Hexham
| Hexham | |
|---|---|
 | |
 Coat of Arms of Hexham | |
  Hexham Location withinNorthumberland | |
| Population | 13,097(2011) |
| OS grid reference | NY9363 |
| Civil parish |
|
| Unitary authority | |
| Ceremonial county | |
| Region | |
| Country | England |
| Sovereign state | United Kingdom |
| Post town | HEXHAM |
| Postcode district | NE46–NE48 |
| Dialling code | 01434 |
| Police | Northumbria |
| Fire | Northumberland |
| Ambulance | North East |
| UK Parliament | |
Hexham(/ˈhɛksəm/HEKS-əm) is amarket townandcivil parishinNorthumberland,England, on the south bank of theRiver Tyne,formed by the confluence of the North Tyne and the South Tyne atWardennearby, and close toHadrian's Wall.Hexham was the administrative centre for theTynedaledistrict from 1974 to 2009. In 2011, it had apopulationof 13,097.[1]
Smaller towns and villages around Hexham includeCorbridge,Riding Mill,StocksfieldandWylamto the east,AcombandBellinghamto the north,Allendaleto the south andHaydon Bridge,Bardon MillandHaltwhistleto the west.Newcastle upon Tyneis 25 miles (40 km) to the east andCarlisle37 miles (60 km) to the west.
Toponym
[edit]The name Hexham derives from theOld EnglishHagustaldes eaand laterHagustaldes hamfrom which the modern form (with the "-ham" element) derives.Hagustaldis related to theOld High Germanhagustalt,denoting a younger son who takes land outside the settlement; the elementeameans "stream" or "river" andhamis the Old English form of the Modern English "home" (and the Scots and Northern English "hame" ).[2][3]
History
[edit]Hexham Abbeyoriginated as amonasteryfounded byWilfridin 674. Thecryptof the original monastery survives, and incorporates many stones taken from nearby Romanruins,probablyCorbridgeorHadrian's Wall.[4]
TheAnglo-Saxon Chronicle(Manuscript D:Cotton TiberiusB IV) records the murder of KingÆlfwaldbySicgaatScythlecester(which may be modernChesters) on 23 September 788:
This year Alfwald, king of the Northumbrians, was slain by Siga, on the ninth[5]day before thecalendsof October; and a heavenly light was often seen on the spot where he was slain. He was buried at Hexham in the church.[6]
Her wæs Alfwald Norðhymbra cyning ofslægen fram Sigan on.viiii. Kalendas Octobris, 7 heofonlic leoht wæs lome gesewen þær þær he ofslægen wæs, 7 he wæs bebyrged on Hagustaldesee innan þære cyrican.
Like many towns in theAnglo-Scottish borderarea and adjacent regions, Hexham suffered from theborder warsbetween thekingdomsofScotlandandEngland,including attacks fromWilliam Wallacewho burnt the town in 1297. In 1312,Robert the Bruce,King of Scotland, demanded and received £2000 from the town and monastery in order for them to be spared a similar fate. In 1346 the monastery was sacked in a later invasion led by KingDavid II of Scotland.[7]
In 1464 during theWars of the Roses,theBattle of Hexhamwas fought somewhere to the south of the town; the actual site is disputed. The defeated Lancastrian commander,Henry Beaufort, 3rd Duke of Somerset,was executed in Hexham marketplace. There is a legend that QueenMargaret of Anjoutook refuge after the battle in what is known as The Queen's Cave, where she was accosted by a robber; the legend formed the basis for an 18th-century play byGeorge Colman the Younger(The Battle of Hexham); but it has been established that Queen Margaret had fled to France by the time the battle took place. The Queen's Cave in question is on the south side of the West Dipton Burn, to the southwest of Hexham.[8]
Until 1572, Hexham was the administrative centre of the former Liberty or Peculiar ofHexhamshire.[9][10]
In 1715,James Radclyffe, 3rd Earl of Derwentwater,raised the standard forJames Francis Edward Stuartin Hexham Market place.[11]
"Hexham"was used in the Borders as aeuphemismfor "Hell".Hence the term"To Hexham wi' you an' ye’r whussel!",recorded in 1873, and the popular expression "Gang to Hexham!".[12]"Hexham-birnie"is derived from the term and means"an indefinitely remote place".[12]
Hexham riot
[edit]In 1761, theHexham Riottook place in the Market Place when a crowd protesting about changes in the criteria for serving in themilitiawere fired upon by troops from the North Yorkshire Militia. Some 45 protesters were killed, earning the Militia thesobriquetof The Hexham Butchers.[13]
Notable buildings
[edit]Hexham's architectural landscape is dominated byHexham Abbey.The current church largely dates from c. 1170–1250, in theEarly English Gothicstyle ofarchitecture.The choir, north and south transepts and the cloisters, where canons studied and meditated, date from this period.[14]
The abbey stands at the west end of the market place, which is home to the Shambles, a covered market built bySir Walter Blackettin 1766; it is a Grade II*listed building.[15]
At the east end of the market place stands the Moot Hall, originally commissioned as a gatehouse that was part of the defences of the town. The Moot Hall, which is considered one of the best examples of a medieval courthouse in the north of England,[16]is a Grade Ilisted building.[17]
TheOld Gaol,behind the Moot Hall on Hallgates, was one of the first purpose-built jails in England. It was built between 1330 and 1333 and is a Grade Ilisted building.[18]
The Leazes on Shaws Lane is a Grade II listed mansion built in 1853 byJohn Dobsonfor William Kinsopp.[19]
Hexham Library and the Queen's Hall Art Centre can both be found in theQueen's Hall,completed in 1866. The building contains the Brough Local Studies Collection which is the second-largest local history collection in the county.[20][21]
Dare Wilson Barracks,the home of X Company, 5th Battalion, The Royal Regiment of Fusiliers, was completed in 1891.[22]
Governance
[edit]Hexham is in theparliamentaryconstituency ofHexham.Guy Oppermanhas been the Conservative member of parliament for Hexham since May 2010. In 2023 Joe Morris was selected to stand as theLabour Partycandidate at the nextGeneral Election.[23]The town comes under Northumberland County Council and contains three wards: Hexham Central with Acomb, Hexham East and Hexham West.
Local media
[edit]
TheHexham Courantis the local newspaper, serving Hexham and Tynedale since 1864. It was first launched by J. Catherall & Co., and at that time espoused the Liberal cause. It later absorbed the Conservative-supportingHexham Herald.In 1977,CN Groupacquired the newspaper.
Local news and television programmes are provided byBBC North East and CumbriaandITV Tyne Tees.
Hexham's local radio stations areBBC Radio Newcastleon 103.7 FM,Capital North Easton 105.8 FM,Heart North Easton 96.4 FM,Smooth North Easton 101.2 FM andHits Radio North Easton 103.2 FM.
Horse racing from the town's course on Yarridge Heights is regularly featured on telecasts by Racing UK and other selected broadcasters. Regular sound broadcasts of cricket commentary for Tynedale CC can be heard via the internet during summer on Spreaker Internet Radio.
Education
[edit]Hexham is served by state first, middle and high schools and uses thethree-tier systemas does the rest of Northumberland.Queen Elizabeth High School,partly located in a former hydropathic hotel, is the town's major educational centre. The nearestprivate schoolisMowden Hall School,a prep school located 10 miles (16 km) away inStocksfield.
Transport
[edit]Air
[edit]The nearest airport to Hexham isNewcastle International Airport,which is located around 20 miles (32 km) away by road.Carlisle Lake District AirportandTeesside International Airportare located around 32 and 58 miles (51 and 93 km) away by road, respectively.
Rail
[edit]The town is served byHexham,a station on theTyne Valley Line.It is situated on part of the originalNewcastle and Carlisle Railwayroute, dating back to 1837, and links the city ofNewcastle upon TynewithCarlisle.The line follows the course of theRiver TynethroughNorthumberland.
Services on the Tyne Valley Line are currently operated byNorthern Trains.As of the December 2019 timetable change, the station is served by a twice-hourly service heading west towardsCarlisle,and three trains per hour heading east towardsNewcastle.
Road
[edit]Hexham is served by theA69 road,which runs for 54 miles (87 km) fromCarlisletoNewcastle upon Tyne.This road serves as an alternative to the original route, theA695,which runs from Hexham to Newcastle upon Tyne, servingCorbridge,Stocksfield,PrudhoeandBlaydon.
Hexham Bus Station
[edit]Hexham Bus Station | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 | |||||
| General information | |||||
| Location | Hexham,Northumberland England | ||||
| Coordinates | 54°58′13″N2°05′45″W/ 54.9704°N 2.0959°W | ||||
| Owned by | Northumberland County Council | ||||
| Operated by | Northumberland County Council | ||||
| Bus stands | 5 (A–E) | ||||
| Connections | Hexham | ||||
| History | |||||
| Opened | 29 November 2016 | ||||
| |||||
The original bus station was located at Priestpopple, dating back to the 1930s. In November 2016, the bus station was relocated to its current site at Dene Avenue – at a cost of £2.28 million.[24][25]
Go North Eastprovide most services in and around Hexham, with local services operating under the Tynedale Links brand. The AD122 tourist bus service operates year-round with increased services during the summer months, serving a number of locations alongHadrian's Wall,as well as themarket townofHaltwhistle.Memorably, the route number, AD122, is the date of the building of the wall.
As of July 2022[update],the stand allocation is:
| Stand | Route | Destination |
|---|---|---|
| A | 10 | Newcastle 
|
| 683 | Hexham General Hospital | |
| 689 | Consett
| |
| B | 613 | Whittonstall |
| 684 | Newcastle
| |
| 685 | Newcastle viaCorbridge
| |
| X85 | Newcastle expressviaCorbridge
| |
| C | 74 | Newcastle
|
| 688 | Allendale | |
| D | 683 | Beaumont Park |
| 685 | Brampton&Carlisle viaHaltwhistle
| |
| X85 | Leazes | |
| E | 680 | Bellingham |
| 684 | Haugh Lane | |
| 882 | West Woodburn | |
| 885 | Byrness | |
| 889 | Nenthead | |
| AD122 | Haltwhistle |
Awards
[edit]Hexham won the town award in the 2005Britain in Bloomawards.[26]In the same year, it was also namedEngland's Favourite Market Townby the magazineCountry Life.[27]
Hexham was voted the happiest place to live in Britain, 2019 and 2021.[28]
Economy
[edit]The major employer in Hexham isEgger (UK) Limited.[29][30]
Hexham had been long famous for its manufacture of leather. Wright (1823) gives some statistics
77 men & boys employed as Leather dressers and Glove-cutters, 40 boys employed as Dusters and 1,111 women employed as Sewers. Skins dressed annually were 80,000, and 18,000 skins of dressed leather were imported. From these were made and exported annually 23,504 dozens of pairs of gloves. DutchOkerwas used in the processing, but local fell clay could be used if necessary.
Tanning was a necessary allied industry and there were four tanneries, employing a score of men. In a year they dealt with 5,000hidesand 12,000calf skins.They supplied local saddlers, bootmakers and cobblers.
Hexham also had 16 master hatters, and the trade employed 40 persons. There were two woollen manufactories, worked by steam power, and two rope manufactories. There were corn water mills below the bridge. A windmill on the Sele was ruinous, but there was one still working on Tyne Green. It was, and still is a flourishing market, including a mart for cattle and other farm animals.[31]
In Hexham theSubskimmerwas designed and made bySubmarine Products.The town is also the site of a chipboard factory owned by the Austrian firmEggerRetail Products GmbH, which vents steam which can be seen from miles away.
Botanical breweryFentimansis based in Hexham.
Shopping
[edit]Hexham has many shops commonly found in other English market-towns, with five central supermarkets, multiple clothes shops, charity shops, banks, estate agents, antique shops and chemists.[32]Cafes and coffee shops are also common in Hexham, from commercial chains to family run independents.
Sport
[edit]Hexham'sracecourseis at Yarridge Heights in the hills above the town, with National Hunt (steeplechase) races throughout the year.[33]
Tynedale Cricket Club
The town is also home to Tynedale Cricket Club, who play their home matches on Prior's Flat. (NE46 3EW)
Founded in 1888, the club has had its most successful period over the most recent 40 years when they dominated the Northumberland County League, before starting the 21st century by winning several championships in the newly created Northumberland & Tyneside Senior Cricket League.
In late 2017 Tynedale CC became a founder member of the new Northumberland & Tyneside Cricket League (NTCL), formed when a merger between NTSCL & Northumberland Cricket League was voted through by constituent clubs at the inaugural AGM held at Kingston Park Rugby Ground.
This new league will comprise six divisions with divisions 5 and 6 regionalised into north and south sections.
Twin towns
[edit]
People from Hexham
[edit]See also
[edit]- Hexham Bridge
- Hexham Old Bridge
- Devil's Water
- Hexham (UK Parliament constituency)
- Ailred of Rievaulx
- Acca of Hexham
- Bishop of Hexham and Newcastle
- Eata of Hexham
- Richard of Hexham
- John of Hexham
- Roman Catholic Diocese of Hexham and Newcastle
- Battle of Heavenfield
- Battle of Neville's Cross
- Robbs
- Hexham Heads
References
[edit]- ^"Northumberland Knowledge Census Fact Sheet"(PDF).
- ^NorthumberlandPlace-Names,by Stan Beckensall, Butler Publishing 2004,ISBN0-946928-41-X
- ^"Northern English – Cambridge University Press".
- ^Graham, Frank (1992).Hexham and Corbridge: a Short History and Guide.Thropton, Rothbury, Northumberland: Butler Publishing. pp. 2, 4, 5.ISBN0-946928-19-3.
- ^By modern counting, the 8th day before. By Roman counting thexth day was (y-x+1) days before theyth day: seeRoman calendar#Months.
- ^Kirby, pp. 153–154; Anglo-Saxon Chronicle, Ms. D, s.a. 789.
- ^"Neville's Cross Campaign 1346".Battlefields Trust.Retrieved7 April2023.
- ^Ordnance SurveyOL43 map, 'Hadrian's Wall'.
- ^"Journal of the House of Lords May 1572".Retrieved7 April2023.
- ^"Journal of the House of Commons May 1572".Retrieved7 April2023.
- ^Gibson, William Sidney (1850).Dilston hall; or, Memoirs of James Radcliffe, Earl of Derwentwater.Longman, Brown, Green and Longmans. p. 58.
- ^abThe Roxburghshire word-book: being a record of the special vernacular vocabulary of the county of Roxburgh, with an appendix of specimensby George Watson, The University Press, 1923. p. 170
- ^"Hexham Riot".Archived fromthe originalon 21 October 2008.Retrieved10 November2008.
- ^Historic England."The Priory Church of St Andrew (1042576)".National Heritage List for England.Retrieved7 April2023.
- ^Historic England."The Shambles (1370800)".National Heritage List for England.Retrieved7 April2023.
- ^Arnold, Howard, Litton (2004)."Tree-Ring Analysis of Timbers from the Moot Hall, Market Place, Hexham. Historic England Research Report 41/2004".research.historicengland.org.uk.Retrieved10 May2020.
{{cite web}}:CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link) - ^Historic England."The Moot Hall (1042577)".National Heritage List for England.Retrieved7 April2023.
- ^Historic England."The Manor Office (1281526)".National Heritage List for England.Retrieved7 April2023.
- ^Historic England."The Leazes (1204227)".National Heritage List for England.Retrieved3 January2019.
- ^"Hexham Library".Northumberland Life.Retrieved30 August2021.
- ^"Hexham Library".Northumberland County Council. Archived fromthe originalon 4 July 2014.Retrieved30 August2021.
- ^"4th Battalion, The Royal Northumberland Fusiliers".Regiments.org. Archived from the original on 20 October 2007.Retrieved8 July2017.
{{cite web}}:CS1 maint: bot: original URL status unknown (link) - ^"Hexham Labour members pick election candidate".Hexham Courant.19 October 2023.Retrieved6 November2023.
- ^Muncaster, Michael (29 November 2016)."Convoy of vintage buses marks official opening of new Hexham Bus Station".ChronicleLive.Retrieved18 June2020.
- ^"Hexham's new bus station is just the ticket".Go North East.30 November 2016.Retrieved20 February2020.
- ^"A Blooming Good Show by the North".The Journal.29 September 2005.
- ^"Hexham named England's favourite market town 2005".Tynedale Council.24 November 2005. Archived fromthe originalon 27 June 2006.
- ^"Where is the happiest place to live near you? | Property blog".rightmove.co.uk.24 November 2021.Retrieved30 November2021.
- ^"Major Hexham employer Egger UK".4 February 2018.
- ^"Hexham employer Egger UK posts rise".27 January 2017.
- ^Rowland, T. H.(1994).Waters of Tyne(Reprint ed.). Warkworth, Northumberland, England: Sandhill Press Ltd.ISBN0-946098-36-0.
- ^"Hexham Shops".visithexham.net/.Archived fromthe originalon 2 February 2017.Retrieved23 January2017.
- ^"Hexham Racecourse – Horse Racing – Homepage".
- ^"Hexham Town Twinning".Hexham Town Twinning.Retrieved14 December2021.
External links
[edit]
- HexhamatCurlie
- Hexham visitor website
- .Encyclopædia Britannica(11th ed.). 1911.
- Hexham local history society website
| International | |
|---|---|
| National | |
| Geographic | |
| Other | |
