Earl of Northumberland was killed during the Wars of the Roses. The 5th Earl, Henry Algernon, was brought up in the court of Henry VII, and was betrothed to Anne Boleyn. His father refused to allow the marriage, and many years later, when Anne was on trial, she used their promise as an attempt to get out of trouble.
This episode was inspired by a blog I wrote for my Time Pieces History Podcast on Warkworth Castle. You can find out more about Alnwick Castle here and Alnwick Garden here.
In the episode, I refer to:
- Podcast episode four, from season one (motte & bailey castles)
- Podcast episode five, from season one (Queen Elizabeth I)
- Podcast episode 10, from season one (Oliver Cromwell)
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