Visitor Information

2 01 9V I S I T O R G U I D E

A L N W I C K C A S T L E . C O MA L N W I C K C A S T L E . C O M

10.00am – 5.30pm

10.30am – 4.30pm

10.00am – 5.00pm

10.00am – 5.00pm

10.00am – 5.00pm

10.30am - 4.00pm

11.30am – 3.00pm

11.00am – 5.00pm

11.00am – 4.00pm

Grounds & Museums (Last Admission 3.45pm)

State Rooms (Last Entry 4.00pm, Chapel 2.30pm)

Artisans Courtyard & Dragon Quest (Last Entry 4.30pm)

Alnwick Castle Gift Shop

Courtyard Café

Armoury Takeaway

Stables Fryery

Fusiliers Museum & Gift Shop

State Room Shop

GROUPS & SCHOOLS Pre-booked groups and school visitors enjoy discounted admission and a host of other benefits. Please call 01665 511 100 or visit ourwebsite for details.

WEDDINGS & EVENTSAlnwick Castle is a magnificent venue for weddings & corporate occasions. Please call 01665 511 086 or visit our website for details.

ACCESSIBILITYSome areas of the castle and grounds have limited accessibility; please visit our website for full access statement. Free wheelchair and mobility scooter hire is available from admissions and it is recommended that you pre-book. Dogs (except assistance dogs) are not permitted in the castle and grounds.

CONTACTAlnwick Castle, Alnwick, Northumberland, NE66 1NG Telephone: 01665 511 100 Email: info@alnwickcastle.com

FIND USAlnwick Castle is well signposted.

It is less than a mile off the A1, 36 miles from Newcastle and 87 miles

from Edinburgh. Please visit our website for transport information.

For more information on any of the events in this leaflet or to pre-book your tickets, please visit:

All information correct at time of going to press. Alnwick Castle reserves the right to

alter opening times and other arrangements without prior notice. Please check our

website for the latest information.

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B63

41

B1340

A1068

B6346

B6341DenwickLaneBondgate

Market St

Edinburgh

Newcastle

Alnwick

Magic & HistoryAlnwick Castle's remarkable history, filled with drama, intrigue and extraordinary people, makes it a day out like no other.

In recent years, the Castle has taken a starring role in a number of film and television productions, most famously as Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry in the first two Harry Potter films.

Step into the magical world of Alnwick Castle and discover tales of this extraordinary Castle's illustrious history.

A DAY OUT BRIMMING WITH

950 Year Old StoryThe origins of Alnwick Castle date back to the Norman period. Since 1309 its story has been intertwined with that of the Percy family, who have a history as illustrious as the Castle’s own.

The second largest inhabited castle in the UK, Alnwick has served as a military outpost, a teaching college, a refuge for evacuees, a film set, and not least as a family home. Delve deeper into this extraordinary history and travel through the centuries of this living, evolving castle.

BE PART OF OUR

Family AdventureStep back in time and experience the colour and excitement of the Castle’s vibrant history, brought to life by our resident knights, ladies and artisans, together with a host of entertaining performers throughout the season. You might meet wizards, dragons, jesters and master falconers on your adventures!

Young knights and princesses can get hands-on with history and enjoy dressing up, swordplay, medieval crafts and traditional games in Artisans Courtyard, before coming face to face with a fearsome Northumbrian beast in Dragon Quest.

ENJOY A FUN FILLED

State RoomsThe Castle’s interiors were refashioned in the 1850s by the 4th Duke of Northumberland in the lavish Italian Renaissance style that we see today. It houses one of the country’s finest collections of fine and decorative arts. The remarkable collection includes works by Canaletto, Titian, Van Dyck, Turner, and Dobson; an extensive gallery of Meissen, Chelsea, and Paris porcelain; and the magnificent cabinets by Domenico Cucci originally made for King Louis XIV’s Palace of Versailles.

VISIT THE BREATHTAKING

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� During peak times, free time slot tickets are required for some activities.Please collect these upon arrival, on the day of your visit.

29th MAR - 27th OCT 2019OPENING TIMES

Diary of Events

Featured EventsThis year, Alnwick Castle has an exciting new itinerary of special events... so there are more reasons than ever to come and visit!

THE ALNWICK JOUST25th - 27th May

Your chance to see one of medieval Alnwick’s most thrilling spectacles as armoured knights engage in full combat on horseback. Great fun and excitement for all the family.

1919 PEACE CELEBRATION29th - 30th June

The signing of the Treaty of Versailles officially brought an end to WW1 and was the beginning of Peace Party Celebrations across the country. Join us this summer as we throw our very own centenary street party!

THE JOUST OF THE NORTH3rd - 7th August

Witness the drama, pageantry & passion as masterful knights and their trusty steeds battle valiantly to defend their honour in this gripping 15th Century Jousting Tournament. Who will be victorious?

WIZARDING WEEKVarious

Put on your most enchanting robes, summon your favourite wand and join our resident wizarding professors for a magical week of mayhem! Inspired by the enchanting world of Harry Potter.

Please note: This event has no connection to Warner Bros or J.K. Rowling

JESTING WITH ZOOTEDVarious

Harking from a period when comedy was uncomplicated and well let’s say… simple, this comedy duo gives a performance worthy of the lords and ladies of days gone by!

MEDIEVAL MUSIC WITH TROUVÈRE MINSTRELSVarious

Experience and relish the gentle wandering tones of medieval music, as you explore one of the UK’s finest cultural heritage sites.

PETERKIN THE JESTERVarious

Whether wobbling precariously on wooden stilts, close shaves with his fire-eating antics or balancing upside down on any fool he can trick into lying on the floor, Peterkin will have you amused!

BIRDS OF PREYVarious

Experience a theatrical performance of expert falconry, combined with enchanting storytelling and inspiring history, which is sure to thrill and entertain the whole family!

The excitement doesn’t end when the sun goes down with this new programme of evening events! Please note: Separate charges and additional tickets are required for these events. See alnwickcastle.com for more details and to purchase tickets.

EVENING EVENTS PROGRAMME

THREE INCH FOOLS PRESENT MUCH ADO ABOUT NOTHINGSunday 7th JulyAn incredible outdoor performance of Shakespeare’s much loved comedy, staged in the spectacular grounds of Hulne Abbey.

THREE INCH FOOLS PRESENT MACBETHTuesday 9th July

Join us for this atmospheric open air performance of Shakespeare’s most famous tragedy, brought to you from within the grounds of Alnwick Castle.

AFTER DARK: BELOW STAIRSThroughout October

If only the walls could talk, what tales they could tell, of centuries past and people who have come and gone. Discover the Castle's forgotten secrets... After Dark!

CINEMA UNDER THE STARSVarious

Cosy up during the dark autumn nights for our splendid evenings of classic cinema, screened within the grounds of Alnwick Castle.

ALL FREE WITH ADMISSION

EveningsDaily Activities

DRAGON QUEST� Free time slot ticket required

Will you stand your ground or quake with fear when you come face-to-face with Alnwick’s most fearsome and ferocious beast?

BROOMSTICK TRAINING� Free time slot ticket required

Join our resident wizarding professors and take part in our famous broomstick training sessions, on the very spot where Harry had his first flying lesson!

ALNWICK 'ON LOCATION' TOURSHear behind-the-scenes anecdotes as you tour the cinematic locations at Alnwick Castle, known for its starring role in the first two Harry Potter films, Downton Abbey & Transformers: The Last Knight.

Hear stories from the long and eventful history of Alnwick Castle as you walk the grounds with one of our knowledgeable guides.

See the lavish Italian Renaissance style interiors of the State Rooms, contained within the magnificent fortress exterior.

Budding knights and princesses (young and old!) can dress up in medieval finery, joining the hustle and bustle of medieval life, as well as meeting the squires and ladies of the Castle.

Try authentic medieval crafts, play traditional games in the square, and take your place on the throne of Hotspur Hall!

Hear an overview of a historical figure, artist or item in Alnwick Castle’s collection with our guide-led 10 minute talks.

Take a strong stance, steel your arm, steady your aim and try to hit the bullseye!

Historical Grounds Tours

State Room Tours Term-time only

Medieval Dress-up

Artisans Courtyard

10 Minute TalksTerm-time only

Have-a-go ArcheryFor visitors aged 9+

Peterkin the Jester

Potter – Inspired Characters

Birds of Prey

Trouvère Minstrels, Crafts with The Company of Artisans, Medieval Alchemist

6th – 10th

13th – 16th

13th – 17th

19th – 22nd

APRIL

Alnwick Castle Opens!29th

MARCH

Military Firing Drills and the Percy Tenantry Volunteers

The Alnwick Joust - Rosa Mundi's Medieval Camp, Trouvère Minstrels, The Art of Dressage and Longbow Archery

Fighting Knights, Peterkin the Jester

4th – 6th

25th – 27th

28th – 31st

MAY

1919 Peace Celebration - Peterkin the Jester, Ellington Colliery Band and Punch & Judy

1919 Peace Celebration - Peterkin the Jester, Alnwick Playhouse Band, Punch & Judy and Trouvère Minstrels

29th

30th

JUNE

Trouvère Minstrels

Peterkin the Jester

Wizarding Week - Potter-Inspired Characters, Wand Making, Wizard Trail and more

Jesting with Zooted, Medieval Alchemist and Crafts with The Company of Artisans

13th – 17th

15th - 17th

20th – 24th

27th – 31st

JULY

Jesting with Zooted

The Joust of the North - Birds of Prey, Jesting with Zooted and more

Birds of Prey

Jesting with Zooted

Knight School, Jesting with Zooted

Jesting with Zooted

Wizarding Week - Magical Beasts, Potter-Inspired Characters and Wizard Trail

1st

3rd – 7th

8th – 16th

9th – 15th

17th – 21st

23rd

24th – 31st

AUGUST

Jesting with Zooted

Trouvère Minstrels

Crafts with The Company of Artisans, Knight School: The Dark Side of Chivalry

Sep 7th - 8th

Oct 5th - 6th

Oct 26th-27th

SEPTEMBER & OCTOBER

Delve into the Castle’s past and explore the three on site Museums and Exhibitions.

MUSEUMS & EXHIBITIONS

A Look into History

UNROLLING HISTORYAround 950 years ago, William de Percy, direct ancestor of Ralph Percy, the present Duke of Northumberland, came to England from France. But was he with William the Conqueror at the Battle of Hastings in 1066?

ANTIQUITIES MUSEUMFirst open to the public in 1826, Alnwick Castle has amassed an intriguing and impressive collection where archaeological finds continue to be added.

NORTHUMBERLAND FUSILIERS MUSEUMDiscover fascinating stories of the endeavour, bravery, loss, and survival of the soldiers of the Northumberland Fusiliers, one of the country’s oldest regiments.

CONSTABLE’S TOWERDiscover a wealth of fascinating and intriguing objects collected from around the world. At the top of the Tower, find out the story of the volunteers who were prepared to defend England’s shores against the French in the 19th century.

A L N W I C K C A S T L E . C O M

For more information, please visit: alnwickcastle.com

� During peak times, free time slot tickets are required for some activities. Please collect these upon arrival, on the day of your visit.

A L N W I C K C A S T L E . C O M

For more information or to pre-book event tickets, please visit: alnwickcastle.com

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BUY ONLINE*

*Terms apply. See alnwickcastle.com for full terms and conditions.