ALNWICK

town, Alnwick district, administrative and historic county of Northumberland, England, on the south bank of the River Aln, between the Cheviot Hills and the sea. The town is dominated by the Norman castle, after 1309 the principal seat of the Percy family, who later became earls of Northumberland. The castle, now the seat of the dukes of Northumberland, was rehabilitated in the 18th century under the direction of Robert Adam, and the surrounding park was landscaped by Capability Brown. Much of Adam's work in the Gothic style was replaced about 1855 by Anthony Salvin, who converted the interior to an Italian Renaissance-style palace. Hulne Park and North Demesne are remnants of the ancient hunting grounds of the marcher (border) lords. Parts of the medieval town wall (notably the Hotspur Tower), the gatehouse of Alnwick Abbey (1147), and the 15th-century grammar school survive. Alnwick was once the county town (seat) of Northumberland. Pop. (1991) 7,419. district, administrative and historic county of Northumberland, northern England, that borders Scotland on the northwest and the North Sea on the east. The district descends eastward from the peaty moorlands of the Cheviot Hills, which reach elevations above 2,000 feet (610 metres) along the Scottish border, and extends across the upper valleys of the Rivers Aln and Coquet and the sandstone uplands of the area known as Rothbury Forest to the fertile coastal plain, meeting the North Sea in low cliffs and shallow bays backed by sand dunes. Sheep are grazed throughout the district, with the hardy Cheviot being the significant breed. Lesser numbers of both beef and dairy cattle are raised in the upper Aln and Coquet valleys and on the coastal plain. Crops cultivated on large farms, especially on the coastal plain, include oats, barley, clover, turnips, and cabbage. The small coastal village of Craster is historically known for its production of kippers (smoked herring). Alnwick town, a historic county town (seat) of Northumberland, has a noted castle, as do the villages of Dunstanburgh and Warkworth. The district also includes the towns of Amble and Rothbury. Area 417 square miles (1,080 square km). Pop. (1998 est.) 31,400.