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The Archives of the Duke of Northumberland

Alnwick Castle is famous for being one of the best castles in Northumberland, with a dramatic history of over 900 years, and a wide array of artefacts conserved from its inhabitants over the years housed within the castle's museums. Did you know that Alnwick Castle is home to an archive documenting the history of Northumberland, the castle itself and the Percy Family?

The Archive houses the business papers of the Northumberland Estates, in addition to family papers of the Percys and records from Syon House. The Archive is privately owned and fully funded by the Percy family.

The Archive is open to the public by advanced appointment bookings only, so whether you are interested in learning more and visiting the sites archive on your next visit or would like to include exploring the archive as part of an educational visit, please get in touch with our team who will be happy to assist with your enquiry.
 

BIBLIOGRAPHY


Select Bibliography of publications relating to the history of the Percy Family and Alnwick Castle 
 
Alnwick Castle Guidebook 
 
Syon House Guidebook 
 
Shrimpton, Colin, A History of Alnwick Parks and Pleasure Grounds (Derby, 2006) 
 
Percy, Ralph (12th Duke of Northumberland), Lions of the North (Scala, London, 2019) 

Percy, Ralph (12th Duke of Northumberland), Lions of the Red Rose (Northumberland Estates, Alnwick, 2024)
 
(The five volumes above are available through the Alnwick Castle Gift Shop. Contact Mr Stuart Richardson on 01665 511102) 

Brenan, Gerald, A History of the House of Percy, Volumes I and II, (Freemantle & Co, London, 1902) Out of print. 
 
DeFonblanque, Edward Barrington, The Annals of the House of Percy, Volumes I and II, (Richard Clay & Sons, London, 1887) 
Hartshorne, C.H., A Guide to Alnwick Castle, (London, Longmans, Green, Reader & Dyer, 1865) Out of print 
Lomas, Richard A., A Power in the Land: The Percys, (Tuckwell Press Ltd, 1999) Out of print 
 
Lomas, Richard A., The Fall of the House of Percy, (John Donald Publishers Ltd, 2007) ISBN 978-0859766470 
 
Middlemas, Keith, As They Really Were: the Citizens of Alnwick 1831, (Frances Lincoln, 2012) ISBN-10: 0711232903 
 
Pevsner, N., Northumberland (Buildings of England), (Yale University Press, 1992) 
ISBN 978-0300096385 
 
Rose, Alexander, Kings in the North, (Phoenix, 2003) ISBN 978-1842124857 
 
Tate, George, The History of the Borough, Castle and Barony of Alnwick, Volumes I and II, (Alnwick, Henry Hunter Blair, 1868-9) Out of print. 
W. Hylton Dyer Longstaffe, The Old Heraldry of the Percys, (Newcastle, 1860) Out of print. (Archaeologia Aeliana 2nd Series, Vol. 4, 1860)
 
Not centred on, but containing information relevant to the Percys: 
 
Hodgson, John Crawford (et al.) A history of Northumberland. issued under the direction of the Northumberland county history committee,11 vols, (1893: Newcastle–Upon-Tyne & London). 
 
Conzen, M. R. G., Alnwick, Northumberland: A Study in Town-Plan Analysis (London, 1969) 
 
NB. Out of print items should be available via the inter-library loans scheme at any local library.
 
Plus, try Googling title with ‘Internet Archive’ – a full digitised text may be available on this site.