The quiet market town of Alnwick is home to just under ten thousand people. With the beautiful scenery and quiet atmosphere Alnwick has been called one of the best places to live in Britain. This historic town is home to some famous and interesting historical sites.
Being a market town from the early 600s one of the most popular stops is the center of the town. Here visitors find the marketplace. In the middle of the marketplace is the market cross to mark the market area. The market place is surrounded by many main shopping streets. These wide spacious roads are lined by attractive commercial buildings as well as local shops for visitors to enjoy.
One of the many historical locations that visitors will enjoy viewing is Hotspur Tower. This medieval gate is one of the few remains of the unfinished walls of the town. This gate divided Bondgate within, one of the wider streets, from Bondgate without.
On the opposite side of town from the medieval Hotspur Tower is Pottergate Tower. This tower is also on the site of an ancient gate but unlike Hotspur Tower was rebuilt during the eighteenth century. This tower is a popular stop for visitors who want to see some interesting eighteenth century architecture and maybe even visit the old railway station building, which is now a bookstore and is located next door to the Pottergate Tower.
While visiting the town be sure to visit their playhouse. This thriving center has theatre, dance, music, visual arts exhibitions and cinema. Just check with the local paper to see what is playing at the playhouse and enjoy an evening of culture.
If you are in the area on Shrove Tuesday you should make sure to attend the Shrove Tuesday football match, known as Scoring the Hales. The game played between the parishes of St. Paul and St. Michaels. This entertaining game is won by whichever team is able to score two goals, or "hales" first. The ball is brought from the Alnwick Castle in a procession to the playing field.
Speaking of Alnwick Castle this is absolutely the most famous building in Alnwick. It was built in 1096 and held up to many sieges. This castle is still very much in use even today. The site of many popular movies such as 1991's Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves, Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone, Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets and Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince among other feature films and television shows.
On the grounds of the Alnwick Castle is the Alnwick Gardens. These beautiful gardens are complete with a cascading fountain and have a cafe and tree house complex. This garden recently added a poison garden that includes plants such as cannabis and opium poppy.
Alnwick is a small town with lots of beauty for all to enjoy.
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