Opening times summary
Day	Hours
Today:	10am - 5pm
Tomorrow:	10am - 5pm

Alnwick Castle Grounds

Alnwick Castle’s Grounds are a blend of history, natural beauty, and peaceful spaces to explore. Stretching from the River Aln to the Castle’s ancient walls, the Grounds provide a perfect setting for gentle walks, picnics, photography, or simply enjoying the scenery.

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The Pastures and Lion Bridge

The Pastures, located just north of Alnwick Castle, were designed in the 18th century by renowned landscape architect Capability Brown. This scenic parkland features sweeping views and peaceful reflections of the castle in the River Aln.

Built in the 1770s by architect Robert Adam, the Lion Bridge is one of Alnwick’s most iconic landmarks. Topped with a lion representing the Percy family, it spans the River Aln and offers one of the best views of Alnwick Castle—making it a favourite spot for visitors and photographers.

Gun Terrace & Falconer’s Tower

The Gun Terrace and Falconer’s Tower offer panoramic views of Alnwick Castle and the surrounding Northumberland countryside. Once part of the castle’s defences, the terrace was lined with cannons and used as a strategic lookout. Our replica Napoleonic cannon now proudly sits on the Gun Terrace, the very spot where guns like this would have been historically fired. Made of bronze, it is a functional replica of historic British cannon, some of which are still on display on the Gun Terrace today.

Today, it’s a popular spot for visitors to take in the scenery, photograph the castle, and enjoy views over the River Aln. Falconer’s Tower is named for its historic connection to falconry and the castle’s birds of prey.

The Baileys and Courtyards

The Inner and Outer Baileys form the historic heart of Alnwick Castle. The Inner Bailey surrounds the keep and once housed essential buildings including a brewhouse, bakehouse, and chapel.

The Outer Bailey, beside the Courtyard, was home to stables for up to 160 horses and the Exchequer House. Today, it’s best known as a filming location for Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone.

The Courtyards connect these areas and now host visitor favourites including the Courtyard Café, gift shop, and Artisans Courtyard.

Castle Towers & Structures

The Barbican

The Barbican is Alnwick Castle’s fortified entrance and strongest medieval defence. Completed in 1475, it was designed to slow attackers with a series of obstacles. Despite numerous attempts, the castle was never taken by force.
Lion Arch

Built in the 1800's, the Lion Arch replaced an earlier gateway and created a grand entrance to the castle’s gardens and parkland, now linking to The Alnwick Garden. Its striking design has made it a popular filming location, featured in productions including Harry Potter, Downton Abbey, and Transformers.
Curtain Wall

The curtain wall is a defensive wall around the perimeter of the castle. Curtain walls had to be strong enough to withstand sieges and high enough to make them difficult to scale with ladders. The defence of a castle could be conducted from the curtain walls.

As well as large towers on each corner, the curtain wall of Alnwick Castle includes several smaller watch towers, called guerites or garrets.
The Prudhoe Tower

This square tower was built in the 19th century; its foundation stone was laid in 1854. The name comes from the title of Baron Prudhoe, which the 4th Duke of Northumberland was known by before he inherited the dukedom.

The Prudhoe Tower includes the Front Hall, Upper Guard Chamber and Library. The tower shows a Percy lion and heraldic symbols of the family. A chapel was also built next to the Prudhoe Tower at this time.
Octagonal Towers

The Octagonal Towers were built in the 14th century during the time of the 2nd Lord Percy. They are decorated with 13 shields of notable medieval families, topped with eight stone figures.

The archway leads to the main entrance of the Keep, so the towers act as a form of defensive gatehouse. The ground floor of the right tower contains a guard room, and below it, an underground chamber which may have been the castle prison.
The Constable’s Tower

Built in the 14th century, the Constable's Tower has remained largely unchanged. The Constable managed the castle, especially when the Percy family was away. In the late 1700s, it became an armoury for the Percy Tenantry Volunteers. Today, you can explore an exhibition about the regiment upstairs and see a 3D model of the castle from 1608 in the basement.
The Postern Tower

Named after a secret gateway used for surprise attacks or escapes, the Postern Tower now houses the Castle Museum. Opened in the 1820s by the 3rd Duke of Northumberland, it still displays centuries of archaeological finds collected by the Percy family.