Alnwick Castle

About

Built around 1096, Alnwick Castle has been inhabited by the same family since the 13th century. Over the years, the castle was expanded and remodelled to suit its owners’ needs and tastes, and today is the second largest inhabited castle in the country. Of the many lords who have called Alnwick home, Harry “Hotspur” Percy is the best known, being immortalized by Shakespeare’s Henry IV, and a giant statue on the castle grounds. Today, the Duke and his family still live in part of the castle, but visitors can tour some of the sumptuous rooms, or see special exhibitions in the towers, including the family’s archaeological collection, the story of the local volunteer soldiers raised to repel Napoleon, and the Regimental Museum of the Royal Northumberland Fusiliers. What’s attracting many visitors these days is the castle’s role as Hogwarts in the first two Harry Potter films - the castle even hosts ‘broomstick training’ sessions in the summer on the very spot Harry had his first lesson.