The spectacular Joust of the North – the only event in mainland Britain where solid lances are used – attracted hundreds of visitors to the Northumberland fortress in August. Northumberland Estates hope to build on the event next year and beyond so it benefits the wider community too. James Boyd, visitor activity manager at Alnwick Castle Ventures, said: “There had not been a solid lance joust on mainland Britain since late Tudor times until this year at Alnwick Castle. “Jousting has seen a resurgence over the last 30 years so we wanted to bring it back. “We have a five year plan, starting in the castle, but I would love to see it expand into the town. You see lots of medieval fairs across the country that are doing incredibly well. “We need to develop it but perhaps by year three we could do a parade from the castle through the town, with medieval minstrels and jesters.” He also stressed the importance of film tourism. “We are an international visitor attraction but when we go to trade events we’re not just telling them about Alnwick Castle, we’re telling them about this whole area from Alnwick Garden to the town, Barter Books and the Northumberland coastline,” he told Alnwick Town Council. “The Chinese market loves Harry Potter and Transformers which has become part of our history so we’re looking to embrace that. Similarly, the Americans love Downton Abbey.”