he bustling town of Alnwick (pronounced
"Annick") is locatedin Northumberland, in the northern
reaches of England along the River Aln, so near to Scotland's
southern borders. Its crowning glory is the castle, still the
home of the Dukes of Northumberland, now a marvelous mix of the
old and the new. As a ducal residence, the castle has been
impressively restored and is maintained in outstanding condition
both inside and out. The vision is simply dazzling, battlements
adorned with life-sized stone sentinels who still dare unwelcome
access, interiors teeming with vitality. Not only is Alnwick
Castle an architectural masterpiece, the fortress also belies the
active, influential history of its owners. 
here has been a castle of some sort on the
site since the 11th century, when the Norman Gilbert Tyson (de
Tesson), William the Conqueror's standard-bearer, acquired the
property. It is likely that Tyson erected an earth and timber
fortification on the site, however, nothing survives to prove
this. Several key events took place at Alnwick or in the
immediate area during Tyson's tenure. In 1093, the king of
Scotland, Malcolm Canmore, was killed just a mile away from the
castle by Robert Mowbray, the Earl of Northumberland, and the
Scottish army pushed back northwards. Two years later, Tyson
joined Mowbray's unsuccessful rebellion against the English king,
William Rufus, and was forced to give up his possessions at
Alnwick. Ownership of Alnwick passed to Yvo de Vescy the
following year, and Vescy started the first building program at
the site.
escy's
daughter and heir, Beatrix, married Eustace Fitzjohn, and after
Vescy's death in 1134, Eustace was created Baron of Alnwick and
received rights to the castle. Fitzjohn played an active role in
the politics of the day, siding with the Empress Matilda in her
attempt to gain the monarchy from Stephen and joining David I's
rebellion against the king. David I, the king of Scotland,
eventually forced Eustace Fitzjohn to turn over the castle at
Alnwick in 1138, but later that year, after the rebels were
defeated, Fitzjohn made peace with Stephen and regained his
property at Alnwick. Eustace managed to complete the castle's
construction, which was much the same design as we see today, and
died in Wales in 1157.
e
Vescy descendants continued to be controversial in their
loyalties to their monarch. 
In 1172 and again in 1174,
Alnwick Castle was besieged by the Scottish king William the
Lion, both times successfully defended by a garrison led by
William de Vescy. On the second occasion, King William's troops
were surprised by English forces, who pounced upon them in the
fog and captured the Lion. By 1184, William de Vescy died, and
the castle passed to his son, another Eustace (who, ironically,
married the Lion's daughter). Upon the accession of King John to
the English throne in 1199, troubles recurred with the Scots.
William the Lion laid claim to Northumberland, a demand which
John refused. For the next 14 years the issue remained in limbo.
John visited Alnwick Castle twice during that time, endeavoring
to settle the Scottish king's demands. Even though a treaty was
signed by Scotland's then-prince Alexander, who also paid homage
to John, little changed.
Eustace
de Vescy remained an adversary of King John's and during the
barons' rebellion in 1212, Eustace was one of theleaders. Eustace
fled to the support of the Scots, and in retaliation, John
ordered the destruction of Alnwick Castle. Fortunately, his
orders were never carried out. Eventually, Eustace de Vescy
reconciled with King John, and regained his estate in
Northumberland. However, in 1215, the Baron of Alnwick once again
turned against his king, joined the great confederation of the
barons, and also joined forces with King Alexander of Scotland in
his invasion of Northumberland. Now Alnwick was burned by John's
army. The following year saw another rebellion against the
English king, and Eustace de Vescy was killed while besieging
Barnard Castle.
or
the next four decades, Alnwick Castle existed in a state of
relative quiet. However, by the mid-1260's troubles began anew,
as the Vescy heir, John, supported Simon de Montfort in his
attempt to overthrow King Henry III, and was wounded and captured
in the Battle of Evesham in 1265 and forced to relinquish his
property at Alnwick. After his release, John de Vescy fought to
regain his castle, but Prince Edward, an accomplished warrior,
had no trouble defeating the former baron. Surprisingly, Vescy
was again pardoned by the monarchy, and after paying a fine,
regained his castle. Upon his death in 1288, Alnwick Castle
passed to Vescy's brother, William. And during his baronetcy,
Alnwick Castle remained the focal point of ongoing conflict
between Scotland and England, culminating in the unsuccessful
attack in 1297 by William ("Braveheart") Wallace. In
the same year, William de Vescy died leaving no legitimate heir,
and the castle was placed in the care of the Bishop of Durham. In
1309, the bishop sold the castle and accompanying estates to
Henry Percy. Alnwick Castle now passed into its most notorious,
and dramatic, period. 
ne
of the most powerful families in England, the Percy legacy has
been chronicled by Shakespeare and others. Their history is one
of tumult and intrigue, conflict with their monarch as well as
the Scots. Henry, the 1st Lord Percy of Alnwick, revolted against
King Edward II, lost and then regained his possessions. In 1314
Percy fought with the king at Bannockburn, was taken prisoner,
and then ransomed back by the English. As owner of Alnwick
Castle, Henry Percy made extensive repairs to the structure and
modified its design, much of which remains in fine condition to
this day.
pon the 1st Lord Percy's death in 1315, his son,
another Henry (also the name of the next seven Percy lords!),
succeeded to the title. While most of his time was spent fighting
on the Continent, the 2nd Lord Percy did upgrade his castle at
Alnwick. He died in 1352 at the castle. His son, the 3rd Lord
Henry, also was an active warrior, and participated in the
perpetual struggles with the Scots and in conflicts with France.
This Henry died in 1368.
he next Henry, 4th Lord Percy and 1st Earl of
Northumberland, is probably the best known and most infamous of
all the lords of Northumberland. A skilled warrior active in
France in the 1350's, 1360's and 1370's, this Henry Percy was an
essential player in the wars against the Scots. His son, made
famous in Shakespeare's Henry IV, was Harry Hotspur, who
distinguished himself at the tender age of 12 in the Battle of
Otterburn. During the conflict, Hotspur led a night-time attack
against the Scottish forces, and, despite his complete failure
and capture, Hotspur earned a reputation (and his nickname) for
his warrior-nature.
n
1399, the Earl of Northumberland and his son were accused of
treason against their king, Richard II. They immediately
instigated another barons' revolt and placed their favorite,
Henry IV, on the English throne. But, in 1403, the Percies led
their own rebellion against the king, in retaliation for the
king's supposed lack of support and inappropriate lack of
monetary gratitude. Hotspur was killed and his father
surrendered, their supporters refusing to give up their hold on
Alnwick Castle until confronted with the powers of the king's
siege engine. The following year, Henry Percy was freed, and in
1405 he once again rebelled. Eventually, the garrison at Alnwick
Castle surrendered, although their lord fled to Scotland. Henry
Percy made one last ditch effort to bring down the English
monarch, but was killed in 1409 at Bramham Moor.
nce
again, a Henry Percy succeeded to the earldom of Alnwick. This
Henry was a close friend of the future king, Henry V, and
maintained intimate royal connections throughout his lifetime.
The Scottish Wars for Independence continued to plague the
English monarchy, and in 1424 Alnwick Castle was besieged and
burned by the marauding Scots. Over the next 30 years, the Earl
of Northumberland periodically invaded Scotland or had his castle
invaded by the Scots. In 1448, Alnwick was again burned by the
Scots, under the leadership of the Douglases. In 1452, the second
earl sided with the Lancastrians in the Wars of the Roses, and
was killed at the Battle of St. Albans in 1455.
he
3rd Earl of Northumberland also sided with the Lancastrians and
continued his father's pattern of warfare against both the Scots
and the Yorkists. In 1461, he valiantly fought in the Battle of
Towton, apparently England's bloodiest ever, and was killed along
with some 38,000 others. Alnwick Castle was seized by the Crown
and then granted to Lord Montagu. But the Wars of the Roses had
not ended, nor did Alnwick's participation. The castle was
besieged twice in 1462, fell into Yorkist hands in 1463, and
eventually was regained by the Earls of Northumberland in 1469,
after the accession of Edward IV. Twenty years later, the fourth
earl was murdered by "the Mob" for imposing an
unpopular tax.
he
castle continued to be active over the ensuing centuries. Some of
the more significant events follow: 1) the castle was the
headquarters for assembling armies to fight the Scots; 2) loss of
the earldom to the Crown from 1337 to 1357, when Thomas Percy was
created seventh Earl of Northumberland - he was beheaded by Queen
Elizabeth in 1572 for his support of her adversary, Mary of
Scotland, and the Roman Catholic Church; 3) his brother, the 8th
Earl, died in the Tower of London under mysterious circumstances,
having also supported the Scottish queen; 4) a cousin of the 9th
Percy earl participated in the infamous Gunpowder Plot of 1605,
now commemorated on Guy Fawkes Day; 5) from the mid-17th century
until the 18th century, the Earls of Northumberland abandoned
their castle at Alnwick, and the castle severely decayed; 6) Sir
Hugh Smithson became the 1st Duke of Northumberland in 1766, and
was responsible for the castle's restoration, which began in
about 1755, and included the birth of the fantastic interiors.
From then onward, the Northumberlands made their mark in the
courts of their monarchs and the affairs of their nation. The
Dukes of Northumberland continued to maintain the grandeur of
their castle as well as extend the exteriors. Today, Alnwick
Castle is an impressive stately home, and relics of its initial
military origins are clearly visible in the basic design,
battlements, and massive fortitude of the structure.
