A short time afterwards we came to Alnwick, whose castle is one of the most extensive and complete specimens of mediaeval architecture in England.  In the last century it has been largely restored, following out the original design of the exterior, at least, and is now the residence of the Duke of Northumberland.  Usually it is open to visitors, but in the confusion that followed the visit of the king the day before, the castle and its great park had been closed until the next week.  We had seen the interior of so many similar places that this was not so much of a disappointment, especially as we had a splendid view of the old fortress from the outside and also from the courtyard.  On the battlements of this castle are numerous stone figures of men in the act of hurling down missiles on the heads of foes who might besiege it.  This was quite common in early days and feudal barons perhaps thought to make up for their shortage of real men by placing these effigies on the walls of their fortresses, but Alnwick is the only castle on which the figures still remain.  The town itself was still in holiday attire in honor of its royal guest of the preceding day.  The buildings were covered with the national colors and many decorations and illuminations had been planned to celebrate the occasion.  Alnwick is one of the most typical of the English feudal towns.  It is owned largely by the Duke of Northumberland, who appears to be popular with his tenantry, the latter having erected, in honor of their noble landlord, a lofty column surmounted by the figure of a lion.  Every view from the distance for miles around is dominated by the battlemented and many-towered walls of the castle, which surmounts a hill overlooking the town.  The story of Alnwick and its castle would be long to tell, for they bore the brunt of many Scotch incursions and suffered much at the hands of the fierce marauders from the north.

Our afternoon’s run led us from Alnwick to Durham, passing through Newcastle-on-Tyne.  Newcastle is a large commercial city, famous for its mining and shipbuilding industries, and has but little to engage the attention of the tourist.  Our pause was a short one, and we reached Durham in good time after a run of over one hundred miles, broken by several lengthy stops on the way.

The main street of Durham in many places is barely wide enough for two vehicles to pass.  It winds and twists through the town in such a way that one seems to be almost moving in a circle at times and constant inquiry is necessary to keep from being lost on the main street of a city of fifteen or twenty thousand.  The town is almost as much of a jumble as if its red, tile-roof buildings had been promiscuously thrown to their places from Cathedral Hill.  Durham is strictly an ecclesiastical center.  There is little except the cathedral, which, in addition to being one of the most imposing, occupies perhaps the finest site of any of the great English churches.