Alnwick, Northumberland - <>

Alnwick is a market town in north Northumberland, England. The population at the 2011 Census was 8,116.The town is on the south bank of the River Aln, 32mi south of Berwick-upon-Tweed and the Scottish border, 5mi inland from the North Sea at Alnmouth and 34mi north of Newcastle upon Tyne.The town dates to about AD 600, and thrived as an agricultural centre. Alnwick Castle was the home of the most powerful medieval northern baronial family, the Earls of Northumberland. It was a staging post on the Great North Road between Edinburgh and London, and latterly has become a rural centre and dormitory town. The town centre has changed relatively little, but the town has seen some growth, with several housing estates covering what had been pasture, and new factory and trading estate developments along the roads to the south.HistoryThe history of Alnwick is the history of the castle and its lords, starting with Gilbert Tyson, written variously as "Tison", "Tisson", and "De Tesson", one of William the Conqueror's standard bearers, upon whom this northern estate was bestowed. It was held by the De Vesci family (now spelt "Vasey" – a name found all over south-east Northumberland) for over 200 years, and then passed into the hands of the house of Percy in 1309.

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