Great British Houses: Alnwick Castle - An Iconic Castle in Northumberland Made ... - Anglotopia.net

Key Facts about Alnwick Castle A castle was built on the site of Alnwick Castle as early as 1096, following the Norman Conquest. The castle has been the seat of the Percy family since 1309 and members of the family still live in a part of the castle today. After Windsor Castle, Alnwick Castle is the second largest inhabited castle in England and is visited by over 800,000 people per year. Alnwick Castle has become famous in the 21 Barons of Percy created a prestigious and sprawling castle in the form of an outer bailey enclosing a massive shell keep that comprises of a cluster of towers set around an inner courtyard. This ambitious architectural project, balancing the requirements of a military stronghold with the needs of a high society family, is said to have inspired succeeding castle renovations throughout the 14 Earl of Northumberland played a major role... The castle was surrendered to Henry IV in 1403. Throughout the bloody and prolonged War of the Roses, Alnwick Castle was captured by Lancastrian forces numerous times. Source: www.anglotopia.net