The Alnwick Castle Podcast

The story of Earl Percy and the Revolutionary War has been a big theme on the Alnwick Castle podcast this year, especially with our currently exhibition (still available to visit at Alnwick Castle until 20 October, and again in 2027).

So when Bill Openshaw published a second volume of letters and papers from Earl Percy and his time in America, we had to get him back on the podcast to find out more.

Redcoats in New York and Rhode Island picks up where the first volume by Bill, The Road to Lexington, left off. Here you will hear Bill tell us about the Battle of Long Island, the effect of the Declaration of Independence, and the connections Percy had with famous Brits like General Howe and Sir Peter Parker - and famous Americans like Benedict Arnold, Alexander Hamilton and George Washington himself.

Redcoats in New York and Rhode Island is available now wherever you get your books, as well as in the Alnwick Castle gift shop!

This September at Alnwick Castle, we are hosting a Northumbrian Piping Weekend, celebrating this traditional musical instrument of Northumberland. To find out more about what will be happening, we spoke to Andrew Davison, who currently holds the position of Piper to the Duke of Northumberland.

Andrew tells us what it means to be a ducal piper (including his role in Alnwick's famous Shrove Tuesday Football matches), what makes the Northumbrian pipes unique, and some of his own history of piping as well as the stories of some of his predecessors like the notorious Jimmy Allen. 

You will also hear two selections of Northumbrian pipe music, played by Andrew and Nicola Davison and recorded live during a recent performance within the State Rooms at Alnwick Castle.

If you enjoyed the episode, please join us for our Piping Weekend on 19 and 20 September! You can also hear more about the history and traditions of Northumbrian piping at Alnwick Castle by finding episode 25 of this podcast, recorded with the previous Duke's Piper, Richard Butler.

Have you heard the story of Henry Hugh Manvers Percy? This 19th century member of the Percy family won a Victoria Cross for his actions in the Battle of Inkerman, one of the crucial fights during the Crimean War, and his story is told in the book 'A Bearskin's Crimea' by Algernon Percy, newly re-released in an expanded an illustrated edition.

We are joined by the author on this episode of the Alnwick Castle Podcast, where he explains who Henry Percy was, some of his actions in the Crimea, and the origins of the Victoria Cross, among many other things. If you are interested in this period of history, this episode and the book are definitely for you; and if you have not heard anything about the Crimean War beyond names like Florence Nightingale, Mary Seacole or the Charge of the Light Bridge, well, we hope this episode and the book are for you too!

You can get a copy of 'A Bearskin's Crimea' now. Buy directly from Alnwick Castle at alnwickcastle.com/shop , or you can also order it online through Waterstones.

And don't forget to look out for Henry Percy's sword on display in the State Rooms next time you visit Alnwick Castle!

Marking the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence, and continuing our theme from the last podcast, this month we are looking at some of the connections Alnwick Castle has had with the United States across history.

In this episode, you will hear the stories of George Percy, one of the first English settlers in Virginia; the illegitimate son of the 1st Duke of the Northumberland whose money helped to create a world-famous institution in America; Eustace Percy, who worked in Washington DC during the First World War; and three modern American icons who visited Alnwick Castle or with whom its owners shared a historic moment.

We hope you enjoy this special USA-themed podcast. For more American links, try our most recent episode inspired by the new exhibition at Alnwick Castle, "Earl Percy and the American Revolutionary War".

The US flag has 50 stars ... we would be very grateful if you borrowed five and gave The Alnwick Castle Podcast a five-star review!

Marking 250 years since the Declaration of Independence in 1776, this year Alnwick Castle features a brand new exhibition for visitors to see. "The Shot Heard Round The World: Earl Percy and the American Revolutionary War (1775-1783)" tells the story of the American war of independence from the perspective of Hugh Percy, known at the time as Earl Percy, who was there fighting on the British side.

Percy arrived in Boston in 1774, saw action in some of the earliest fighting of the American Revolution and continued his role through 1776 in New York before returning to England in 1777. To tell us more about Earl Percy and the American Revolutionary War, we asked our archivist Chris Hunwick to show us around the exhibition for the podcast!

From Chris, you will hear about how the exhibition came together, and get an in-depth exploration of the contents. Chris gives us exclusive insights and readings into many of the documents and items on display, from a sketch map believed to be the first made of the war, to 18th century dollar bills, to Percy's logbooks and letters home. 

Use this podcast as an audio guide if you visit the exhibition, or as a way to experience it from wherever you are in the world! If you come to Alnwick Castle in 2026, you will find the exhibition in the Breakfast Room, with other connected displays throughout the State Rooms.

We would love to hear what you think. Email [email protected] or leave a rating and review wherever you get your podcasts!

Work In A Castle is the brand new platform for heritage careers from Historic Houses, where you can go to find out about the amazing, and very varied, job roles that a place like Alnwick Castle can offer. As a member property of Historic Houses, we are excited to be part of the platform, and to find out more, we spoke to Sarah Roller, Director of Policy and Public Affairs for the association.

Sarah talks about what makes working in a historic place so special, the unexpected pathways a heritage career can take, and her own way into the sector. If you are interested in working at a castle, or a palace, or a stately home, or a historic garden ... this may be the podcast episode for you!

To find out more, visit workinacastle.com or follow Work In A Castle on Instagram or LinkedIn.

To hear more about the work Historic Houses do, please head into our podcast back catalogue and find episode 67, where you'll find Sarah's first appearance on the pod!

We are delighted to welcome historian, author and broadcaster Tracy Borman back to Alnwick Castle on 24th April to speak about her new novel The House of Boleyn. Tickets are available now at alnwickcastle.com - we hope to see you there.

As a preview for the event, and in fact as a preview for the book, which is published just one day before Tracy returns to Alnwick, we spoke with her about The House of Boleyn. You will hear a little about what to expect from the talk on 24th April, as well as the process of writing and researching the book, discussion of the Boleyn household at Hever Castle, and the what ifs of Anne Boleyn's story. 

Of course, we also get into the story of Anne and Henry Percy, 6th Earl of Northumberland, as well as how the court of Henry VIII was like being in The Traitors!

You might hear a little bit of crackling when you listen to the episode, this is a result of our remote recording but we have done our best to minimise it wherever possible.

We hope this podcast with Tracy Borman whets your appetite for what is sure to be a brilliant talk in April - get your tickets now!

Anne Boleyn may be one of the best-known figures in British history. But how much do you know about her connections to Alnwick Castle and the Percy family?

In this episode of the Alnwick Castle Podcast, we explore the Boleyn-Percy connection in depth with two amazing experts: Natalie Grueninger, from the Talking Tudors podcast, and Owen Emmerson, from Hever Castle. Natalie and Owen explain the origins of the story that Anne Boleyn was engaged to the future 6th Earl of Northumberland, and the effect this would have on both their lives.

They also spend time discussing the Ecclesiasties, an amazing prayer book that survives in the Alnwick Castle archives and that once belonged to Anne Boleyn. Everything about this book, from the bindings to the images and ideas inside, is remarkable, and you will hear all about it.

You can see the Ecclesiastes in person this year at Hever Castle, where it has been loaned for the new exhibition about Anne, called Capturing A Queen. Visit their website for more details.

For more Tudors on the Alnwick Castle Podcast, please explore our back catalogue - there are several episodes to choose from! And look out for next month's episode where we will be joined once again by the brilliant Tracy Borman to discuss her latest book, The House Of Boleyn.

Welcome, and welcome back, to the first Alnwick Castle Podcast of 2026! Whether you are a brand new listener or you have been with us from the start, we hope you will enjoy what we have planned for the upcoming year, with new episodes arriving on the last Wednesday of every month.

We start 2026 with an in-depth biography of one of the most famous former owners of Alnwick Castle. Henry Percy, the 9th Earl of Northumberland, lived through the Elizabethan and Jacobean periods, and was connected to many of the key events and people of those times. He was also known as the Wizard Earl for his interest in science, alchemy, and magic.

On this podcast, hosts Daniel and Deborah take you through the life of the Wizard Earl, including:

His early years

His relationships with his mother Katherine and wife Dorothy

His library collection and other "bookish matters"

How he became known as the Wizard Earl, and his scientific (or magical) experiments

His famous friends, rivals and (nearly) opponents in duels

His trial following the Gunpowder Plot, and imprisonment in the Tower of London

His relationships with his children, Dorothy, Lucy and Algernon

His attitudes towards women

And what was happening at Alnwick Castle and in the north during his lifetime.

We reference several other episodes of the podcast during this biography. For more details, please go back into our catalohue and look for the following episodes:

10 - Syon House

22 - The Gunpowder Plot and Alnwick Castle

31 - Women of Alnwick Castle (Part 2)

36 - The Tudors, the Percys and Syon House

43 - The History of Tennis

45 - Strange and Mysterious Alnwick Castle Tales

72 - The Border Reivers

83 - The Stolen Crown

For our final episode of 2025, we recommend grabbing your best wooly jumper and getting cosy as we learn all about the history of ... wool!

Company of Artisans, regular guests on the Alnwick Castle podcast, are experts on many different aspects of medieval craftsmanship, and on this episode, Karen and Charlie explain why wool was so important to the economy of medieval England - creating trade, funding wars, and providing employment across the country and society. You will hear the exhaustive process of how wool clothing was made, and some of the reasons why wool is no longer England's top export. You will also hear some of the stories of the history of wool in Northumberland, and from Alnwick Castle itself. 

This is a fascinating deep-dive into centuries of history, and we hope it gives you a new perspective on your clothes!

For more from Company of Artisans, head into our podcast back catalogue, and don't forget to check us out on YouTube as well as our usual platforms!

We will be back with more episodes in 2026. If there's a subject you would like us to cover on the podcast, let us know: [email protected] .