Alnwick Castle

En un regard

Le château en bref

Overlooking the River Aln on the edge of the small town of Alnwick, in Northumberland, Alnwick Castle is one of the largest inhabited fortresses in England. Its silhouette preserves the layout of a Norman motte-and-bailey castle with two baileys, wrapped in a powerful ring of medieval towers, while its interiors surprise with 19th-century Italian Renaissance decoration. Since 1309 the site has been inseparable from the Percy family, earls and later dukes of Northumberland, who still live there. A border stronghold facing Scotland in the Middle Ages and ruined by the 18th century, it was restored twice: first in a light Gothic taste by Robert Adam for the first duke, then, in the mid-19th century, by Anthony Salvin, who gave it back a more severe military appearance and created the great Prudhoe Tower housing the library. The Grade I listed monument is open to the public in season and hosts weddings and private receptions. It has also become a famous filming location: it served as Hogwarts in the first two Harry Potter films and as Brancaster Castle in the Downton Abbey Christmas episodes, not to mention Elizabeth and Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves.