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Boulmer

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Boulmer
Boulmer beach
OS grid referenceNU265145
Unitary authority
Ceremonial county
Region
CountryEngland
Sovereign stateUnited Kingdom
Post townALNWICK
Postcode districtNE66
Dialling code01665
PoliceNorthumbria
FireNorthumberland
AmbulanceNorth East
UK Parliament
List of places
UK
England
Northumberland

Boulmer /ˈbmər/ is a village in Northumberland, in England on the North Sea coast to the east of Alnwick. It is home to RAF Boulmer, one of the main search and rescue helicopter bases in the northeast of England. Boulmer has an independent volunteer lifeboat station.[1]

Origin of the name

The name Boulmer, pronounced 'Boomer', is a derivation of Bulemer, from the old English bulan-mere (bulls 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 Scottish village of Kirk Yetholm. During the 18th and 19th centuries the village was the smuggling capital of Northumberland.[citation needed]

A major change was the arrival of the Royal Air Force during the World War 2. 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

The village consists of a row of cottages and the pub. Set within a natural haven, in a gap through an almost complete band of rock, Boulmer has no harbour.

Fishing

Hauled-up fishing boat and lobster pots

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

Boulmer Volunteer Rescue Service was originally funded by the Duke of Northumberland and was run by the RNLI between 1825 and 1967 when the RNlI decided to withdraw the service. 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.

Filming location

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.

Governance

Boulmer is in the parliamentary constituency of Berwick-upon-Tweed.

See also

References

  1. ^ "Boulmer Lifeboat".
  2. ^ "Two centuries of life-saving". Northumberland Gazette. 10 September 2012. Retrieved 26 May 2014.