Villages by the Sea

The history of Alnmouth in Northumberland

Archaeologist Ben Robinson visits Alnmouth, Northumberland, which was founded in the mid-12th century after the barons of nearby Alnwick obtained a charter from King John to build a new village. It had a market and a small port and the village flourished - so much so that by the mid-1700s, Alnmouth's grain export started to play an integral role in feeding the growing English population