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Edinburgh Day 15 – Day Trip to Alnwick, Borders, Blackford Hill
Today, the three of us travelled about one and three-quarter hours by car down the A1 to the town of Alnwick in Northumberland. We then returned to Edinburgh via some beautiful Northumberland and Scottish Border rural roads. We ended the day with a walk up Blackford Hill to get a view of Edinburgh at night.
This was roughly our route
Alnwick
One reason for going to Alnwick was so we could make use of our Historic Houses membership cards to see Alnwick Castle. We’d already used these cards to see the Japanese Garden, Traquair House and Bamburgh Castle.
Another reason for going was that Caroline’s 3x great grandfather – George Tate (1805-1871: family tree https://nzfamilyhistorysearch.co/projects/tate-simpson/tate-simpson-family-tree/) – was well-known in the town of Alnwick during the 19th-century. He was born there and became a draper and then the town’s postmaster for many years. He was also a historian / ‘antiquarian’, archaeologist, geologist, botanist, and zoologist, among other things. He published a significant number of books and and academic papers, mainly about Northumberland, and was a fellow of the Geological Society, and prominent member of the Berwickshire Naturalists’ Club and Alnwick Mechanics’ Scientific Institution. (See https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/George_Tate_(topographer) for a brief summary of his life.)
George Tate (1805-1871). Credit: History of the Berwickshire Naturalist Club: 1869-1872. Alnwick, Henry Hunter Blair, Market Place, 1872.
Perhaps George’s most substantial book was his history of Alnwick (published in 1866), which covered everything from the town’s geography and first inhabitants, to local customs, and the history of Alnwick Castle and the Percy family (which still owns the castle today).
Credit: Google Books : https://books.google.co.nz/books?id=voYHAAAAQAAJ&pg=PA366-IA2&source=gbs_selected_pages&cad=1#v=onepage&q&f=false
Alnwick Castle today…
…and in George Tate’s (1866) book, facing page 367
Alnwick Castle in 1866 – isometric view drawn by F.R. Wilson, Alnwick architect. In George Tate’s book, facing page 377
Current public castle entrance
State coach of the Duke of Northumberland c. 1825
The Barbican (fortified gate)
Much of Alnwick Castle is still inhabited. The publicly-accessible ‘state rooms’ are sumptuously decorated and furnished (but no photography is allowed). The photo above is of the Octagon towers of the Castle Keep with an archway that leads to the state rooms
These are the same towers in George Tate’s 1866 book, facing page 85. They were built about 1330
‘Percy draw well’ now…
… and in George Tate’s 1866 book, facing page 85
Constable Tower
Christian relics in castle museum
After visiting the Castle, we went on a short walk to St Michael’s Parish Church to look for George Tate’s family grave, which we (Ian) eventually found under a tree.
Transcript of the headstone (by Philip Tate, 2020):
To the Memory of RALPH TATE [George’s father] who died on Oct 24th 1827 aged 46 years
Also two infant children
ANN Wife of George Tate who died December 21st 1847 aged 44 years
Thomas John, Ellen and William John James, children of George and Ann Tate who died in infancy
RACHEL Widow of Ralph Tate who died March 22nd 1852 Aged 86 years
Also of the above George Tate who died June 7th 1871 aged 66 years
Alnwick Fenkle Street – George Tate’s original Post Office was a bit further down this street on the right
Drive through rural Northumberland and the Scottish Borders
After Alnwick, rather than using the A1 again, we decided to drive back to Edinburgh via rural B roads as much as possible. This was a good choice, as the late afternoon / early evening sun enhanced the already-beautiful rolling farmland and villages. We stopped at a few places on the way, including Coldstream and Kelso.
Coldstream…
River Tweed from the Nun’s Walk – the river forms the border between Scotland and England
Blackford Hill
We ended the day by walking up Blackford Hill, past the Edinburgh Royal Observatory, to get a night-time view of the city. By now it was nearly 10 pm, but still light enough to see where we were going. (Ian had already walked there during daylight on Edinburgh Day 1). We were accompanied by the sound of Taylor Swift’s concert which was taking place at Murrayfield Stadium, about 4km away…
Arthur’s Seat
Night view of Edinburgh looking north-east through to north-west
New Zealand Family History Search 