3x8 - Schooner Hotel

November 25, 2003

The Schooner Hotel is situated in Alnmouth, a small village on the coast of Northumberland. The village lies at the mouth of the river Aln and was once a thriving seaport. It was to this harbour that ships from across the globe would come carrying cargoes of grain and coal. Schooners themselves were fast and handy vessels used for either fishing or trading, mainly with the Baltic States. As well as a legitimate trading port, it was also a haven for smugglers and vagabonds. Such was the reputation of Alnmouth that John Wesley, the founder of The Methodist Church, commented that it was ""a small seaport town famous for its wickedness"". The Hotel itself is a listed 17th Century Coaching Inn and has been the hub of Alnmouth village for the past 300 years. Notable persons who've stayed in the hotel include Charles Dickens, Basil Rathbone, Douglas Bader and even King George III. The history of the hotel is not well documented but there are many stories of murders, suicides and massacres. Ther