Alnwick Castle in Northumberland is the second largest inhabited castle in England (after Windsor Castle), and has been the home of the Percys since 1309.

Yves de Vescy, Baron of Alnwick, erected the first parts of the castle in about 1096 to protect England’s northern border against invasion from Scotland.

The Castle was first restored, primarily as a fortress, by the 1st Lord Percy of Alnwick in the early 1300′s and portions of this restoration remain today, including the Abbot’s Tower, the Middle Gateway and the Constable’s Tower.

During the late 17th century the Castle fell into decay until the first Duke and Duchess of Northumberland (Elizabeth Seymour and Hugh Smithson), took up the challenge and turned it into a family residence with the help of architects such as Robert Adam and the landscape designer, Capability Brown.

The current Duke and his family live in the castle, but they only occupy part of it. The castle is open to the public throughout the summer, receiving up to 200,000 visitors every year and was the tenth most-visited stately home in England according to the Historic Houses Association.

The castle has been used to represent Hogwarts School, with both the interior and exterior of the castle being used for scenes in the popular Harry Potter films. The castle has also appeared in Becket, Blackadder and Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves .

What to see and do

• Guided tours of the Castle and Grounds
• Hands on children’s activities with a medieval theme in Knight’s Quest
• Exhibition celebrating 700 years of Percy family history at Alnwick
• Archery lessons for the over 11′s (available Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, Friday & Sunday)
• Birds of prey demonstrations
• Regular Harry Potter events throughout the year
• Capability Brown gardens

Location
Alnwick Castle, Alnwick, Northumberland NE66 1NQ

Opening hours
Alnwick Castle is open from 1st April to 31st October (closed on 22nd June 2011).

During normal opening time the Castle will be open 10am – 6pm, the State Rooms 11am – 5pm with last admissions 4.15pm.

Admission
See the Alnwick Castle website for latest admission charges.