Mechanics’ Institutes were the brainchild of Thomas Birbeck, after whom the prestigious London College is named. They began in Edinburgh in 1821. In 1823 there were two in England: London and Liverpool. In 1824 the first two were established in Northumberland. One was in Newcastle, where George Stephenson was a prime mover. The second was in Alnwick. On November 24th 1824, a branch of the Mechanics’ Institute was established in the town. In 1825 further branches in Northumberland were founded in Hexham, Morpeth and Tynemouth.
The early 1800s were a time of growing social unrest and of massive technological change. But they were also a time when very few of the population were able to read or write, and when the provision of education was rudimentary.
Mechanics’ Institutes were intended to help address this problem. They would promote practical science amongst ordinary working people and equip them with the knowledge and skills needed to prosper in a rapidly changing world. This was the beginning of a realisation of the need for adult and continuing education.
Initially, the Alnwick Mechanics’ Institute met in rented rooms in the town centre, but by the early 1830s, membership was such that it needed its own premises. These were built in Percy Street and opened in 1832. The architect was a local man and member of the Institute, William Smyth, who chose to build in “Egypto-Classical” style.
The original building consisted of two ground floor rooms, which were accommodation for the librarian and his family, and a combined library, reading and meeting room on the first floor. It was extended in 1869 with an additional ground floor meeting room and a museum on the first floor.
The entrance doorway is unique in Alnwick. It is called a pylon door, and is based on Egyptian monumental temple gates. These were designed to lead the eye through to the temple itself to, in the distance, “the mountains of the horizon”, symbolising aspiration – entering the Institute meant looking for enlightenment.