Boulmer

Coordinates: 55°25′26″N 1°34′59″W / 55.424°N 1.583°W / 55.424; -1.583

Boulmer /ˈbuːmər/ 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.

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.

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.