Work Begins on £2.6m Revamp of the Cobbles on Bondgate Within

If you drive into Alnwick, shop on Bondgate Within or park on the Cobbles, the next year will look a little different. Northumberland County Council began a £2.6 million scheme to restore and upgrade the Cobbles on 28 September. Work is expected to finish in autumn 2027.

The Cobbles is the wide, setted area of Bondgate Within, just inside the Hotspur Tower. It sits in the Alnwick Conservation Area and is one of the town's busiest spaces, used every day for parking and as a gateway into the town centre.

What is being done

The scheme covers resurfacing, new paving, upgrades to the road and footpaths, landscaping, better green spaces and new street furniture. On the council's Alnwick Cobbles project page, the aims are to improve the setting of the historic town centre, formalise the parking arrangements and make the area easier to get around.

What it means for getting around

The work is being done in phases. It started at the eastern end of Bondgate Within, beside the Hotspur Tower, and will move gradually along the street. The rest of the Cobbles stays open for parking while each section is worked on.

The council says the town centre will stay open for business throughout. Markets and events will carry on, every shop and premises will stay accessible, and plenty of parking will remain available in the town centre. Because some spaces will be closed at any one time, expect to hunt a little longer for a space near the works.

There will be a break over the festive season. Highway works will stop from 7 December 2026 to 4 January 2027, so the works stay out of the way of Christmas shoppers and Alnwick's busiest trading weeks.

The first of three town centre projects

The Cobbles is the first of three major projects starting in Alnwick town centre this autumn. The other two are a new home for Bailiffgate Museum and Gallery in Northumberland Hall, and a refurbished bus station, which we covered in our bus station update. All three come from the Alnwick Town Investment Plan, funded through the Borderlands programme and other partners.

Best for:

"This is the first major step in delivering our ambitions set out in Alnwick's Town Investment Plan," said Cllr Richard Wearmouth, the county council's cabinet member for supporting business and opportunities.

For the history of the street being worked on, see our guide to Alnwick's medieval gates and walls.

You can read the council's announcement on the Northumberland County Council website. There is more coverage in the Hexham Courant.

Got Alnwick news? Get in touch.