PUBLIC REALM / COMMUNITY

Alnwick, Northumberland

A connected civic landscape for a historic market town, bringing together inclusive movement, rain gardens and places for everyday public life.

Visual of Alnwick Cobbles with rain gardens, trees and renewed public space.

01 / THE PROJECT

Across three projects in Alnwick, Hyem has worked with Northumberland County Council, local partners and Newcastle University to rethink the public realm as a connected civic landscape. Set within a medieval market town, the work balances conservation with change, supporting inclusive movement and grounding identity in material and place.

Pioneer

A careful reading of Alnwick’s burgage plots, lanes and market spaces reveals a town shaped over time but constrained by traffic and fragmented surfaces. Early work at the Cobbles and Bus Station reconsiders how material, water and movement can support more equitable use.

Pioneer

Root

Rain gardens and planting bring water back into view while improving drainage. Existing materials are reused wherever possible. At the Bus Station, trees, seating and clear routes turn a residual interchange into a green civic gateway for arrival and everyday use.

Root

Adapt

The Public Realm and Wayfinding Study provides a framework for incremental change. Engagement with residents and local groups informs planting and stewardship, while voluntary workshops with Alnwick in Bloom and the Town Council explore rain-garden design, management and long-term care.

Adapt

02 / DESIGN EXPLORATION

Alnwick bus station landscape sketch and community design workshops.

A greener civic gateway at the Bus Station, developed alongside conversations and design workshops with local communities.

Explore all projects

Previous project

Manor Walks, Cramlington

Next project

Mount Oswald, Durham

LET’S MAKE ROOM FOR SOMETHING GOOD.

A new landscape starts with a conversation.

Hyem Landscape