Alnwick Castle – Castle Review

Built: 1096

Location: Alnwick NE66 1NQ

History: Alnwick Castle is a castle and stately home in Alnwick in the English county of Northumberland. It is the seat of the Duke of Northumberland, built following the Norman conquest, and renovated and remodelled a number of times. It is a Grade I listed building and as of 2012 received over 800,000 visitors per year

There has been a castle recorded on this site for 1,000 years. For the last 700 years, Alnwick Castle has been home to the Percy family – it remains today one of the largest inhabited castles in the UK.

Review: There are many castles to see in the UK, but this one is a must. Mainly because of Harry Potter.

Not just Harry Potter to be fair, there is so much to see at this castle. You have the outer walls, the dungeons (although you have to get time allocated tickets  – at no extra cost – but they run out quickly, so make sure you get them in time), then there is also the stately home inside the castle. This is very well kept and the tours are very good at providing information. The home is still lived in, so don’t go in expecting to see bare walls or something, nevertheless, there is still history within the walls.

There is so much to do and see here, as you can also take part in a flying lesson, which is incredibly fun. The ‘teachers’ get very much into character and it’s a great way to spend about 30 minutes of your time.

There is a lot of grassy areas, as well, so you are more than welcome to bring a picnic (but obviously they appreciate you putting all your litter away).

Once you have explored every inch of the castle (and there is a lot going for it). You can also experience the Alnwick gardens which are just a short walk away from the Castle. Now this is really worth it.

And I would also advise that when you buy the ticket, you ask for the yearly ticket – which is at no extra cost to you, all you have to do is have your picture taken and have a few details taken.

This is a must see when you are in the area  and Alnwick is such a great place.

I really do suggest that you do go up into that area, as there are loads more attractions to see other than just the castle and gardens, that you really can make a great week’s holiday out of it.

The feature picture taken from http://wallpaperfolder.com/wallpapers/alnwick+castle