Boulmer
| Boulmer | |
| Northumberland | |
|---|---|
 Boulmer beach | |
| Location | |
| Grid reference: | NU265145 |
| Location: | 55°25’26"N, 1°34’59"W |
| Data | |
| Post town: | Alnwick |
| Postcode: | NE66 |
| Dialling code: | 01665 |
| Local Government | |
| Council: | Northumberland |
| Parliamentary constituency: |
Berwick-upon-Tweed |
Boulmer is a village in Northumberland on the North Sea coast to the east of Alnwick. It is a place of just a row of cottages and the pub. It is set within a natural haven, in a gap through an almost complete band of rock, Boulmer has no harbour and boats are drawn up on the beach.
Beside the village is RAF Boulmer, one of the main search and rescue helicopter bases on this stretch of the coast. Boulmer has an independent volunteer lifeboat station.[1]
Name
The name Boulmer, pronounced 'Boomer', is earlier recorded as 'Bulemer'. It is from the old English bulan-mere, meaning "Bull's mere".
History
Boulmer was notorious for its smuggling activities, much of which was centred on the Fishing Boat Inn. In the 18th century one of the most well-known smugglers was King of the Gypsies, William Faa, who lived some miles away in the remote Roxburghshire village of Kirk Yetholm. Because of the remoteness of the village the beach here was busy with contraband and during the 18th and 19th centuries Boulmer was reckoned the smuggling capital of Northumberland.
A major change came to the village with the arrival of the Royal Air Force during the Second World War. Otherwise Boulmer has changed little in over 100 years and is one of the few true traditional fishing villages left on the Northumberland coast.
Today
Boulmer sits in a gap in the fierce wall of cliffs which runs along this part of the Northumberland coast. It has no harbour but is still a working fishing village. Traditional blue fishing cobles are hauled ashore or moored in the water. The main catch is crab, lobster and sea salmon.
Boulmer Volunteer Rescue Service was originally funded by the Duke of Northumberland and was run by the Royal National Lifeboat Institution between 1825 and 1967 when the RNLI decided to withdraw the service. The lifeboat though was re-established in 1967 when the community decided to buy their own private boat.[2] It is now an independent lifeboat service, but currently only operates during daylight hours, weekends and on bank holidays due to a small crew and limited sea-traffic.
Boulmer on film
During the spring and summer months of 2004, much of the filming for the comedy-drama TV series Distant Shores was carried out at various locations along the Northumberland Coast. Boulmer is featured in many scenes, including Hildasay Ferry and various settings depicted both inside and outside the cottages, including the beach and sand dunes, and the nearby countryside where the fictional new doctor's surgery was built.
Outside links
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("Wikimedia Commons" has material about Boulmer) |
References
- ↑ "Boulmer Lifeboat". http://www.boulmerlifeboat.co.uk.
- ↑ "Two centuries of life-saving". Northumberland Gazette. 10 September 2012. http://www.northumberlandgazette.co.uk/news/local-news/two-centuries-of-life-saving-in-their-hands-1-4901137. Retrieved 26 May 2014.
