Wednesday 27th October 1819
Wednesday Oct 27th We went 13 miles to Wooler where we breakfasted passing in our way a very pretty country, & Flodden Field
memorable for the battle fought in 1514 on one side the Cheviots now constantly form our horizon covered with snow the Inn at Woolen is good; went to Whittingham 13 miles changing horses advanced to Alnwick 8 miles a mile from the town we had a fine view of the magnificent castle belonging to the Duke of Northumberland also a fine monument erected to the memory of Nelson Alnwick is situated near the sea arriving at the Inn we were informed the Castle was not shown but very early in the morning the family however having fortunately come out we were admitted part of the building was built by the Saxon’s the tops of the turrets are ornamented with figures the whole is very is irregularly built but has a most noble appearance the interior has lately been most elegantly fitted up - the whole although very large has the appearance of much comfort the park is very extensive & the river Aln winds beautifully through the grounds over which are thrown two handsome bridges. leaving Alnwick we arrived at Felton bridge to dinner 10 miles where there is a small but
comfortable Inn
OBSERVATIONS & COMMENTS:
Wooler lies on the edge of the Northumberland National Park, near the Cheviot Hills and is referred to as the "Gateway to the Cheviots". It lies on the St. Cuthbert's Way long-distance footpath between Melrose Abbey and Lindisfarne. Wooler was not recorded in the Domesday Book, because when the book was written in 1086, northern Northumbria was not under Norman control. However, by 1107, at the time of the creation of the 1st Baron of Wooler, the settlement was described as "situated in an ill-cultivated country under the influence of vast mountains, from whence it is subject to impetuous rains". Wooler subsequently enjoyed a period of prosperity and with its expansion it was granted a licence in 1199 to hold a market every Thursday. The St. Mary Magdalene Hospital was established around 1288.
High Street, Wooler View northward from near the bus station. Wooler is far to pleasant a town to be dismissed as a mere "gateway" as its self-deprecating mission statement proclaims on signs. © Copyright Richard Webb and licensed for reuse under the (CC BY-SA 2.0) Creative Commons Licence. https://www.geograph.org.uk/photo/2611058
Wooler is close to Humbleton Hill, the site of a severe Scottish defeat at the hands of Harry Hotspur in 1402. This battle is referred to at the beginning of William Shakespeare's play Henry IV, Part 1 – of which Hotspur is the dashing hero. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wooler
Wooler Inn: The Coplands would probably have breakfasted at the The Black Bull Hotel, at 2 High Street, “a 17th Century Coaching Inn standing in the main street of Wooler. It is a wonderful base for sightseeing, walking, riding, golf and fishing.” https://www.britainexpress.com/counties/northumbria/stay/BE2980.htm
Black Bull Hotel, Wooler A 17th Century coaching inn. © Copyright Tim Heaton and licensed for reuse under the (CC BY-SA 2.0) Creative Commons Licence. https://www.geograph.org.uk/photo/3129955
It is possible that they called at The Tankerville Arms, built by “Lord of the Manor” the Earl of Tankerville in the 1700’s. The first Earl of Tankerville, Charles Bennet, built The Tankerville Arms to accommodate ‘spare’ guests when their then home, Chillingham castle was full, it is thought that the building was originally used for hunting parties. In 1827, the Tankerville incorporated the local excise office, and in 1841 it became a posting house on the chartered run between London & Edinburgh, a journey which took (including stops) 44 hours! This ended in 1847, 4 days after the opening of the rail line.
Tankerville Arms Hotel, © Copyright Stanley Howe and licensed for reuse under the (CC BY-SA 2.0) Creative Commons Licence. https://www.geograph.org.uk/photo/644089
The Tankerville was known to locals through the 19th Century as “The Wooler cottage” and infact changed its name to “The Cottage” for a time, however, the deeds and official paperwork have always been The Tankerville Arms. https://tankervillehotel.co.uk/
Flodden Field: Lucy’s date is wrong. The battle was 1513. It was a military combat in the War of the League of Cambrai between the Kingdom of England and the Kingdom of Scotland, resulting in an English victory. The battle was fought in Branxton in the county of Northumberland in northern England on 9 September 1513, between an invading Scots army under King James IV and an English army commanded by the Earl of Surrey. In terms of troop numbers, it was the largest battle fought between the two kingdoms. See Wednesday 13th October 1819 where Lucy has already commented. James IV was killed in the battle, becoming the last monarch from the British Isles to die in battle. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Flodden
The Cheviots: See 7th August 1819
Whittingham is a village situated on the banks of the River Aln, roughly 4.5 miles (7 km) east of its source at Alnham and 7.3 miles (12 km) west of Alnwick.
Whittingham village nestling in the valley of the River Aln. Cheviot hills beyond. © Copyright Oliver Dixon and licensed for reuse under the (CC BY-SA 2.0) Creative Commons Licence. https://www.geograph.org.uk/photo/1332832
The thirteenth/fourteenth century pele tower, Whittingham Tower, was converted into alms houses in 1845 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Whittingham,_Northumberland
2009: Whittingham Tower This tower in the village of Whittingham was built in the 13th/14th centuries. In 1845, it was converted into almshouses by Lady Ravensworth. By Oliver Dixon. This image was taken from the Geograph project collection. The copyright on this image is owned by Oliver Dixon and is licensed for reuse under the (CC BY-SA 2.0) Creative Commons license. https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Whittingham_Tower_-_geograph.org.uk_-_1332545.jpg
Alnwick dates to about ad 600, and thrived as an agricultural centre. Alnwick Castle was the home of the most powerful medieval northern baronial family, the Earls of Northumberland. It was a staging post on the Great North Road between Edinburgh and London.
circa 1800: A view of Alnwick, Northumberland, from the River Aln. Engraving by Pote after I. F. Nichol. Later coloured by hand. https://antique-prints-maps.com/acatalog/ref1.php?imagefile=../largeimages/SEViewAlnwick12.jpg
At various points in the town are memorials of the constant wars between Percys and Scots, in which so many Percys spent the greater part of their lives. A cross near Broomhouse Hill across the river from the castle marks the spot where Malcolm III of Scotland was killed during the first Battle of Alnwick. At the side of the broad shady road called Ratten Row, leading from the West Lodge to Bailiffgate, a stone tablet marks the spot where William the Lion of Scotland was captured during the second Battle of Alnwick (1174) by a party of about 400 mounted knights, led by Ranulf de Glanvill. Hulne Priory, outside the town walls in Hulne Park, the Duke of Northumberland's walled estate, was a monastery founded in the 13th century by the Carmelites; it is said that the site was chosen for some slight resemblance to Mount Carmel where the order originated. Substantial ruins remain. In 1314, Sir John Felton was governor of Alnwick. In winter 1424, much of the town was burnt by a Scottish raiding party. Again in 1448 the town was burnt by a Scottish army led by William Douglas, 8th Earl of Douglas and George Douglas, 4th Earl of Angus. Thomas Malory mentions Alnwick as a possible location for Lancelot's castle Joyous Garde https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alnwick
Alnwick Market Place . The focus of the town for many years. The town hall faces the market place with the buttercross to the right. Markets are still held here. © Copyright Graham Horn and licensed for reuse under the (CC BY-SA 2.0) Creative Commons Licence. https://www.geograph.org.uk/photo/1521772
Alnwick Castle was founded in the late 11th century by Ivo de Vesci, a Norman nobleman from Vassy, Calvados in Normandy. The family's property and estates had been put into the guardianship of Antony Bek, who sold them to the Percys. From this time the fortunes of the Percys, though they still held their Yorkshire lands and titles, were linked permanently with Alnwick and its castle and have been owned by the Percy family, the Earls and later Dukes of Northumberland since. The Percy family were powerful lords in northern England. Henry Percy, 1st Earl of Northumberland (1341–1408), rebelled against King Richard II and helped dethrone him. The earl later rebelled against King Henry IV and after defeating the earl in the Battle of Shrewsbury, the king chased him north to Alnwick. The castle surrendered under the threat of bombardment in 1403. During the Wars of the Roses, castles were infrequently engaged in battle and conflict was generally based around combat in the field. Alnwick was one of three castles held by Lancastrian forces in 1461 and 1462, and it was there that the "only practical defence of a private castle" was made according to military historian D. J. Cathcart King. After the execution of Thomas Percy, 7th Earl of Northumberland, in 1572 Alnwick castle was uninhabited. In the second half of the 18th century Robert Adam carried out many alterations. The interiors were largely in a Strawberry Hill gothic style not at all typical of his work, which was usually neoclassical.
1783: Alnwick Castle, Seat of the Duke of Northumberland from Watts's Seats . Artist: Lord Duncannon. Engraver and Publisher William Watts. http://www.rareoldprints.com/p/12123
Alnwick Castle. A chromo-lithograph from Morris's Seats http://www.rareoldprints.com/z/22222
However, in the 19th century Algernon, 4th Duke of Northumberland replaced much of Adam's architecture( probably post 1818). According to the official website a large amount of Adam's work survives, but little or none of it remains in the principal rooms shown to the public. Alnwick Castle was painted by J.M.W. Turner.
Alnwick Castle . Looking across Bowburn Park to the grade I listed Alnwick Castle. © Copyright Ian Capper and licensed for reuse under the (CC BY-SA 2.0) Creative Commons Licence. https://www.geograph.org.uk/photo/6298563
battlements are surmounted by carved figures dating from around 1300. Alnwick Castle has two parks. Immediately to the north of the castle is a relatively small park straddling the River Aln which was landscaped by Lancelot Brown ("Capability Brown") and Thomas Call in the 18th century; it is known locally as The Pastures. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alnwick_Castle View from the Pastures, below:
Alnwick Castle from the pastures . © Copyright Mark Evans and licensed for reuse under the (CC BY-SA 2.0) Creative Commons Licence. https://www.geograph.org.uk/photo/1181496
Duke of Northumberland: When the Coplands passed through Alnwick, Hugh Percy, 3rd Duke of Northumberland, a British aristocrat and Tory politician, was in residence. In 1812, when he was called to the House of Lords through a writ of acceleration by the title Baron Percy. In 1817 he succeeded his father as Duke of Northumberland. He served as Ambassador Extraordinary at the coronation of Charles X of France in 1825, defraying the expenses thereof himself, and he "astonished the continental nobility of the magnitude of his retinue, the gorgeousness of his equippage, and the profuseness of his liberality". In March 1829 he was appointed Lord-Lieutenant of Ireland under the Duke of Wellington, a post he held until the following year. He was thus in office when the Catholic Emancipation Act was passed, and was pronounced by Robert Peel "the best chief governor that ever presided over the affairs of Ireland."who served as Lord Lieutenant of Ireland https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hugh_Percy,_3rd_Duke_of_Northumberland
3rd Duke of Northumberland by William Holl Sr, or by William Holl Jr, after George Ward. This work is in the public domain in its country of origin and other countries and areas where the copyright term is the author's life plus 70 years or fewer. https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:3rd_Duke_of_Northumberland_cropped.jpg
The Nelson Memorial, Swarland is a white freestone obelisk erected in 1807, two years after Nelson's death, by his friend and sometime agent, Alexander Davison, who owned an estate centred on the now demolished Swarland Hall. Davison made his fortune in the late 18th century after travelling to Quebec, where he met and became friends with the 24-year-old Nelson, who was commanding HMS Albemarle, which was docked at Quebec City during the War of American Independence. Later in life, Nelson engaged Davison as an agent to represent him at naval tribunals dealing with the distribution of the spoils of battle.
Davison's Obelisk . 'The Nelson Memorial, Swarland is a white freestone obelisk erected in 1807, two years after Nelson's death, by his friend and sometime agent, Alexander Davison, who owned an estate centred on the now demolished Swarland Hall. © Copyright Russel Wills and licensed for reuse under the (CC BY-SA 2.0) Creative Commons Licence. https://www.geograph.org.uk/photo/4948496
The obelisk is not the only Nelson memorial extant at Swarland. A line of trees on the estate represents the Nile delta, whilst other groups of trees represent the positions of French and British ships engaged in the Battle of the Nile. The Nile Clumps near Amesbury were also planted to commemorate the Battle of the Nile. There are three inscriptions on the monument; from top to bottom: England expects every man to do his duty-Victory 21 October 1805-Not to Commemorate the Public Virtues and Heroic Achievements of Nelson, which is the duty of England; But to the Memory of Private Friendship, this erection is dedicated by Alexander Davison, Swarland Hall. The erection of the memorial arguably represented the zenith of Davison's social standing; he was imprisoned for a year for fraud in 1808, and never recovered his position. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nelson_Memorial,_Swarland HOWEVER Lucy writes: a mile from the town we had a fine view of the magnificent castle belonging to the Duke of Northumberland also a fine monument erected to the memory of Nelson. As Swarland is 7 miles South of Alnwick it is possible Lucy is referring to The Camphill Column, a stone column erected in 1814, celebrating a number of British victories over the French and others, and the restoration of peace to Europe.
2011: Camphill Column, Alnwick, Northumberland, England by Tagishsimon, the copyright holder of this work, and published under the (CC BY-SA 3.0) Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 3.0 Unported license. https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Camphill_Column,_Alnwick_-_2011-09-12.jpg
It carries inscriptions to Pitt, Wellington, Nelson and its progenitor, Henry Collingwood Selby and is 0.6 miles from the Castle. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Camphill_Column,_Alnwick
The Inn: arriving at the Inn we were informed the Castle was not shown but very early in the morning the family however having fortunately come out we were admitted . This is a little confusing. The Coplands have already breakfasted in Wooler and changed horses in Whittingham. They arrived in Alnwick after 34 miles. They are to go on to Felton Bridge to Dinner and, presumably to spend the night. Does very early in the morning the family however having fortunately come out mean that the Duke of Northumberland and his family had left early in the morning, leaving the Coplands free to enter the building, or less likely, were the Coplands there early in the morning and able to meed the Duke’s family to gain admittance? The White Swan Hotel is recorded by the Universal British Directory as one of two existing in Alnwick in 1791.
The White Swan Hotel, Alnwick . On Bondgate Within. © Copyright JThomas and licensed for reuse under the (CC BY-SA 2.0) Creative Commons Licence. https://www.geograph.org.uk/photo/5022435
The Gentleman's Magazine noted in 1797 that it was "occupied by a man named Wilson, who at one time had lived as footman in the Hervey family." W. Davison, writing in 1822, stated that the White Swan was "the principal inn ... at which the mail and union coaches stop, and all the posting on the great north road." It is .3 mile on foot from the Castle https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/White_Swan_Hotel,_Alnwick The other, less grand, is likely to have been The Black Swan, which has been standing since the 18th Century - believed by many historians to be the oldest pub in Alnwick and which may have been slept at by Robbie Burns in 1787.
The Black Swan, Alnwick , on Narrowgate. © Copyright JThomas and licensed for reuse under the (CC BY-SA 2.0) Creative Commons Licence. https://www.geograph.org.uk/photo/5022425
It is 0.1 miles from the Castle. https://www.theblackswan-alnwick.co.uk/ Being so close to the Castle it is more likely that they were at The Black Swan and learned from there that they could gain entrance.
River Aln is a relatively small river but has been important through history as one of the boundaries along which English and Scottish troops marching to war had to cross; for that reason, it was at times heavily defended.
2006: The River Aln near Alnmouth, Northumberland, UK by James F. Carter. This file is licensed under the (CC-By-SA-2.5 ) Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 2.5 Generic license.
For example, the river flows past Learchild Roman Fort and, more significantly, Alnwick Castle which was built for this purpose. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/River_Aln
The Lion Bridge over the River Aln at Alnwick was built in 1775 by John Adam. The bridge is built in a castle-style with the lead cast Percy lion at its centre and is overlooked by Alnwick Castle. https://co-curate.ncl.ac.uk/the-lion-bridge/
The Lion on Lion Bridge . Lion Bridge takes The Peth across the River Aln. © Copyright Russel Wills and licensed for reuse under the (CC BY-SA 2.0) Creative Commons Licence. https://www.geograph.org.uk/photo/3044361
The Lion on Lion Bridge, Alnwick . © Copyright Les Hull and licensed for reuse under the (CC BY-SA 2.0) Creative Commons Licence. https://www.geograph.org.uk/photo/1685312
Denwick Bridge: Capability Brown’s scheme for Alnwick also included a causeway to cross the valley from the east of the castle, linking it with Barniside. This gravel walk, overhung by trees, gave views down river towards two eye-catchers, the Gothic-style mill (formerly New Mill) and Denwick Bridge. http://www.capabilitybrown.org/garden/alnwick-castle Built 1776 http://www.bridgesonthetyne.co.uk/alnhulne.html
Denwick Bridge where the B1340 crosses the River Aln . A handsome 18th century bridge built for Hugh, 1st Duke of Northumberland it was widened in 1924 with a concrete arch. The span is 56 feet and it has a height of 18 feet. There are two refuges for pedestrians on the upstream side with smaller ones on the other side. The image is taken from one upstream pedestrian refuge looking across to the other. © Copyright Russel Wills and licensed for reuse under the (CC BY-SA 2.0) Creative Commons Licence. https://www.geograph.org.uk/photo/3017343
Felton bridge has no definite date of construction, but it or an even older bridge may have existed here since the 13th century, though Pevsner says probably 15th century.
Old Felton Bridge over River Coquet . Once important on the Great North Road, then replaced by nearby bridge and now the A1 bypasses Felton completely. The bridge is now for pedestrians only. © Copyright Russel Wills and licensed for reuse under the (CC BY-SA 2.0) Creative Commons Licence. https://www.geograph.org.uk/photo/3381757
Whatever the date, it is a fine old bridge of three arches, Grade 2 listed, and widened at some time on the upstream side, probably in the 1800s. https://www.bridgesonthetyne.co.uk/feltonold.html
Inn: According to A Brief History of Felton, by Eleanor George in Felton Parish Council History : “In 1712 the first stage coach service between Edinburgh and London began. The journey took 13 days. It stopped at one of the Felton inns to change horses and allow the passengers to refresh themselves. Over the years traffic steadily increased and in the early 1780s, the Turnpike Trust built a toll road, which followed the route of the old road through Felton, to accommodate it. This allowed faster transport from London to Edinburgh. In 1786 an express coach began travelling the route, taking only 60 hours for the whole journey, and soon after a daily mail coach was introduced. In 1788 the old bridge was widened to allow traffic going in opposite directions to cross at the same time. The increase in traffic also stimulated the growth of the village. There was a rapid rise in the number of houses, shops, inns and other services. There were blacksmiths, harness and saddle makers, boot and shoemakers, cabinet makers, carpenters and joiners, fishing tackle makers, tailors, dressmakers, hat-makers, clockmakers, butchers, bakers, brewers and grocers as well as a host of other tradespeople. The small thatched cottages, which lined the route of the road, began to be replaced by large stone houses with tiled roofs. The long burgage plots behind the cottages had workshops, and living accommodation for servants and apprentices, built on them. A new coaching inn, the Widdrington Inn, was built. It competed with the two older coaching inns, the Red Lion and the Coach & Horses. Other inns included the Angel Inn, the Rose & Crown, the Fox & Hounds and the North Briton. The Red Lion had the added attraction of a theatre, which staged frequent performances by travelling players, and it hosted Felton Races, a popular annual event, which attracted large crowds. The Widdrington Inn also had an added attraction, a cockpit, where regular cock-fighting tournaments were held. Men came from all over the county to gamble on the fights. https://northumberlandparishes.uk/felton/history None of these inns appear to exist now.
M.J. Armstrong - Wooler, Akeld, Kirknewton, Mindrum, Plate 40 from "An Actual Survey of the Great Post-Roads between London and Edinburgh" by Mostyn John Armstrong, published in 1776. Each map shows a section of the road from London to Edinburgh drawn on the scale of half an inch to the mile. These maps are not strip road maps, but take the form of a conventional map covering an area of approximately 12 miles from south to north and 7 miles east to west.https://antique-prints-maps.com/acatalog/ref1.php?imagefile=../largeimages/MapMJA40a.jpg
Can you help us?
Old Regency Prints, Pictures an Coaching maps: Do you have access to any prints or pictures showing what town and country would have looked like when Lucy travelled through? Any illustrations of what she would have seen in 1819 will enliven our research.
New Pictures: Do you have any modern pictures of the streets, buildings, gardens and views that would enable us to see the changes that two centuries have wrought?