Alnmouth

The small and traditional seaside village of Alnmouth is situated (as the name suggests) at the mouth of the River Aln, where it enters the sea just south of Alnwick in Northumberland. Famous for its row of colourful painted cottages which can bee seen from the road and rail links, Alnmouth contains several pubs, cafe, restaurants, gift shop, post office/newsagents and well-stocked deli-grocers shop.  There is even an Indian restaurant based within the Schooner Inn.

On reaching the end of the main street you are immediately greeted with what is certainly one of the greatest views in Northumberland and possibly the UK. Golden beaches seem to surround the town on all sides, giving the impression of being on an island.

It is possible to walk along the sands and dunes for several miles north towards Boulmer and Craster or beyond. A more remote but very picturesque beach lies across the south side of the River Aln estuary. From here you can walk the 3-4 miles to Warkworth and on to Amble. This beach be accessed from a track a mile or so out of Alnmouth driving south on the coast road towards Warkworth.

There are a number of pubs In Alnmouth, most of which serve food, The Red Lion is very popular and highly regarded for great pub food and real ales but there are also three others to choose from. There are a couple of small cafes and restaurants, including the very popular, Beaches where it is advisable to book, even out of season. This tiny family-run bistro serves great Northumberland produce, including the best locally caught seafood when available. The restaurant is not licensed to sell alcohol but they are more than happy to serve you with your own, for a small corkage charge. Contact The Beaches restaurant in Almouth tel. 01665 830006

There is only one small hotel in Alnmouth and a few B&Bs but the bulk of holiday accommodation is in self catering cottages. There are many holiday cottages in and around Alnmouth, some with sea views. Most cottages are available for weekly lets starting on a Friday or Saturday.  Cottages in Alnmouth seldom have off-street parking, indeed some of them cannot be directly accessed by vehicles at all and this can be a real disadvantage busy times. Therefore, cottages with sea or estuary views and car parking get booked early.

Alnmouth Golf Club's famous links course is open to visitors. It has 18 holes 6414 yards 5855 metres. S.S.S. 71 and is the fourth oldest Club in England. Highly regarded as one of the best courses in the North East of England Tel. 01665 830231.

There is a small private boat club based in the estuary and visiting sailors can, with permission, use their slip-way to launch dinghies.

Sea fishing is carried out from the beach and the River Aln can be fished without permit (although River Authority license is required for certain fish) from the sea to the Duchess Bridge - about 1 mile.

Alnmouth can be reached in 15 minutes walking from The Summerhouse holiday cottage at Bilton, or a hourly bus can be taken from Alnmouth Station.