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 n November 2002, during the time that I was
working and living in Newcastle, I made a visit to a number of tourist
destinations withi the region. On this occasion, I was visiting the small
Northumberland Castle towns of Alnwick
& Bamburgh. As part of my
day out, I made a short visit to the Alnwick Garden, the town of Alnwick as well
as it's castle, before driving onto the further northern coastal town of
Bamburgh and Bamburgh castle.
Alnwick
The Alnwick Garden
was opened to the general public officially in October 2002 by its patron HRH
The Prince of Wales. Experts predicted that 67,000 people would visit The Garden
in its first year but The Garden has a way of provoking interest and intrigue
and the actual number of people who visited was 318,000! With over half a
million visitors last year The Garden has proved to be a real favourite, making
The Alnwick Garden the third most visited, paid for, garden in the UK.
The Garden is a Charitable Trust and would not have come to fruition without the
generous support of everyday people and the determination and vision of The
Duchess of Northumberland who saw a derelict piece of land within the grounds of
Alnwick Castle and decided to build a public garden.
The Alnwick Garden
will cost an estimated £42 million when completed
For more details on
the garden, Click
Here!
Alnwick Castle is
the second largest inhabited Castle in England, the first being Windsor Castle,
and has been the home of the Percys, Earls and Dukes of Northumberland since
1309. The earliest mention of Alnwick Castle in the history books appears soon
after 1096 when Yves de Vescy became baron of Alnwick and erected the earliest
parts of the Castle.
Alnwick Castle is
the ancestral home of the Duke of Northumberland and offers the film maker a
wealth of locations within Northumberland. Most recently it has been the setting
for the school in the Harry Potter movies, in particular the Philosopher's Stone
and the Chamber of Secrets
The following is a selection of films that have used Alnwick Castle for location
work:-
The Hal Wallis production of
Becket with Peter O'Toole and Richard Burton.
Mary Queen of Scots with Vanessa Redgrave - another Hal Wallis production.
Ivanhoe starring Anthony Andrews and Sam Neill.
Walt Disney's King Arthur and the Spaceman starred the late Kenneth Moore and
Jim Dale and recently, their Borders Battle production for Disneyland Paris.
Robin Hood Prince of Thieves with Kevin Costner.
and Elizabeth a Working Title production.
Bamburgh
Dominating the Northumberland
coastline, south of Lindisfarne, Bamburgh Castle is the home of the Armstrong
family. Open to the public are the King’s Hall, the Cross hall, reception rooms,
the Bakehouse as well as the Armoury and the Dungeon. Restored many times, the
original castle dates from Anglo-Saxon times. At present, the Bamburgh Research
Project is excavating near to the castle, investigating the story of the area
through the last 3000 years.
Bamburgh Castle is probably the finest
castle in England. It is perched on a basalt outcrop on the very edge of the
North Sea at Bamburgh, Northumberland. Superb coastal views overlook mile upon
mile of silver sands towards the Farne Islands. It commands stunning views of
not only Farne Islands, but of Holy Island and land ward to the Cheviot hills
The castle has been extensively restored, first by Lord Crewe in the 1750's and
more recently by the first Lord Armstrong at the end of the 19th century. The
castle continues to be the home of the Armstrong family
Bamburgh is an 11th century motte &
bailey castle which was erected on a Roman and Saxon site. The keep was added in
the mid 12th century. It was ruinous by the 18th century but has been restored
over the last 200 years.
Overlooking the North Sea...
Bamburgh is a stunning coastal castle on the site from which Angle Kings once
ruled Northumbria. The present 11th century castle was a Norman stronghold which
survived many sieges and welcomed many English kings as guests. During the
Wars of the Roses, however, it was the first castle in England to succumb to
gunfire when it fell to the artillery of Edward IV
This signalled the start of the castle's decline and it was owned by a
succession of families including the Forsters. The castle was restored in the
late 19th century by Lord Armstrong and now houses an excellent collection of
arms and artwork as well as a tea room and gift shop
Sir Thomas Mallory (d 1471), the author of "Le Morte D'Arthur" (one of the first
histories of King Arthur), believed that Bamburgh Castle was the most likely
site of Lancelot's castle "The Joyous Gard"
For additional information on Bamburgh
Castle Click Here!
The castle dominates the village of
Bamburgh as one might expect, however history is not the only claim to fame that
Bamburgh has. There are miles of sandy beaches for those who like to walk, or
just sit and watch the world go by. The relatively quite roads make cycling a
pleasant prospect. Bike hire is possible. Bamburgh, Seahouses and many of the
other villages up and down the coast have excellent golf courses. Bird watching
at the reserves on the Farne's and at Budle bay often produces some rarities
Bamburgh was also once the capital of
the Kingdom of Northumbria, way back in the 7th Century!
All photographs were taken in Alnwick and Bamburgh - England
on the
24th November 2002.
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