Follow footsteps of famous with new castle tours
FORTHCOMING TOURIST SEASON ATTRACTIONS WILL INCLUDE STATELY HOME’S HISTORY OF TV AND FILM ROLES
A MAGICAL new season is all set to launch at Alnwick Castle which is offering visitors a chance to walk in the footsteps of Harry Potter and Downton Abbey stars.
From Friday, a costumed guide will be hosting location tours to show where scenes were filmed with Daniel Radcliffe, as the boy wizard, and the likes of Hugh Bonneville and Alun Armstrong.
Visitors can expect to hear some insider snippets of information too along the way too, about what it is like behind the scenes when the Northumberland attraction is used as a big-screen backdrop. The castle has enjoyed a starring role on both TV and in the cinema over the years and, most recently, hosted Hollywood star Mark Wahlberg and Sir Anthony Hopkins during the filming of Transformers: The Last Knight, which comes out in the summer.
It also saw action with the cast and crew of Downton Abbey when ITV filmed specials of its hit costume drama there, with North East favourite Alun Armstrong joining the team to play a butler attending to the aristocratic Crawley family visitors. A Downton Abbey film is set to follow the series.
A BBC series, The Hollow Crown starring Benedict
Cumberbatch, also shot scenes around the castle and grounds, but it remains best known for its role in Harry Potter films, with young visitors always eager to see for themselves just where those early quidditch matches took place.
The new tours are set to be a highlight of the castle’s coming season when it reopens its doors on Friday with a new action-packed themed programme of events, which will include a huge firebelching dragon.
Set to cause a stir, the all-hissing, all-snarling creature will make its debut on April 10 and will lie in wait for those who solve a Dragon’s Quest of riddles and have carried out challenges and crossed a hall of mirrors to find its lair.
And if that sounds exciting, there’s plenty more drama in store.
It all kicks off on April 1-2 with a riotous Fool’s Weekend featuring fireeating, sword-juggling, comedy and tricks.
Then the Easter holidays will focus on magic and mayhem with Harry Potter-inspired characters; wizards and alchemists; falconry displays; jesters; spooky cellar tours and hands-on mediaeval craftmaking in the Knights Quest market place in the castle grounds.
The dragon will be in action with performances on April 22 and 23 to mark St George’s Day.
And, from April until October, Harry Potter lovers can join the castle’s famous professors to take part in broomstick-training on the very spot where JK Rowling’s heroic wizard had his first lesson. Other attractions will include Lost Cellar Performances, aimed at those aged 13-plus, which will conjure up the sounds of lost souls and ancient history beneath the castle’s walls, while history buffs can absorb the castle’s interior delights on state room tours of the Percy family’s home of 700 years, which is also to host a Harry Hotspur exhibition. Other activities linked to its history will include have-a-go archery sessions and – later in the year – themed weekends. Activities manager James Boyd called the 2017 season “a wonderful, unforgettable experience for everyone who visits”. He added: “We’re all so excited about our fantastic, new activities planned for all ages and interests.” The castle has a “pay for a day and visit free for a year” offer. For ticket prices and booking details visit www. alnwickcastle.com or call 01665 511 500. From Friday, daily opening times will be 10am to 5pm until October 29.