Alnwick Castle has been owned by the Percy family since 1309 and was originally built to defend England's northern most border. In the mid 16th century The 7th Earl of Northumberland undertook considerable restoration work. When the 1st Duke of Northumberland took his seat in 1750, he carried out a long-cherished scheme of restoring the Castle to the point of making it a fit residence for his family. Much of this restoration was undertaken by the architect Robert Adam.