Thank you very much for your observations, Geoff, they are very much appreciated. Clearly, he lived in Pottergate Street. I fully accept what you say with regard to the general hygiene and cleanliness was concerned; in fact, Alnwick was probably not as badly affected as those areas of the North East more involved in the 19th century Industrial Revolution. I understand from local newspaper reports that the town of Alnwick experienced a cholera outbreak during 1847, which was before my Cox lot arrived in Alnwick. I¹m still not sure what was meant by ³high parts of the town², probably the elevated section. In my first message my double quote marks were showing as question marks and I apologise for this. If the same has happened to my reference to high parts of the town in this paragraph, please read it as a quote from the Northumberland Extensive Urban Survey: Mid 19th century to 20th century. Regards Andrew Wood Andrew: A few "observations" as requested. At the head (west end) of Pottergate street there is a tower above the road, which I take to be the "Pottergate", but the street itself is usually called Pottergate Street."Gate" in local usage does not only mean an entrance, such as might be found where a main road enters a town, but can also mean a road. In the case or Pottergate I'm not certain about the age of Pottergate Tower and whether or not it really was one of the mediaeval gateways into the town. At the other end of Alnwick town centre there is the better- known Percy Tower,which continues to be a major obstruction to modern traffic, but which looks much more like the mediaeval structure it is. Up to the 19th century there was a small stream between the eastern (bottom) end of Pottergate Street and the Castle precincts. Hence the castle was indeed on an elevation, as castles usually are. However it does not dominate the town of Alnwick in the way the castles of, say, Warkworth or Bamburgh. Much of the western part of Alnwick is actually higher, in the geographical sense,than the ground level around the castle. The description you have found of just how filthy 10th century Alnwick was is, I am sure, quite correct as far as it goes. However, I am also sure that Alnwick was in no way special in that respect. All our towns were in a similarly unhealthy state. Geoff Nicholson