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Alnwick Castle, Northumberland NE66 1NQ. Paid entry.

❰ View on Map Updated: 6 days ago

Details

Accessibility

https://www.alnwickcastle.com/accessibility

2025: "WHEELCHAIR ACCESS

There is partial access in the grounds for wheelchairs and pushchairs. Please speak to a member of the team on arrival who will be happy to offer guidance on suitable routes.

ASSISTANCE DOGS

Guide, hearing and assistance dogs, including those in training, are welcome at Alnwick Castle. All dogs must be kept on a short lead during their visit.

If available, please bring your dog’s 'Assistance Dogs (UK)’ identification book (or the appropriate international equivalent) with you. Unfortunately, due to conservation concerns, we do not allow emotional support animals to enter the castle at this time.

MOTORISED SCOOTER HIRE

A limited number of free motorised scooters are available to visitors but pre-booking is essential. To reserve a scooter please call 01665 511 178 ahead of your visit. Motorised scooters are not permitted on the steps leading to the Gun Terrace.

ACCESSIBLE PARKING

Disabled parking is available on Castle square (NE66 1NG) and in the main car park on Denwick Lane at The Alnwick Garden.

ACCESSIBLE TOILETS

There is an accessible toilet located in the courtyard between the Courtyard Café and the Stables Fryery. Additional accessible toilets are located in the Pavilion at The Alnwick Garden

CARERS

For disabled visitors who require the assistance of a carer, the accompanying carer can enter the castle and its grounds free of charge. Please contact us prior to visiting if you require additional information regarding access and facilities.

Carers will be asked to provide proof of carer status upon arrival showing that they are recognised as a carer for the accompanying visitor. Examples of proof you could bring are:

- A letter from the local authority of the carer confirming that they are in receipt of Carer’s Allowance, or are in some other way recognised as a carer by the local authority

- A letter from a GP confirming that the carer has registered with them as a carer

- A registered carer card provided as part of another scheme (e.g. CredAbility Access Card, CEA Card, etc)

GETTING AROUND

The State Rooms have stepped access (3 steps in total, with no handrail) to the entrance and from there to access a one-person lift (4 steps with a handrail) to bypass the Grand Staircase and access the State Rooms and exhibition space on the first floor. The lift does not accommodate a wheelchair, however there is a seat for your comfort if required. Aside from the entrance room and the Grand Staircase, all State Rooms are located on the 1st floor.

Visitors who are less able or who use a wheelchair can exit the State Rooms by returning to the lift after the exhibition room to avoid the back stairs at the exit.

We unfortunately do not have any ramps for access for motorised mobility scooters or wheelchairs into the State Rooms. Mobility scooters can be left at the entrance and wheelchairs provided within the State Rooms where possible.

The courtyard which contains the Castle Shop and Courtyard Café is cobbled. The Castle Shop and Courtyard Café are accessible for wheelchairs and this area also has a dedicated accessible toilet. We recommend that mobility scooters are left in the courtyard when using these areas wherever possible due to limited space in the corridors for manoeuvring. "

Brief description

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alnwick_Castle

"Alnwick Castle (/ˈænɪk/ ⓘ) is a castle and country house in Alnwick in the English county of Northumberland. It is the seat of the 12th Duke of Northumberland, built following the Norman conquest and renovated and remodelled a number of times. It is a Grade I listed building [1] now the home of Ralph Percy, 12th Duke of Northumberland and his family.[3] In 2016, the castle received over 600,000 visitors per year when combined with adjacent attraction the Alnwick Garden.[4]

The current duke and his family live in the castle, but occupy only a part of it. The castle is open to the public throughout the summer. After Windsor Castle, it is the second largest inhabited castle in England.[11][19] Alnwick is the tenth-most-visited stately home in England according to the Historic Houses Association, with 195,504 visitors in 2006.[20] This figure has increased significantly in the subsequent decade.

During World War II, the Newcastle Church High School for Girls was evacuated to Alnwick Castle. Since the war parts of the castle have continued being used by two other educational establishments: from 1945 to 1977, as Alnwick College of Education, a teacher training college; and, since 1981, by St. Cloud State University of Minnesota as a branch campus forming part of their International Study Programme.[21]

Special exhibitions are housed in three of the castle's perimeter towers. The Postern Tower, as well as featuring an exhibition on the Dukes of Northumberland and their interest in archaeology, includes frescoes from Pompeii, relics from Ancient Egypt and Romano-British objects. Constable's Tower houses military displays like the Percy Tenantry Volunteers exhibition, local volunteer soldiers raised to repel Napoleon's planned invasion in the period 1798–1814. The Abbot's Tower houses the Regimental Museum of the Royal Northumberland Fusiliers.[22]

An increase in public interest in the castle was generated by its use as a stand-in for the exterior and interior of Hogwarts in the Harry Potter films.[11] Its appearance in the films has helped shape the public imagination regarding what castles should look like. Its condition contrasts with the vast majority of castles in the country, which are ruinous and unfit for habitation.[23 Alnwick Castle has two parks. Immediately to the north of the castle is a relatively small park straddling the River Aln which was landscaped by Lancelot Brown ("Capability Brown") and Thomas Call in the 18th century; it is known locally as the Pastures. Nearby is the much larger Hulne Park, which contains the remains of Hulne Priory.

The castle is in good repair and used for many purposes. It provides a home for the present Duke and family and offices for Northumberland Estates, which manages the Duke's extensive farming and property holdings.

Alnwick's battlements are surmounted by carved figures. Some of these date from around 1300; historian Matthew Johnson notes that around this time there were several castles in northern England similarly decorated, such as Bothal, Lumley and Raby.[26] However, many of the surviving figures are from the mid-18th century, commissioned by the 1st Duke and Duchess from Stamfordham sculptor James Johnson."

Address

Alnwick Castle, Alnwick, Northumberland, NE66 1NQ

Email

info@alnwickcastle.com

Phone

01665 511 100

Website

https://www.alnwickcastle.com/

https://www.facebook.com/alnwickcastle/

Directions

Opening Times

Always check with the venue directly for up-to-date information including opening times and admission charges as they may be subject to change

Transport

Amenities

Cafe, shop

Travel Information

For further travel information please see: www.traveline.info

Or call Traveline on 0871 200 22 33
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