Alnwick and Warkworth Castles

Tour the homes of the true kings of the North!

Explore the fortresses of the most powerful northern lords in the Middle Ages.

During their use as border castles, both Alnwick and Warkworth were the residence of the Percy family, the Earls of Northumberland and powerful lords in English history – becoming powerful enough to revolt against Henry IV during his reign. Many of the battles against the Scots on the Anglo-Scottish border involve the Percy family and they had a strong rivalry with the Douglas noble house in Scotland.

Alnwick Castle is the current residence of the Percys, who have innovated the ancient fortress into an amazing tourism attraction – including a world-famous poison garden. Alnwick is also famous for cinema – most famously as Gryffindor common room and Hogwarts in Harry Potter. Warkworth was the Percy’s original fortress and is picturesquely sat in a bend of the Coquet River and has one of the best-preserved Norman Churches in England – St. Laurence Church. This tour is a fantastic way to discover one of the most captivating medieval families in the British Isles!