Lions of the North

In February 2019, ‘Lions of the North’, a publication penned by Ralph Percy, the 12th Duke of Northumberland, made its debut. The book delves into the extensive and dynamic history of Alnwick Castle and the Percy lineage.

Lions Of North

Coinciding with the book's launch, the Duke of Northumberland accompanied Dan Snow, a popular British historian, on an immersive tour of Alnwick Castle. This insightful journey was recorded for Snow's widely followed podcast, History Hit.

Throughout the podcast episode, they explore the castle’s expansive grounds and the opulent State Rooms. This makes for a fascinating listen in anticipation of an equally fascinating read, and offers a captivating preview of the Castle's historical narrative.

Throughout the podcast episode, they explore the castle’s expansive grounds and the opulent State Rooms. This makes for a fascinating listen in anticipation of an equally fascinating read, and offers a captivating preview of the Castle's historical narrative.

Podcast Guide

Lions of the North - Podcast Guide

For those eager to visualise the specific locales discussed in the podcast, a comprehensive guide has been assembled below, to help you envision their tour experience. 

  • The Barbican - 4:47
  • The Outer Bailey - 9:50

Here the Duke discusses the towers to the left as you exit the Barbican. Of these towers, the Falconer's Tower is on the right, and the Abbot's Tower (the Fusiliers Museum of Northumberland) is on the left.

  • The Castle Courtyard and Coach House - 13:28 
  • The Inner Bailey - 18:20

The stretch of wall described by the Duke is straight ahead of you as you enter the Inner Bailey from the Middle Arch of the Castle. The Record Tower is on the right of this (as you enter) and the Constable's Tower on the left.

  • The Octagonal Towers - 20:44 
  • The Postern Tower and domestic buildings - 23:08

The buildings, like the bakehouse, are no longer standing but as the Duke describes, you can still know where they were from marks left on the walls. The sally-port steps can be seen descending underneath the entrance to the Postern Tower.

  • The Gun Terrace - 24:29
  • Entrance into the Inner Courtyard and Keep - 26:35

Return to the Octagonal Towers and approach the State Rooms to see the features described at this point in the podcast.

  • The State Rooms - The Lower Guard Chamber - 29:26 

At 30:35 Dan and the Duke ascend the Grand Staircase into the Upper Guard Chamber, and then through the door to the left into the Ante Library by 33:13, when the fresco paintings by Sebastiano del Piombo are mentioned.

  • The State Rooms - The Library - 33:48

The portrait of Henrietta Maria mentioned in the podcast can be seen on the right as you enter the Saloon, or Music Room. The portrait of the Percy heiress is the second of the three portraits above it. The paintings of Alnwick Castle and Northumberland House are straight ahead as you enter, with the two paintings by Dobson on the right of Northumberland House.

  • The State Rooms - The Red Drawing Room - 39:14
  • The State Rooms - The Dining Room - 39:50

The portrait of the 7th Earl is on the right as you enter the room.

To find out more about the lineage of the Percy family, the collections and archives and history of Alnwick Castle, make sure to pick up a copy of Lions of the North book which you can purchase from our online shop. 

Discover more insights into the writing of the Lions of the North book from the Duke of Northumberland himself by visiting our YouTube channel, as well as exploring the collections and archive of Alnwick Castle online.