Alnorthumbria Veterinary Group was formed in 2007 by the merger of two well established Northumberland practices, the Aln Veterinary Group and the Northumbria Veterinary Partnership. By combining the considerable resources of the two practices, Alnorthumbria Veterinary Group strives to provide the highest possible level of care for all your animals.

The Aln Veterinary Group can trace its origins back to 1897 when George Craik MRCVS built what was believed to be the country’s first purpose built veterinary surgery on Wagonway Road, Alnwick. In the 1930’s a Scotsman, William Doughty bought the practice. During the 1940’s Duncan Macphearson, affectionately known as ‘Mac’, worked as an assistant with William Doughty and in 1947 he left to set up a practice at Hampden House on Belvedere Terrace, Alnwick.

Bobbie Muir, an Ayrshireman, moved from Herefordshire to assist William Doughty at Wagonway Road in 1947-48 when Mac left. After Mr Doughty retired a local man, Gerald Curry became Bobbie Muir’s partner and they formed Muir & Curry M’sRCVS. In 1968, two more Northumbrians joined the practice as assistants who remained to become partners – Alan Clark & Peter Malone both remained until their retirement in the mid 1990’s. During the early 1960’s small animal practice was becoming more popular and a branch in Amble was opened for consultations three days per week.

Bobbie Muir retired in 1982 when local farmer’s son David Young joined the partnership after working as an assistant for four years. Gerald Curry retired soon afterwards and in 1988 John Macfarlane became a partner.

Colin Barwise-Munro joined the partnership in 1991 from lecturing at Edinburgh University. Colin retired from the partnership in 2005 and his wife Lesley Barwise-Munro along with Joseph Henry, both of whom had been with the practice since graduation, became partners.

Meanwhile, at Hampden House on Belvedere Terrace, ‘Mac’ enjoyed an illustrious career before retiring in 1988 when he passed the practice onto Dick and Rosie Thompson. Over in Rothbury, Paul Freeman was busy building up the Simonside Veterinary surgery and in 1991, the two practices merged to form the Hampden and Simonside Veterinary Group (HSVG). At the same time, Andrew Sawyer, who had been an assistant at Alnwick for three years became the fourth partner of the new practice. In 2000, HSVG opened a new surgery at Fairmoor, Morpeth when Dominic Plumley became the fifth partner of the new practice. Dominic retired in 2012.

In 2005, the Northumbria Veterinary Partnership was formed with the merger of two long-established veterinary practices; Hampden & Simonside Veterinary Group that had surgeries in Alnwick, Rothbury and Morpeth and the Wooler-based Ewing & Gidlow. Steve Carragher became a partner at the same time, along with Jo Gidlow who retired from general practice in 2007 to follow a new career with the Scottish Agricultural College (SAC) in St Boswells.

The final merger to form Alnorthumbria Veterinary Group in 2007 was followed in 2010 by Simon Caple and Stephen Bradley joining the practice as directors in what was by now a limited company, and then Ed Chinn became a director in 2012. This “new blood” ensures that the practice remains progressive and forward-looking, determined to remain the premier practice in the county by giving the best possible service to all our clients, whether pet owners, farmers or horse owners.