Heddon-on-the-Wall
Encyclopedia
Heddon-on-the-Wall is a village just outside Throckley
, Northumberland
, England
, located on Hadrian's Wall
. Heddon-on-the-Wall is roughly nine miles west of the centre of Newcastle upon Tyne
. The place-name 'Heddon' means 'hill where heather grew'.
('Milecastle 12
') was located at the site of the present-day village, under what is now Town Farm, but no traces of it are currently visible. Prior to the 1960s, Heddon-on-the-Wall was a small village with an economy based strongly on traditional industry including farming and coal mining.
Large-scale coal mining close to the village began in the late 1950s with the opening of the Bays Leap site, a 300-acre opencast site located a short distance north of Heddon-on-the-Wall. The site supported seven coal seams at its peak, and evidence was found of earlier mine shafts. Bays Leap closed in 1966. Urban development west of Newcastle saw the village expand substantially during the 1960s.
Heddon-on-the-Wall grew up around Hexham Road, which until 1971 was the main road from Newcastle to Hexham
. The new A69 road
bypasses Heddon-on-the-Wall en route from Newcastle to Carlisle, also passing Hexham. Heddon-on-the-Wall benefits from its proximity to the A69 but is more popular with retired people rather than commuters due to its lack of a railway station, from which its close neighbour Wylam
benefits. A railway station on the Scotswood, Newburn & Wylam Railway was opened in the village in 1881, but closed in 1958.
Heddon-on-the-Wall came to prominence when it was revealed in February 2001 that the 2001 outbreak of Foot-and-mouth disease
originated from a farm in the village. This severely affected Heddon-on-the-Wall's primary industry which is agriculture
. Over the years however other industries have existed in Heddon-on-the-Wall. These include salmon
fishing in the River Tyne
, coal mining, the quarry
ing of sandstone
and limestone
, and brick making. A number of blacksmiths were in the village until recent times. One still exists and is employed in engineering. In the seventies there was a perfumery manufacturing business and recently a brewery.
, and contains the longest section on unbroken wall at its original and planned width, now known as Broad Wall. Later sections were not built to the full width to save time and money.
St Andrew's Church is located opposite the Swan Inn and parts of it are Saxon dating back to 680 AD. It was originally consecrated in 630AD. The oldest parts of St Andrew's are still visible in some of the walls of the chancel behind the choir stalls. The original stone structure was built using recycled stone from Hadrian’s Wall. Before St Andrew's church was built it is believed that the site was used for pagan ceremonies, so the hilltop location may always have been of religious significance.
Heddon-on-the-Wall has two public houses, The Three Tuns and The Swan Inn.
Throckley
Throckley is a village, located approximately 11 km west of Newcastle upon Tyne, in North East England. Hadrian's Wall passes through the village, its course traced by the village's main road, Hexham Road....
, Northumberland
Northumberland
Northumberland is the northernmost ceremonial county and a unitary district in North East England. For Eurostat purposes Northumberland is a NUTS 3 region and is one of three boroughs or unitary districts that comprise the "Northumberland and Tyne and Wear" NUTS 2 region...
, England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
, located on Hadrian's Wall
Hadrian's Wall
Hadrian's Wall was a defensive fortification in Roman Britain. Begun in AD 122, during the rule of emperor Hadrian, it was the first of two fortifications built across Great Britain, the second being the Antonine Wall, lesser known of the two because its physical remains are less evident today.The...
. Heddon-on-the-Wall is roughly nine miles west of the centre of Newcastle upon Tyne
Newcastle upon Tyne
Newcastle upon Tyne is a city and metropolitan borough of Tyne and Wear, in North East England. Historically a part of Northumberland, it is situated on the north bank of the River Tyne...
. The place-name 'Heddon' means 'hill where heather grew'.
History
A Roman milecastleMilecastle
A milecastle was a small fort , a rectangular fortification built during the period of the Roman Empire. They were placed at intervals of approximately one Roman mile along several major frontiers, for example Hadrian's Wall in Great Britain , hence the name.Along Hadrian's Wall, milecastles were...
('Milecastle 12
Milecastle 12
Milecastle 12 was a milecastle of the Roman Hadrian's Wall. Its remains lay under Town Farm, Heddon-on-the-Wall, with nothing visible on the surface.- Construction :...
') was located at the site of the present-day village, under what is now Town Farm, but no traces of it are currently visible. Prior to the 1960s, Heddon-on-the-Wall was a small village with an economy based strongly on traditional industry including farming and coal mining.
Large-scale coal mining close to the village began in the late 1950s with the opening of the Bays Leap site, a 300-acre opencast site located a short distance north of Heddon-on-the-Wall. The site supported seven coal seams at its peak, and evidence was found of earlier mine shafts. Bays Leap closed in 1966. Urban development west of Newcastle saw the village expand substantially during the 1960s.
Heddon-on-the-Wall grew up around Hexham Road, which until 1971 was the main road from Newcastle to Hexham
Hexham
Hexham is a market town and civil parish in Northumberland, England, located south of the River Tyne, and was the administrative centre for the Tynedale district from 1974 to 2009. The three major towns in Tynedale were Hexham, Prudhoe and Haltwhistle, although in terms of population, Prudhoe was...
. The new A69 road
A69 road
The A69 is a major road in northern England, running east-west across the Pennines, through the counties of Tyne and Wear, Northumberland and Cumbria. Originally the road started in Blaydon, but since the creation of the A1 Western Bypass around Newcastle upon Tyne, it now starts at Denton Burn a...
bypasses Heddon-on-the-Wall en route from Newcastle to Carlisle, also passing Hexham. Heddon-on-the-Wall benefits from its proximity to the A69 but is more popular with retired people rather than commuters due to its lack of a railway station, from which its close neighbour Wylam
Wylam
Wylam is a small village about west of Newcastle upon Tyne. It is located in the county of Northumberland.It is famous for the being the birthplace of George Stephenson, one of the early rail pioneers. George Stephenson's Birthplace is his cottage that can be found on the north bank of the...
benefits. A railway station on the Scotswood, Newburn & Wylam Railway was opened in the village in 1881, but closed in 1958.
Heddon-on-the-Wall came to prominence when it was revealed in February 2001 that the 2001 outbreak of Foot-and-mouth disease
2001 UK foot and mouth crisis
The outbreak of foot-and-mouth disease in the United Kingdom in 2001 caused a crisis in British agriculture and tourism. This epizootic saw 2,000 cases of the disease in farms in most of the British countryside. Over 10 million sheep and cattle were killed in an eventually successful attempt to...
originated from a farm in the village. This severely affected Heddon-on-the-Wall's primary industry which is agriculture
Agriculture
Agriculture is the cultivation of animals, plants, fungi and other life forms for food, fiber, and other products used to sustain life. Agriculture was the key implement in the rise of sedentary human civilization, whereby farming of domesticated species created food surpluses that nurtured the...
. Over the years however other industries have existed in Heddon-on-the-Wall. These include salmon
Salmon
Salmon is the common name for several species of fish in the family Salmonidae. Several other fish in the same family are called trout; the difference is often said to be that salmon migrate and trout are resident, but this distinction does not strictly hold true...
fishing in the River Tyne
River Tyne
The River Tyne is a river in North East England in Great Britain. It is formed by the confluence of two rivers: the North Tyne and the South Tyne. These two rivers converge at Warden Rock near Hexham in Northumberland at a place dubbed 'The Meeting of the Waters'.The North Tyne rises on the...
, coal mining, the quarry
Quarry
A quarry is a type of open-pit mine from which rock or minerals are extracted. Quarries are generally used for extracting building materials, such as dimension stone, construction aggregate, riprap, sand, and gravel. They are often collocated with concrete and asphalt plants due to the requirement...
ing of sandstone
Sandstone
Sandstone is a sedimentary rock composed mainly of sand-sized minerals or rock grains.Most sandstone is composed of quartz and/or feldspar because these are the most common minerals in the Earth's crust. Like sand, sandstone may be any colour, but the most common colours are tan, brown, yellow,...
and limestone
Limestone
Limestone is a sedimentary rock composed largely of the minerals calcite and aragonite, which are different crystal forms of calcium carbonate . Many limestones are composed from skeletal fragments of marine organisms such as coral or foraminifera....
, and brick making. A number of blacksmiths were in the village until recent times. One still exists and is employed in engineering. In the seventies there was a perfumery manufacturing business and recently a brewery.
Culture and facilities
Heddon-on-the-Wall attracts tourists passing through on tours of Hadrian’s Wall. Heddon-on-the-Wall is located on the Hadrian's Wall PathHadrian's Wall Path
The Hadrian’s Wall Path is a long distance footpath in the north of England, which became the 15th National Trail in 2003. It runs for , from Wallsend on the east coast of Great Britain to Bowness-on-Solway on the west coast. The path runs through urban areas, and over moors...
, and contains the longest section on unbroken wall at its original and planned width, now known as Broad Wall. Later sections were not built to the full width to save time and money.
St Andrew's Church is located opposite the Swan Inn and parts of it are Saxon dating back to 680 AD. It was originally consecrated in 630AD. The oldest parts of St Andrew's are still visible in some of the walls of the chancel behind the choir stalls. The original stone structure was built using recycled stone from Hadrian’s Wall. Before St Andrew's church was built it is believed that the site was used for pagan ceremonies, so the hilltop location may always have been of religious significance.
Heddon-on-the-Wall has two public houses, The Three Tuns and The Swan Inn.
External links
- http://www.parish-council.com/Heddononthewall/
- http://heddonhistory.weebly.com/