Church Hill
★ In our guides ↓

On Our List

Church Hill

A striking former island across the estuary from the village, cut off from the mainland by a storm in 1806 - a steep but rewarding climb for sweeping views over Alnmouth.

Address:

Northumberland Street, Alnmouth, Alnwick, NE66 3QL

Hours:

Always open

Map

Good to Know

Church Hill is the grassy mound on the far side of the Aln estuary, topped by a simple wooden cross. Until the great storm of 1806 it was part of the village, but the river broke through and changed course, leaving the hill and the remains of its old church cut off on the other side. A mortuary chapel was later built on the hill when there were plans to reopen the old burial ground, and its ruins are still there.

Why it's on our list: it's one of the most striking sights in Alnmouth, and one of the most photographed. Local tradition also links the hill with the synod of 684, at which St Cuthbert was chosen as a bishop.

Worth knowing: the river separates it from the village, so don't try to wade across the estuary. Check a safe route locally before setting out, and enjoy the view of it from the riverside and the estuary if in doubt.

A Little Note From Heather & Sand

We haven't quite made it here ourselves yet, but it's on our list!

We're working our way around Northumberland, personally visiting and reviewing as many of the places featured in our Listed section as we can. It's a tough job, but somebody has to do it.

In the meantime, we do our homework. Before adding somewhere to Heather & Sand, we research it, look at what other visitors have to say and check that it has a good reputation. If the feedback isn't encouraging, it generally doesn't make our list.

Of course, a little online research is no substitute for muddy boots, a decent coffee and seeing somewhere for ourselves. So until we've visited, we'll leave the personal review to one side.

A little about us...

Heather & Sand is our little corner of Northumberland — a collection of places, stories, walks and discoveries from a county we love.

Through our Journal, Guide and Listed pages, we hope to help you discover somewhere new, revisit an old favourite or simply enjoy a little Northumberland from wherever you happen to be.

Tom, Lucy & the Heather & Sand crew.

Featured in our guides