Alnmouth Common
Commons were first enshrined in law in the magna carter (1215) Common land traditionally sustained the poorest people in rural communities who owned no land of their own. It provided them with a source of wood for fuel and building, bracken for bedding, and pasture for livestock. There are 96 commons in Northumberland and Alnmouth Common dates back to the 13c and comprises approximately 90 acres.
It was used in the traditional sense (pasture/wood) till 1869 when local enthusiasts formed Alnmouth Village Golf Club.
Sixty acres where licensed for that use. Those sixty acres were of mixed use with grazing for sheep and cattle with the putting greens being fenced off. This continued till the 1920s when grazing was moved off the golf course to the Night Fold field and the golfers became the sole users of that area, with Rhts of Way for the public retained and signposted.
Historic musings
by Ella Blythe Dodds. b. 11.11.1893. d. 10.11.1979
Alnmouth: An ancient place. It has been remarked, “it has always been an ancient place”.
The unfinished stone axe found in 1852 in Charley’s Burn (The Hipsburn) belongs to the inhabitants of 6000 years ago, it is now in the museum at Alnwick Castle, Case E No 90 (or was at the time of writing).
Woodchester – Maclauchlin, the investigator into the Roman occupation, engaged for the purpose by Duke Algernon, states: undoubtedly the Romans used the harbour for the disembarkation of troops and the export of corn. This period lasted from 55bc – 426 ad. Further investigation will probably show that the Woodchester given to Lindisfarne by Ceolwulph, was this Alnmouth of ours under its Roman name.
Aetiwifordia – A century later, after the Romans had left our coast, we find the Saxons in occupation with King Ida building his castle in 547. A Saxon church had established a reputation as a place of holy ground, for we find in 705, when Eadulph was killed besieging Bamburgh Castle he was brought here for burial, the cross erected over his grave being found on the hill in July 1789.
A brilliant sight was when King Egfrid and his nobles, with the Bishop Trunwine and his following set sail from the Synod of the Church Hill to interview Cuthbert at his retreat on Lindisfarne, entreating him with tears to become their Bishop. Their pleading as not in vain, they returned to the Synod bringing Cuthbert with them, agreeable to their desires.
In 793 the armed ships of the Norsemen appeared off our coast, their shelter camp for the winter was under the lea of the Beacon or Fairy Hill, they left no name for their temporary dwelling place but a number of the words of their language are still on our tongue in Alnmouth today, a sample few – Bumla for Bee, siping for leaking, muck, grape, midden heck and hesp are others.
Like most border towns Alnmouth had its ups and downs, the town suffered destructive raids 1174 – right up to 1707, it was to give warning to the inhabitants that the beacon tower, known as St. Francis Tower, was erected on Beacon Hill and in the night fold fire pans were hung. So little value was property, that some considered the obligations they were under as burgesses to maintain the watch of the marches, as greater than the property was worth. It is on record that even Coquet Island was taken possession of by the Scots in 1644.
This is how the record runs: This town consists of near one hundred ancient burgages and the town almost depopulated but now the inhabitants begin to erect houses and granaries for corn to ship. – Town Survey 1727
Indeed, Alnmouth was a significant port for grain exporting, Large vessels could access the harbour at high tide but the storm of 1803 the course of the river was altered in such a way that it became too shallow for large vessels and was no longer viable as a commercial port.
The granaries became obsolete and were converted to dwellings, as shown on BBC TV “Villages by the Sea”. Examples of these building are on the North side of Prospect place (inc. PO/Village store).
