Alnwick Castle would not look the way it does today without the work of Anthony Salvin, the principal architect for the restoration of the castle in the Victorian period. Salvin, one of the top architects of his day (especially when it came to castles), created a new entrance to the castle keep, added towers, and designed the Great Kitchen for the 4th Duke of Northumberland.To find out more about Salvin, his life and his work - especially at Alnwick - we spoke to architectural historian and Country Life editor John Goodall, who explained why Salvin's work has been so significant to the development of Alnwick Castle, adapting to modern needs while calling back to other periods of history, and connecting the domestic space of the Great Kitchen with the grandeur of the State Rooms.If you enjoyed the episode, you can hear John talk about Alnwick and other castles in Episode 6 of the podcast - or if you visit the castle, you can listen to him talk about the Constable's Tower in our museum!
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84 - Tastes through time - with Tastes Through Time!
If you visited Alnwick Castle this season (or last), you may have met Tastes Through Time, a living history duo who demonstrate and explore the changes in British domestic and social history - from Tudor crafts and skills to female roles in the Second World War. As their name suggests, they also look at how food and recipes have developed over the centuries.This August, we spoke to Tastes Through Time - aka Lindsey and Georgina - while they were here with us at Alnwick Castle. They told us about their approach to history, as well as everything from the sumptuary laws on clothing restrictions to the best Victorian meals they would like to try in the Great Kitchen at Alnwick Castle - where they performed earlier this year.This podcast was recorded "live" outside, in the grounds of Alnwick Castle, on a busy summer day, so you may hear more background noises and sounds than usual.For more episodes of the podcast where you can hear from historical performers, head into our back catalogue for episode 60, featuring the Silly History Boys, or episode 40, with medieval musicians Trouvere. And we'll see you next month for another look back into history!
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83 - The Stolen Crown - with Tracy Borman
On 23rd September, we are delighted to welcome historian and broadcaster Tracy Borman back to Alnwick Castle to speak about her latest book The Stolen Crown: Treachery, Deceit and the Death of the Tudor Dynasty. And to give you a taste of what to expect if you buy a ticket to the event, we spoke with Tracy here on the podcast to find out all about the book.Inspired by new discoveries made at the British Library, Tracy tells us about the succession crisis in the reign of Elizabeth I, and how the transition from the Tudors to the Stuart was not as straightforward as previously thought. You will hear the reasons why Elizabeth refused to name a successor during her long reign, how ordinary English people felt about the King of Scotland coming to the throne, and the key role that the Earls of Northumberland here at Alnwick Castle played. At the start of the Tudor period, the 5th Earl escorted Margaret Tudor to Scotland to marry James IV; and at the end, the 9th Earl kept up a secret correspondence with James VI in the years leading up to Elizabeth's death. He may have also had a claim to the throne of his own...And of course, Tracy also tells us what to expect when she visits Alnwick Castle in person on 23rd September! Tickets are available now at alnwickcastle.com or on our page on Eventbrite.The Stolen Crown is available from all good bookshops from 4th September, published by Hodder - or you can purchase your copy at our event on the 23rd!
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82 - The 4th Duke and the Victorian rogue - with Peter Lindfield and Frances McIntosh
At Alnwick Castle, the 4th Duke of Northumberland is probably best known for his restoration of the castle in the 1850s and 1860s, transforming the State Rooms and creating the Great Kitchen. But before all that work began, he had encountered a man named George Shaw, who was able to convince him to buy a number of pieces of antique furniture from old Percy properties. The problem? George had faked this furniture, making it himself, and deceiving the duke about its origins.To find out more about this story, we spoke to Dr Peter Lindfield of Cardiff University - an expert on George Shaw - and Frances McIntosh of English Heritage, who looks after the Duke's Rooms at Warkworth Castle, where you can still see some of the George Shaw furniture bought by the 4th Duke. We found out just who George Shaw was, what happened when the duke figured out he'd been conned, and why this Victorian rogue might be considered a 19th century Robin Hood!We hope you enjoy hearing all about it. To visit the Duke's Rooms, please visit the Warkworth Castle website through English Heritage for full information.
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81 - The Road To Lexington: Hugh Percy in America - with Bill Openshaw
250 years ago, the American Revolutionary War effectively began with fighting at Lexington and Concord. Among the British soldiers present was Hugh Percy, eldest son of the 1st Duke and Duchess of Northumberland, and future 2nd Duke.What was the heir to Alnwick Castle doing in America? What did he think of the country soon to be known as the United States? And what is his connection to Charles Lee (of Hamilton fame), who would become second-in-command to George Washington himself?To answer these questions, and many more, we spoke to one of our favourite regular guests on the podcast, Bill Openshaw, whose new book The Road To Lexington chronicles Percy's letters and papers from his time in America, studied comprehensively for the first time. (You will also hear about a new discovery, of letters by another man from Alnwick who served in America, William Charleton.)You can get a copy of the book from major online retailers, or right here at the Alnwick Castle gift shop.For more about the 2nd Duke and Bill, look in our podcast back catalogue for episodes 'To the Call of Bugles', 'The 2nd Duke of Northumberland', and 'The Percy Tenantry Volunteers'.Enjoy the episode? Throw us a review or five-star rating!
Alnwick Castle is one of North East England's top visitor attractions and has been part of British history for nearly 1,000 years. Now, Alnwick Castle has a podcast! Join hosts Daniel and Deborah, and regular special guests, as they discuss fascinating aspects of Alnwick Castle's history, from the people that lived there to its connections with famous events, its place as a filming location, and more. New episodes will be available every two weeks - make sure to subscribe so you don't miss any!
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