The Ferry Hut (Ferryman's Hut)

If you're having a bimble around Alnmouth harbour, then you might just come across the smallest museum in Northumberland (if not the world!!). You have just found The Ferry Hut also known as the Ferryman's Hut.

Looking across the estuary of the river Aln there is a beautiful beach next to Church Hill, but there are only two ways to get to it. You walk 6km from the village, back over the bridge and follow the road towards Warkworth, or you wait until low tide, shoes off, roll your trousers up and plodge across.

Back in the early 1900s there would be beach huts situated on the remote beach, so the locals needed an easy way over the Aln estuary to enjoy them. A local with a boat offered his services to ferry people across and so petitioned permission from the Duke of Northumberland for his ferrying service. Only one rule was stipulated and that was “customers had to be able to cross the river at low tide and high tide dry. They didn't have to take their shoes off or get their feet wet”.

The service continued until the 1960s when the beach huts were no longer used and demand for the ferry dwindled.

But the history of the service will live on in this cute little museum. Literally just a garden shed, it's a squeeze for two people to fit in, but it's donned with a superfluity of pictures, memorabilia and trinkets.

Entrance is free and don't forget to sign the visitors book before you leave. On occasion you may find the local museum curator outside on a deckchair and more than willing to answer any questions you may have.

It's a shame the ferry no longer runs as it would be the quickest way to get over the estuary to visit Church Hill where you can see St Cuthbert's Cross Alnmouth and Mortuary Chapel. If you do fancy a visit without the long walk or getting your feet wet then follow these instructions to visit Church Hill.