Halloween horrors at Alnwick Castle during school half-term

A host of unusual characters can be found at the castle this half-term week.

In the Guest Hall look out for creepy crawlies and horrid beasties – dare you touch!

In artisan’s courtyard find the medieval surgeon telling gruesome and horrid tales of dastardly medieval knights and times gone by.

Meet Alchemy Jack, the mad scientist with his bizarre and sometimes spectacular experiments and make your own witches pot to keep witches out of the home as they did in Tudor times.

Also featuring the ever-popular broomstick training lessons, weather permitting!

On the gun terrace the Newcastle Garrison Living History group will be explaining life as a soldier in times gone by. Dressed in Civil War period costumes they will also be demonstrating how to fire a cannon giving live firings of a modern working replica recently made specifically for the castle to join the authentic historic cannons on the Alnwick Castle gun terrace.

In the evening join one of the hugely popular Twilight Tours which take visitors on a guided tour of dark and spooky parts of the castle, many not generally open to the public.

The tour focuses on stories taken from the darker history of north Northumberland and the castle such as witchcraft, the Alnwick Revenant and once Constable of Alnwick Castle turned traitor - Sir William Lisle, plus our own famous Harry Hotspur. This historical interpretation brings some of the more gruesome parts of local history to life.

Aside from the Twilight Tours, all other activities are included in the daily admission price. Tickets must be booked in advance at www.alnwickcastle.com where visitors can find more detailed information on daily events.

The “buy once then enter free for the rest of the season” offer remains in place so one ticket purchased could provide unlimited entry for the week.

The Twighlight tours will take place on various evenings until October 30 commencing at 6.40pm. Again booked in advance via the web site events page, tickets cost £12 per person plus booking fee. To keep Covid safe, numbers are limited, and masks must be worn in the more confined indoor spaces.

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