ons. At a sign, the oldest son of the oldest freeman sprang
into the well, the others after him, and then they made their way as
best they could to the opposite side of the well. Even then the work
was not done, and all started again to "win the boundaries."

Tradition says that the custom of "leaping the well" was instituted by
King John, who, when he was hunting near, got into a bog, and was so
angry with the inhabitants of the town for not attending to it better,
that he took away the charter, and only granted a new one on condition
that every burgess, before he was admitted to the freedom of the town,
should plunge through the bog on the anniversary of the day when he had
himself been so unfortunately compelled to do so.[4]

Alnwick is a place of great antiquity. It is supposed that the Romans
had a fort here, and that the Saxons built a castle on its site.
Before the Conquest, the castle and barony were owned by Gilbert Tyson;
and after the battle of Hastings, it came into the possession of the
Norman Lords de Vescy. They remained in the family till 1297, when
they were bequeathed to the Bishop of Durham by Edward I. Soon after,
they were purchased by Lord Henry de Percy, from whom it descended to
the present Duke of Northumberland.

Alnwick Castle is a noble seat, and stands where once was a Roman camp,
to the north-west of the town. It was of great importance as a border
castle; but a hundred years ago it was very considerably changed. In
1858, however, the noble owner had it repaired, and at a great cost
caused it to be made as nearly as possible as it was at first. It is
perhaps the finest feudal fortress in the kingdom. Five acres are
enclosed by the walls, and the grounds are five miles in length. The
castle is beautifully and romantically situated. The family residence
is in the centre of the inner court, and its decorations are
extraordinarily magnificent. The ceiling is constructed like that of
King's College Chapel, Cambridge, and the paintings on the walls are
copies of those in Milan Cathedral. The castle-walls are flanked by
sixteen towers. The park abounds in rare scenery, and contains ruins
of two abbeys. Malcolm's Cross was rebuilt by the Duchess of
Northumberland to commemorate the fall of King Malcolm and his son, at
the siege of Alnwick, in 1093.

The Percy family has been closely associated with the history of our
land. The head of the noble house, William de Percy, who came w