The little UK town packed with 75 independent shops and so pretty it looks frozen in time.uk
This British favourite has visitors flocking from all around the world to visit.
Wandering the cobblestone streets of Alnwick you’d be forgiven for thinking you’d walked straight into a fairytale. At a time when town centres across the country are grappling with constant closures, Northumberland is a success story, with Alnwick in particular blessed with one of the finest high streets in the country – jam packed with an incredible 75 independent shops.
From broomsticks to books, tree houses to cherry blossoms, magical Alnwick has become a haven for independent businesses, so much so that tourists from across the world travel to come here. The town’s charm lies in its rich history, dating back to the 7th century. It flourished significantly with the construction of Alnwick Castle, an imposing medieval fortress overlooking the River Aln
Alnwick is a haven for independent shops (Image: Getty)
Alnwick Castle featured in the first two Harry Potter films (Image: Getty)
For Harry Potter enthusiasts, Alnwick Castle might strike a chord of nostalgia, having served as a backdrop for Hogwarts in both the Philosopher’s Stone and the Chamber of Secrets films.
Harry Hall, owner of artisan coffee house Henry’s, told The Express there are around 75 incredible independent shops in the area consisting of cafes, bars, hairdressers and so much more.
Harry believes the thriving local economy is thanks to the “success story” of becoming a haven for tourists, with a five-star hotel and Michelin-star restaurant opening recently.
He said: “Northumberland in general is a success story when it comes to the high street. Near neighbour Morpeth has very few empty units and a thriving local economy, just like Alnwick.
“Tourists come to Alnwick from all over the world, and the attractions of Alnwick Castle and Gardens are major influencers. The opening seasonal hours of Alnwick Castle, in particular, coincide with the busiest periods for Alnwick traders (Easter until the end of September).
Tourists come to Alnwick from all over the world (Image: Getty)
“Business for me is best described as nice and buoyant, although seasonal, I have worked hard to foster a good base of local customers, who sustain us through the quieter months.
“There are many independent shops, and at least half of them are geared towards the tourist industry.”
Family-run, home-grown businesses are also attracted to Alnwick’s low rents, with an array being a staple of the community for decades.
Independent shops also offer tourists and locals alike a more diverse shopping experience, offering a more personalised service away from the large conglomerates that can be found in Willowburn Retail Park, which is located on the outskirts of the town. Harry said: “The size of the independent shops in Alnwick (usually small) means the rents and rates are low and ideal for owner-operators.
“If you look at the success of Alnwick Market, now operating three to four days a week during the summer, it is full of local stallholders who will provide the next generation of shop owners as their businesses grow.
“The independent businesses support each other by trading with each other. I’ve noticed that my business is well supported by other local business owners.
“Obviously, independent businesses are important to provide the point of difference between Alnwick and other towns, which all have the same chains and similarities.
Harry opened his artisan coffee house a year ago (Image: Harry Hall)
“The newly opened Bailiffgate hotel will provide an extra positive vibe to the town with 5-star luxury not seen in Alnwick before. That said, Alnwick has a great collection of smaller hotels, hostels and B&Bs as well as some fabulous pubs.”
Cafes and shops in the area have recently benefited from the pedestrianisation of Narrowgate, providing a lovely vibe while also increasing footfall.
However, Harry does acknowledge that recently, Alnwick has seen banks close on the high street, a story for many towns across the UK.
He said: “There are now several vacant buildings due to the closure of high street banks, although a new banking hub has just been announced.
“It will be more difficult to fill these large bank buildings, as the finances are much bigger, and Alnwick already has an out-of-town shopping facility, which attracts the large national companies.”
Alnwick has one of the ‘finest streetscapes of any town in the UK’ (Image: Getty)
Even after travelling the world for 25 years with the RAF, Councillor Gordon Castle, who has served his town for 20 years, has never thought of living anywhere else.
A charm of the tight-knit town is that you never have to walk far without bumping into a friendly face.
Speaking to the Express he said: “Though born and brought up here, after 25 years in the RAF and having been around the world, it never crossed my mind to live anywhere else.
“Alnwick has a strong sense of identity and more social cohesion than most market towns. I can look into one of many excellent pubs in town and be sure of meeting someone I know well and was probably at school with.
“Alnwick has long had a large number of independent, sometimes quirky shops in one of the finest streetscapes of any town in the UK, among memorable architecture with historic significance.
“It is compact and easy to walk around in 20 minutes or so, with something new always emerging – shops do not stay closed for long and commercial property is much sought after.
The castle dominates the town’s skyline (Image: Getty)
“Civilisation gets no better than Alnwick with its strong community and, on the whole, shops understand that increasing numbers of visitors mean increased trade.
“Come and see for yourself and tell me I’m wrong!”
Similarly to Harry, Gordon acknowledges that there are a few vacant shops.
He says: “The ancient marketplace should be the go-to centre of town, but it is going through a period of change that does not presently show it at its best.
“A stretch of shops there was recently under development, now stalled while a new buyer is found.
“The Grade 1 listed Northumberland Hall awaits soon-to-be-confirmed grant funding being awarded to the Bailiffgate Museum, which has planning permission for a move there that will bring the marketplace to life. It has outstanding, frequent markets under a private operator, and summer events are programmed that are always successful.”
Alnwick’s marketplace is going through a ‘period of change’ (Image: Getty)
Neil Aipchison, from Barter Books, believes the increasing number of closed shops is due to visitors mainly staying around the castle and its grounds. Efforts were made to try and entice visitors further into the town with a bus shuttle service, however this did not prove popular.
Concerningly, there is even a whole row of empty shops in the market.
He said: “The marketplace has lots of empty shops, there are whole rows of shops empty.
“In the market The Pig in Muck, a popular cafe bar, closed as well as a stationary shop and a cafe’s roof collapsed. The area could be so nice. We do not have a huge amount of chains and the highs are good in the summer, however you can’t survive on two months of business.
“The problem is visitors don’t really go into the centre of town, we have a good relationship with the castle and gardens so we do quite well.
“We have become a tourist attraction and the owners have put in a lot of effort. We opened a cafe about 10 to 15 years ago which has been successful.
“We do better when the weather isn’t nice as people want to come inside.”
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