Hulne Priory, Hulne Friary or Hulne Abbey was a friary founded in 1240 by the

Carmelites , image = , caption = Coat of arms of the Carmelites , abbreviation = OCarm , formation = Late 12th century , founder = Early hermits of Mount Carmel , founding_location = Mount Car ...

or 'Whitefriars'. It is said that the

Northumberland Northumberland () is a county in Northern England, one of two counties in England which border with Scotland. Notable landmarks in the county include Alnwick Castle, Bamburgh Castle, Hadrian's Wall and Hexham Abbey. It is bordered by land ...

site, quite close to

Alnwick Alnwick ( ) is a market town in Northumberland, England, of which it is the traditional county town. The population at the 2011 Census was 8,116. The town is on the south bank of the River Aln, south of Berwick-upon-Tweed and the Scottish bor ...

, was chosen for some slight resemblance to

Mount Carmel Mount Carmel ( he, הַר הַכַּרְמֶל, Har haKarmel; ar, جبل الكرمل, Jabal al-Karmil), also known in Arabic as Mount Mar Elias ( ar, link=no, جبل مار إلياس, Jabal Mār Ilyās, lit=Mount Saint Elias/Elijah), is a c ...

where the order originated. Substantial ruins survive, watched over by the stone figures of

friar A friar is a member of one of the mendicant orders founded in the twelfth or thirteenth century; the term distinguishes the mendicants' itinerant apostolic character, exercised broadly under the jurisdiction of a superior general, from the o ...

s carved in the 18th century. It is a sign of the unrest felt in this area so near to the border with

Scotland Scotland (, ) is a Countries of the United Kingdom, country that is part of the United Kingdom. Covering the northern third of the island of Great Britain, mainland Scotland has a Anglo-Scottish border, border with England to the southeast ...

that the priory had a surrounding wall and in the 15th century a

pele tower Peel towers (also spelt pele) are small fortified keeps or tower houses, built along the English and Scottish borders in the Scottish Marches and North of England, mainly between the mid-14th century and about 1600. They were free-standi ...

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 A park is an area of natural, semi-natural or planted space set aside for human enjoyment and recreation or for the protection of wildlife or natural habitats. Urban parks are green spaces set aside for recreation inside towns and cities. ...

covering several thousand acres which belongs to the

Duke of Northumberland Duke of Northumberland is a noble title that has been created three times in English and British history, twice in the Peerage of England and once in the Peerage of Great Britain. The current holder of this title is Ralph Percy, 12th Duke ...

and is close to

Alnwick Castle Alnwick Castle () is a castle and country house in Alnwick in the English county of Northumberland. It is the seat of the 12th Duke of Northumberland, built following the Norman conquest and renovated and remodelled a number of times. It is a G ...

. 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 Gothic Revival (also referred to as Victorian Gothic, neo-Gothic, or Gothick) is an architectural movement that began in the late 1740s in England. The movement gained momentum and expanded in the first half of the 19th century, as increasingly ...

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. Hulne Priory was a filming location in HTV's ''

Robin of Sherwood ''Robin of Sherwood'' is a British television series, based on the legend of Robin Hood. Created by Richard Carpenter, it was produced by HTV in association with Goldcrest, and ran from 28 April 1984 to 28 June 1986 on the ITV network. In th ...

'' with Michael Praed where it doubled for Kirklees Abbey. Later it was

Maid Marian Maid Marian is the heroine of the Robin Hood legend in English folklore, often taken to be his lover. She is not mentioned in the early, medieval versions of the legend, but was the subject of at least two plays by 1600. Her history and circums ...

's home in the 1991 film '' Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves''. The priory is licensed for wedding ceremonies and is occasionally used as a location for live performances.

References

External links

Walks and Trails page
at the site of the owners, Northumberland Estates *

{{Authority control Alnwick Churches in Northumberland Carmelite monasteries in England Monasteries in Northumberland Peel towers in Northumberland Tourist attractions in Northumberland Christian monasteries established in the 13th century 13th-century establishments in England Houses completed in the 15th century Towers completed in the 15th century

See also

References

External links