Hulne Priory

Hulne Priory
Ground plan of Hulne Priory
Click on image for key

Hulne Priory, Hulne Friary or Hulne Abbey was a friary founded in 1240 by the Carmelites or 'Whitefriars'.[1] It is said that the Northumberland site, quite close to Alnwick, was chosen for some slight resemblance to Mount Carmel where the order originated.[2] Substantial ruins survive, watched over by the stone figures of friars carved in the 18th century. It is a sign of the unrest felt in this area so near to the border with Scotland that the priory had a surrounding wall and in the 15th century a pele tower was erected. Changes were made at the Dissolution of the Monasteries when the Percy family took control.

The priory is situated in Hulne Park, a walled park covering several thousand acres which belongs to the Duke of Northumberland and is close to Alnwick Castle. Originally a hunting park, and still used by the Duke for shooting, it now contains woods, moors, stretches of open grassland and Alnwick's home farm. Apart from the priory, the buildings in the park include the gatehouse of the former Alnwick Abbey, and Brizlee Tower, which is a viewing tower in Gothic Revival style that dates from the 1780s.

The public is admitted to Hulne Park, but it is not marketed as a visitor attraction and has no visitor facilities. Entry is via the approach from Alnwick, and is restricted to pedestrians only. The ruins of the priory may be viewed whilst Brizlee Tower is rarely open to the public.[3]

Hulne Priory was a filming location in HTV's Robin of Sherwood with Michael Praed where it doubled for Kirklees Abbey. Later it was Maid Marian's home in the 1991 film Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves.

The priory is licensed for wedding ceremonies[4] and is occasionally used as a location for live performances.[5]

  1. ^ "Hulne Friary (Denwick)". Keys to the Past. Durham County Council and Northumberland County Council. Retrieved 20 July 2019.
  2. ^ Mackenzie, Eneas (1825). An Historical, Topographical, and Descriptive View of the County of Northumberland: And of Those Parts of the County of Durham Situated North of the River Tyne, with Berwick Upon Tweed, and Brief Notices of Celebrated Places on the Scottish Border. Mackenzie and Dent.
  3. ^ "Take a tour of Brizlee Tower". The Chronicle Live. Retrieved 8 October 2019.
  4. ^ "Hulne Abbey". Alnwick Castle. Retrieved 8 October 2019.
  5. ^ "Much Ado About Nothing at Hulne Abbey" (PDF). Alnwick Castle. Retrieved 8 October 2019.