Alnwick Castle – the second largest inhabited castle in the UK
Alnwick Castle is another impressive building in England with fundamental importance for the English history. Nowadays, it is a unique British heritage and the second largest inhabited castle in the United Kingdom.
Just the Windsor Castle ranks before it, so you can quickly realize its really unique beauty and meaning. It is located in the Alnwick Town, about 35 miles north of Newcastle upon Tyne in the county of Northumberland.
Castle’s museum stores the largest compilation of great Italian art masterpieces that can be seen in North England. Really nice is another collection of premium porcelain, but it is just some of the beautiful arts that you can see if you visit the astonishing palace.
Alnwick Castle is firstly mentioned in 1096, when the ancient fortification was founded here by Baron Alnwick. The Baron quickly reached the idea to raise Alnwick Castle, because he had to defend British Empire’s border at the north and protect it against Scottish invasion.
Alnwick Castle has been for a quite long time inhabited by the Duke of Northumberland. The exterior as well as interior were dramatically changed a couple of times over the existence.
During the 16th century, a major renovation was done by the 6th Earl of Northumberland and the castle obtained more Gothic vision. Later, a majority of the rooms and halls were refashioned in Italian style influenced by the era of Queen Victoria during the 19th century.
Alnwick Castle is also famous among the people around the globe because it was used as set for movies like “Elizabeth,” and several parts for “Harry Potter.” So, don’t be surprised if you see many fans of Harry Potter when you visit the fantastic architectural masterpiece in Northumberland.
It is a great tip for one day trip if you are staying or holidaying in Northumberland National Park which is just about 15 miles of Alnwick Castle.
