How do you measure the influence of the aristocracy? Northumberland, ultimate county of the landed class and fiefdom of the Percys, is a good place to start. For centuries, Alnwick Castle, a magnificent medieval stronghold set in rolling parkland beside an agreeable market town, has been the seat of power for a family that traces its roots to a William di Percy. He came to England with William the Conqueror in 1066. Whether the castle remains so powerful today is a matter of debate. However, what cannot be disputed is the influence of the inhabitants – albeit, now exercised discreetly – since a successor, Henry Percy, acquired the border fortress, and its surrounding lands, from the Bishop of Durham in 1309.

The role of the family enterprise, Northumberland Estates, in the economy of the county and in its social and political networks cannot be underestimated. Like other old, landed undertakings, it has morphed into a powerful development enterprise, exploiting its key asset – land and attendant buildings – to the maximum. For better or for worse, it is a powerful player in the county – accepted by some, tolerated by others, if not universally popular, and boasting ‘an international property portfolio centred on the north east’. This includes ‘stunning mansion houses’ – Alnwick Castle, as well as Syon House, in West London, for starters – as well as numerous other properties, over 100,000 farming acres either directly managed by the estate or let to 100 tenant farmers, mineral rights over 300,000 acres, 800 cottages, countless farm buildings and ‘valuable development land around Tyneside’.

Next to Windsor, a home of the Royals, Alnwick is the country’s second-largest inhabited castle. It has a firm place in history: Harry Hotspur, immortalised in Shakespeare’s Henry IV, Part 1, was the son of the fourth Lord Percy. In its present form, the stronghold dates back to 1752. Sir Hugh Percy, the first duke after a succession of earls, turned a rundown military structure into today’s mix of old castle, traditional stately home and – let us not mince words – small palace, complete with Italianate staterooms and one of the ‘finest collections of renaissance art in Europe’, according to its website.