|
| |
|
alnmouth |
| |
|
|
|
It's just three miles north from Warkworth to the seaside resort of
ALNMOUTH , whose narrow, mostly nineteenth-century centre is strikingly
situated on a steep spur of land between the wide sandy beach and the
estuary of the Aln. Alnmouth was a busy and prosperous port up until
1806, when the sea, driven by a freakish gale, broke through to the
river and changed its course, moving the estuary from the south to the
north side of Church Hill and rendering the original harbour useless.
Alnmouth never really recovered, though it has been a low-key holiday
spot since Victorian times, as attested by the elegant seaside villas.
There are local bus services from Alnwick and Warkworth, while the
regular Newcastle to Alnwick bus passes through Alnmouth and calls at
its train station at Hipsburn, a mile and a half west of the centre.
Most of the accommodation lies along or just off the main Northumberland
Street. Best central B&B is The Grange opposite the church (tel
01665/830401, the grange.alnmouth@virgin.net ; no credit cards; £40-50),
a reclusive stone house with garden, overlooking the river. A few yards
further down Northumberland Street, at no. 56, the friendly Beaches (tel
01665/830443; no credit cards; £50-60) has huge en-suite rooms in a
period stone cottage above a good restaurant. A string of pubs along
Northumberland Street also offers accommodation; the most reasonable is
the Saddle Hotel , at no. 25 (tel 01665/830476; £50-60), whose spacious
rooms have bath and TV, the top-floor ones enjoying (partial) sea views.
The Tea Cosy Tea Room , at no. 23 (tel 01665/830393), serves bistro
dinners at weekends in summer, but the best choice is to eat at the oak-beamed
Beaches , at no. 56 (Tues, Thurs & Fri eve, Sat & Sun lunch & eve),
where meals of local cod, Northumbrian game casserole and the like go
for around £15 a head; you can take your own wine.
|
| |
|
