Alnwick Castle Museums

Explore the history of the Northumberland Fusiliers.  Discover what it’s like to be a soldier, put on the uniform, fire a Vickers machine gun or march with the band!

Thanks to the Heritage Lottery Fund and our supporters, the museum has recently completed a redevelopment project.  The new displays tell the stories of soldiers and their families, from recruitment to veterans and remembrance.  Thematic displays of remarkable and thought-provoking objects and archive material mean that there is something for everyone – well worth a visit!
 
If you discover a Northumberland Fusilier in your family history please visit our website to see how you can find out more. 
 Visit www.northumberlandfusiliers.org.uk for more information
 

Founded by the 4th Duke of Northumberland in 1826, the Castle Museum was intended to promote the study of the archaeology of the North and he surrounded himself with the keenest and best-informed minds for that purpose. Archaeological finds continue to be added to the collection.

The Castle Museum, opened to the public in 1826, played a significant part in the 3rd Duke's scheme of restoration.It was the Duke's intention to promote the serious study of archaeology of the North and he surrounded himself with the keenest and best informed minds for that purpose.Under the Duke's patronage, important investigations and digs were undertaken; the number of artefects increased through his own enthusiastic collecting and purchasing, and the process of cataloguing the collection was begun.
 

In June 2018, Alnwick Castle proudly re-opened the Constable's Tower after nearly two years of refurbishment and development. During your visit to Alnwick Castle, make sure to visit the exhibitions and displays on all three floors of the Tower.

On the BASEMENT level, find a space virtually untouched since the 14th century. Likely once a buttery store for drinks or other kind of store room, this floor of the Constable's Tower gives a sense of how Alnwick Castle's interiors may have been over six hundred years ago.

On the MIDDLE level, explore a case full of fascinating objects collected by various Dukes of Northumberland, including items from North America and Polynesia, and a nineteenth-century 'velocipede' - a little like a bicycle! Visitors will also be able to watch a short film presented by Archivist Christopher Hunwick and featuring notable experts discussing the Tower and its history.

On the TOP level, discover the story of the Percy Tenantry Volunteers, a regiment set up at the end of the eighteenth century during the Napoleonic Wars. As well as a short animated film detailing some of the tales from the Volunteers, visitors can view many of the weapons and equipment they used over two hundred years ago, all meticulously cleaned during the Tower's recent refurbishment.

We hope you enjoy the new exhibitions in the Constable's Tower; please let us know what you think by email or on our social media channels.