Explore the History of Alnwick Castle

Alnwick Castle was built in the 11th Century to control and protect the border, symbolising status and power for the new Norman barons across the country.

In the early 12th century, Alnwick Castle was caught up in the conflict between England and Scotland. Just 30km from the border, it was besieged by William the Lion, the King of Scotland,  in both 1172 and 1174. 

William was captured during the second attack and forced to pledge loyalty to King Henry II.

Jumping forward to the early 14th century, we see Henry Percy move into Alnwick Castle. He played a significant role in its development, spending the next 40 years converting it into a mighty border fortress. 

Together with his son, Percy improved the building, adding towers and watching posts (called guerites) along the walls. They built a strong gatehouse at the entrance and a hidden back gate for emergencies.

At the centre of the castle, they added two large octagonal towers to make the gateway stronger. They also placed stone figures on top of the walls. Highly popular at the time, these figures were decorative and may have been used to trick attackers by making the castle look more heavily defended.

The upgrades Henry Percy made to Alnwick Castle would continue to inspire his descendants hundreds of years later.

By the mid-to-late 1400s, an impressive ‘barbican’ stood, protecting Alnwick Castle — and it’s still there to this day. This fortified gateway may have its roots in Henry Percy’s building works, but historians don’t know for sure. 

However, records do show that it was updated in the late 1400s, with the 4th Earl of Northumberland adding his badge over the entrance in 1475. The Earl also strengthened the Barbican to handle the latest military tactics — especially after Scottish raids earlier in the century.

The Barbican was Alnwick Castle’s main entrance up until the 1700s, and it acted as the building’s first line of defence.

During the 1500s, Alnwick Castle had fallen into disrepair, and it was considered too weak to withstand attacks or gunfire. To help strengthen it, the 7th Earl of Northumberland hired George Clarkson to survey the castle and his northern properties. Clarkson noted that some parts of the castle were in poor condition, including the Ravine Tower that was so damaged it was likely to collapse — which it eventually did in the 1600s.

As the 1500s gave way to the 1600s, the castle fell further into disrepair — both through wartime damages and because the Percy family mostly resided in the South. 

An eyewitness account records the damage done to the castle during the Civil War:

“I cannot sufficiently relate the Augmentation of the spoyle of his Lordship’s howse, eaven by both parties, burning wood, takeing away all the Iron barrs, bolts and Lockes of doores and doore bands to great dammage of the howse, distroying of meadowes soe as I knowe not where to make any provisions of hay for your use, nor dare I adventure to repare or put any thing in good order by reason of badnes of tymes and the incertainyty of amendment (the lead of the house is yet well saved and that is all).”

A painting by Peter Hartover (fl.1674-1690) shows the poor condition Alnwick Castle was in, depicting a ruinous chapel and trees growing out of the stonework.

In 1776, King George III elevated the Percy family from earls to a dukedom, and during this period, they chose to restore Alnwick Castle. The family transformed it from an old military fortress into a grand, decorative palace. 

Famous architects of the time, Daniel Garrett, James Paine, and Robert Adam, redesigned the castle in the Gothic style. The new version of Alnwick Castle retained its history but now had a romantic and dramatic architectural style.

It wasn’t just the building that had a makeover. The First Duke of Northumberland commissioned the renowned Lancelot “Capability” Brown to redesign the beautiful gardens and even built weirs on the River Aln to create a more serene and picturesque setting. 

See if you can spot the characteristic features of Capability Brown's work here at Alnwick Castle on your next visit.

The 4th Duke of Northumberland, Algernon Percy (born in 1792), disliked the ‘fairytale gothic’ style his ancestors had instilled on Alnwick Castle. He employed the architect Anthony Salvin to restore Alnwick Castle’s medieval border fortress appearance. 

For the state apartments, however, Algernon embraced the latest technology of the Victorian age, giving his rooms the lavish style of an Italianate palazzo. You can visit the State Rooms to see them in person (including the 14,000 books in the Alnwick Castle library).

During the First World War, 112 of Alnwick Castle’s staff and family members went to fight.

So by the time Hugh Percy entered the dukedom in 1940, Alnwick Castle no longer had the large team of live-in servants it had when he was young. As a result, much of the castle was left empty — but they didn’t go to waste.

These unused areas were later repurposed as education spaces. From 1945 to 1977, they housed Alnwick Teacher Training College, and from 1981, they  provided accommodation and classrooms for St. Cloud State University of Minnesota.

Ralph Percy, the 12th Duke of Northumberland, inherited Alnwick Castle after his brother passed away in 1995. Since then, he and his family have continued to share their home with staff from the Estates Office, American students from St. Cloud State University,  and visitors from the public. 

Over the past few years, the Duke has overseen an extensive programme of conservation, repair and refurbishment to keep Alnwick Castle in good condition despite its long history. These efforts help preserve the castle and ensure it continues to be a functional and beautiful place for everyone who visits. 

But that’s not all — Alnwick Castle has also been the setting for over 40 films and TV shows, including two Harry Potter movies, Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves, Downton Abbey and many more. It now draws thousands of film fans, history lovers, and family groups to its impressive walls every year.