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Morpeth Herald

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52-570: The Morpeth Herald is a weekly newspaper published in Morpeth, Northumberland , England . The newspaper serves Morpeth, Ponteland , Pegswood , Ellington , Lynemouth , Widdrington Station and the outlying districts. A broadsheet, established in 1854 as a monthly and becoming weekly in 1858. It was printed and published in Morpeth by successive generations of the Mackay family until 1983, when

104-667: A chantry school in the early 14th century and was located in the Morpeth Chantry . The school was refounded in 1552 by royal charter as the Free Grammar School of King Edward the Sixth, being commonly referred to as the Morpeth Grammar School by locals. The school was renamed to King Edward VI Grammar School by 1947 and in the 1970s lost its grammar school status, becoming a comprehensive under

156-473: A motte-and-bailey castle had been built by William de Merlay. It is uncertain whether there was any settlement at Morpeth at the time that the barony was created, and documents relating to the foundation of an abbey in 1137 refer to the "new town of Morpeth". Newminster Abbey , located on the outskirts of Morpeth, was founded in 1138 by William's son, Ranulf de Merlay, lord of Morpeth, and his wife, Juliana, daughter of Gospatric II, Earl of Lothian , as one of

208-607: A crossing point of the River Wansbeck . Remains from prehistory are scarce, but the earliest evidence of occupation found is a stone axe thought to be from the Neolithic period . There is a lack of evidence of activity during the Roman occupation of Britain , although there were probably settlements in the area at that time. The first written reference is from 1080 when William de Merlay was rewarded for his part in suppressing

260-808: A further three trains running as far as Bristol Temple Meads . On a Saturday, a single train operates to Bristol Temple Meads. On Sunday, four trains run to Birmingham New Street, with one continuing to Plymouth, and two running as far as Bristol Temple Meads. Rolling stock used: Class 220 Voyager and Class 221 Voyager As of the June 2021 timetable change, there are seven trains per day heading north towards Edinburgh Waverley , one of which extends to Aberdeen . There are seven trains per day heading south, five of which run to London King's Cross , with two trains per day running as far as Newcastle and Leeds respectively. Rolling stock used: Class 800 Azuma and Class 801 Azuma In October 2021, Lumo commenced

312-559: A property and real estate pull-out section. The newspaper is published from JPIMedia Publishing North East Ltd's editorial centre in Sunderland, and is printed by Associated Printing at Dinnington, South Yorkshire. The editor is Amanda Bourn, who is also the editor of its sister titles the Northumberland Gazette , Berwick Advertiser , News Post Leader and News Guardian . This English newspaper–related article

364-526: A public meeting was called to address the lack of attendance at the church, and it was found that the walk to the current church, then on the southern edge of the town, was too much for many of the parishioners. From this meeting, it was decided to build a new church in the town centre and accordingly, the church of St James the Great was consecrated for worship on 15 October 1846. Benjamin Ferrey designed

416-623: A rebellion in Northumbria with "the Barony of Morthpeth stretching from the Tyne to the Coquet". The name derives from Old English morð pæð and literally means "murder path"; writing in 1666, the antiquarian John Stainsby attributed this moniker to "the many robberies and murders in those parts committed". The barony of Morpeth was granted to the de Merlay family in around 1080, and by 1095

468-605: A reduced timetable, owing to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic . There is also currently a consultation in place, which could see stopping services to and from Morpeth, as well as neighbouring Alnmouth for Alnwick and Berwick-upon-Tweed , significantly altered from the May 2022 timetable change. As of the May 2021 timetable change, there are four trains per day heading north towards Edinburgh Waverley . Heading south, there are five trains per day (weekday) to Birmingham New Street via Sheffield , one of which continues to Plymouth , with

520-414: A severe flood, causing damage to 1,000 properties and leading 400 residents to be evacuated. The town's flood defences were breached after 12 hours, when a month's worth of rain fell on Morpeth. In September 2012, flooding occurred again, causing damage to properties, although floodwaters were reportedly 3 feet (1 m) shallower than in 2008. Work on flood defences started in 2013 in response to

572-469: Is a stub . You can help Misplaced Pages by expanding it . Morpeth, Northumberland Morpeth is a historic market town in Northumberland , England, lying on the River Wansbeck . Nearby towns include Ashington and Bedlington . In the 2011 census , the population of Morpeth was given as 14,017, up from 13,833 in the 2001 census . The earliest evidence of settlement is believed to be from

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624-737: Is a former burgage plot, as is Pretoria Avenue, off Oldgate. The town stands directly on what used to be the Great North Road , the old coaching route between London and Edinburgh . Carlisle Park is located on the southern bank of the River Wansbeck in Morpeth. The park has the William Turner Garden, one of the only four floral clocks in England, a statue of Emily Wilding Davison , as well as other facilities and attractions. Morpeth's Mafeking Park , at

676-612: Is located north of the town. Additionally, St. Robert's R.C. First School, a primary school for Roman Catholics, is located in Oldgate, Morpeth. The ancient Church of England parish church of Morpeth is St Mary's at High Church, which was the main Anglican place of worship in the area until the 1840s. The church is mostly in the 14th century style. The grave of Emily Wilding Davison lies in St Mary's graveyard. In 1843,

728-405: Is located on the eastern side of the line in the main station building, which also has a taxi office and toilets. The opposite (northbound) platform has a waiting shelter and the two are linked by a subway with lifts for wheelchair and mobility impaired users. Train running information is supplied via timetable posters and digital display screens. A £2.4 million redevelopment of the station

780-528: Is shared with its sister title the Northumberland Gazette . The title converted to tabloid in 2013 and was redesigned to more closely resemble the Gazette in 2014. The publisher has been listed as JPIMedia Publishing North East since 2021. The Herald typically covers local news, sport and leisure pieces, also printing opinion pieces, reader letters, classified advertisements, and contains

832-417: Is split into three wards – North, Kirkhill and Stobhill – for the purposes of parish elections. In 2008 the town suffered a severe flood, which was repeated in 2012, resulting in the construction of new flood defences. Morpeth railway station is on the east coast line and a curve to the south of it has caused several rail crashes . Several sports teams compete in Morpeth, with Morpeth Town A.F.C. having been

884-712: The FA Vase . The Morpeth Olympic Games, a professional event consisting mainly of athletics and wrestling, were staged from 1873 until 1958, barring interruptions during the two world wars . The Games were held on the Old Brewery Field until 1896, then at Grange House Field until the First World War . After two years at the town's cricket pitch at Stobhill (1919–20), the Olympics moved to Mount Haggs Field until 1939, and then back to Grange House Field after

936-410: The Neolithic period, and some Roman artifacts have also been found. The first written mention of the town is from 1080, when the de Merlay family was granted the barony of Morpeth. The meaning of the town's name is uncertain, but it may refer to its position on the road to Scotland and a murder which occurred on that road. The de Merlay family built two castles in the town in the late 11th century and

988-658: The Pontop Pike and local relay transmitters. Local radio stations are BBC Radio Newcastle on 95.4 FM, Capital North East on 105.3 FM, Heart North East on 101.8 FM, Smooth North East on 97.5 FM, Hits Radio North East on 97.1 FM, and Koast Radio, a community based radio station which broadcast on 106.6 FM. The Morpeth Herald is the town's local weekly newspaper. The historical layout of central Morpeth consisted of Bridge Street, Oldgate Street and Newgate Street, with burgage plots leading off them. Traces of this layout remain: Old Bakehouse Yard off Newgate Street

1040-735: The Right Reverend William Hogarth , Bishop of Samosata (later Bishop of Hexham). Collingwood House is now the presbytery (residence) for the priest in charge of the Church. Morpeth has had a Presbyterian ministry since 1693. Their first service was held in a tannery loft in the town in February 1693 and in 1721 a chapel was built in Cottingwood Lane, which still exists as a private home. The construction of St. George's United Reformed Church began in 1858 and

1092-475: The 13th century by Ranulph de Merlay, to the south of Haw Hill , there is no firm evidence that King John destroyed the castle and an alternative narrative suggests that the second castle was in fact "completed by William de Merlay (the 2nd) in the year of his death" ( c.  1170 ). In the 13th century, a stone bridge was built over the Wansbeck in Morpeth, to the west of the current bridge, replacing

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1144-417: The 13th century. The town was granted its coat of arms in 1552. By the mid-1700s it had become one of the main markets in England, having been granted a market charter in 1200, but the opening of the railways in the 1800s led the market to decline. The town's history is celebrated in the annual Northumbrian Gathering . Morpeth is governed by Northumberland County Council and Morpeth Town Council. The town

1196-462: The 19th century, and the market accordingly declined. The market is still held on Wednesdays. The town was badly damaged by fire set by the barons in 1215 during the First Barons' War , in an attempt to block the military operations of King John. Whilst it is common report that the motte-and-bailey castle was burnt down by King John in 1216 and a new Morpeth Castle was built later in

1248-602: The 2008 floods. New flood defences were built in the town centre and a dam with a storage reservoir was built on the Mitford Estate. A second £27m dam was completed in May 2017 to reduce flooding from the Cotting Burn and marked the completion of the Morpeth flood defence plan. The A1 , the longest numbered road in the UK, used to pass through Morpeth until the bypass was opened in 1970. Other roads that pass though

1300-604: The Morpeth Golf Club play competitively within Morpeth. In addition, the Morpeth Harriers compete in athletics. The town also offers opportunities to play sport on a non-competitive basis through facilities such as Carlisle Park, the common for playing golf and football, and the Riverside leisure centre for swimming, indoor sports and fitness gym activities. Morpeth Town A.F.C. was the 2016 winner of

1352-639: The North Eastern coastal resorts continued operating over it until the 1960s), but it remains in use for freight and may have its passenger trains restored in the future (as an extension of the current local stopping service) - the South East Northumberland Rail User Group is currently campaigning for this. The current local service from Newcastle that terminates here uses the connection onto the B&;T line north of

1404-614: The annual Northumbrian Gathering . The gathering is held over a weekend in mid-April and includes the Border Cavalcade and Pageant. The 50th gathering took place in 2017. Morpeth has two tiers of local government. The lower tier is Morpeth Town Council, which has 15 members. Morpeth is a civil parish with the status of a town. For the purposes of parish elections the town is divided into three wards : North, Kirkhill and Stobhill, each returning five town councillors. Each ward also elects one County Councillor. In May 2021,

1456-466: The borough of Morpeth a coat of arms . The arms were the same as those granted to Roger de Merlay, but with the addition of a gold tower. In the letters patent , Hervey noted that he had included the arms of the "noble and valyaunt knyght ... for a p'petuall memory of his good will and benevolence towardes the said towne". Morpeth was a borough by prescription , but received its first charter of confirmation from Charles II . The corporation it created

1508-577: The bottom of Station Bank, was unsuccessfully put forward by locals to be listed as the smallest park in the world in the Guinness Book of Records. Other landmarks are: Morpeth railway station Morpeth is a railway station on the East Coast Main Line , which runs between London King's Cross and Edinburgh Waverley . The station, situated 16 miles 50 chains (16.6 mi; 26.8 km) north of Newcastle, serves

1560-484: The church in a "Neo-Norman" style, based on the 12th century Monreale Cathedral , Sicily . A third parish church, St Aidan's, was founded as a mission church in 1957, located on the Stobhill estate on the south-east of the town. Morpeth's Roman Catholic Church , St Robert of Newminster Church , was built off Oldgate on land adjacent to Admiral Lord Collingwood's house. It was consecrated on 1 August 1850 by

1612-437: The county. The county council has 67 councillors, of whom three represent Morpeth, one each from the electoral wards of Morpeth Kirkhill, Morpeth North and Morpeth Stobhill. The 2017 and 2021 County Council elections both elected three Conservative councillors for the three wards. Cockle Park, located slightly north of Morpeth, contains a Met Office weather station, founded in 1897. On 6 September 2008, Morpeth suffered

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1664-639: The current name. The town has two middle schools, Newminster and Chantry, which are built next door to one another. It also has several first schools: Abbeyfields First School in Kirkhill, Morpeth First School in Loansdean to the south of the town, Stobhillgate First School in the Stobhillgate housing estate, and Morpeth All Saints' Church of England-aided First School in Lancaster Park, which

1716-484: The first daughter houses of Fountains Abbey . King John granted a market charter for the town to Roger de Merlay in 1200. It became one of the main markets in Northern England by the mid-1700s and by the mid 18th century was one of the key cattle markets in England selling cattle driven by drovers over the border from Scotland; however, the opening of the railways made transport to Newcastle easier in

1768-528: The first service in the new building was held on 12 April 1860. The Church stands immediately to the north of the Telford Bridge and is in the style of the early English era, containing a stained glass rose window and an octagonal spirelet. The present Methodist Church in Howard Terrace was opened as a Primitive Methodist place of worship on 24 April 1905. Designed by J. Walton Taylor, it

1820-603: The ford previously in use in Morpeth. For some months in 1515–16, Margaret Tudor ( Henry VIII's sister) who was the Queen Consort of Scotland ( James IV's widow), had laid ill in Morpeth Castle, having been brought there from Harbottle Castle . The only remains of the castle are the inner gatehouse, which was restored by the Landmark Trust, and parts of the ruined castle walls. In 1540, Morpeth

1872-583: The historic market town of Morpeth, Northumberland , England. It is owned by Network Rail and managed by Northern Trains . The station was opened by the Newcastle and Berwick Railway on 1 March 1847. It was designed by Benjamin Green in the Scottish Baronial style and retains its original station buildings. A severe ninety degree curve in the line of the railway immediately to the south of

1924-607: The operation of a twice-daily service between London King's Cross and Edinburgh Waverley . This was later increased to the current frequency of five trains per day in early 2022. Rolling stock used: Class 803 AT300 As of the December 2021 timetable change, there is an hourly service between Newcastle and Morpeth. Most services extend to Carlisle via Hexham . At peak times, two trains per day (excluding Sunday) extend to Chathill . Rolling stock used: Class 156 Super Sprinter and Class 158 Express Sprinter As of

1976-532: The political make up of the Town Council was ten Conservatives, two Liberal Democrats, two Green and one Labour member. The upper tier of local government is Northumberland County Council , which meets at County Hall in Morpeth. Since April 2009 the county council has been a unitary authority . Previous to this there was an intermediate tier, the non-metropolitan district of Castle Morpeth , which has been abolished along with all other districts in

2028-655: The reinstatement of 15 tall chimney pots. The project was led by Greater Morpeth Development Trust and Northumberland County Council , with financial support from the Railway Heritage Trust, Network Rail , Northern and the National Lottery Heritage Fund . The refurbishment was completed in September 2020 and opened by Andy Savage, executive director of the Railway Heritage Trust. Services from Morpeth are currently operating to

2080-583: The station has been the site of four serious rail accidents , two of them fatal. Another station was opened by the Blyth and Tyne Railway on 1 April 1858 and closed 24 May 1880. This was a terminus station that was also used by North British Railway trains from the west from Scotsgap from the opening of their line in 1862 until 1872. The B&T line to Bedlington lost its passenger trains in April 1950 (although occasional summer services between Scotland and

2132-524: The station to reverse and layover clear of the main line between trips. Passenger trains over the old NBR line from Scotsgap, Reedsmouth and Rothbury ended in September 1952 and it closed completely in 1966 - few traces of this route now remain. In December 2011, a self-service FastTicket machine was installed by Northern Rail for use outside the hours of operation of the ticket office (06:40 -12:40, Mondays to Saturdays only). Pre-purchased tickets can now also be collected from Morpeth. The ticket office

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2184-824: The title was acquired by the Tweeddale Press Group, based in Berwick upon Tweed , where printing then moved, though it was still edited from an office above the Mackays' shop in Morpeth for several years, before moving to separate offices nearby. From 1984 some of its editorials was shared with the Ponteland Observer , acquired by the Tweeddale Press Group that year; it incorporated the Ponteland Observer fully in 1986. It

2236-709: The town are: A192 , A196 , A197 , B1337 , B6343 and the B6524 . Morpeth Northern Bypass The Morpeth Northern Bypass was a project to decrease traffic congestion in Morpeth town centre and decrease journey times from Pegswood , Ashington and Newbiggin to the A1 and beyond. The Bypass follows on from the Pegswood Bypass at Whorral Bank Roundabout and continues to the St George's Roundabout and then onto Northgate Roundabout and St Leonard's A1 Junction. The Project

2288-720: The war until the end of the games in 1958. In 1730, a racecourse was built for horse racing, which was used until 1854, when the racetrack was replaced with St. George's Hospital. The town was the start point of the Morpeth To Newcastle Road Race . This road running race was held annually on New Year's Day from 1902 to 2004, when insurance and policing costs became prohibitively high, and winners included Commonwealth champion Jack Holden and Olympic medallist Mike McLeod . Local news and television programmes are provided by BBC North East and Cumbria and ITV Tyne Tees . Television signals are received from

2340-413: The winner of the FA Vase in 2016. The town hosted its own Olympics from 1873 to 1958. Two middle schools, a high school and seven first schools are situated in Morpeth, as well as several churches of Anglican, Roman Catholic, United Reformed and Methodist denominations. Morpeth's Carlisle Park , the recipient of several awards, contains one of the four floral clocks in England. Morpeth was founded at

2392-421: Was a branch line to Rothbury ), then west to Redesmouth , and lastly south to Hexham . Arriva North East are the main operator of bus services in the town, with services going to nearby towns and villages such as Pegswood , Guide Post , Ashington , Bedlington or to Newcastle , Alnwick , Amble , Berwick or Widdrington . The local state school, King Edward VI School , was originally founded as

2444-457: Was approved in October 2016 and was started in October 2018 - this has seen the main buildings refurbished and the portico entrance modernised to incorporate a cafeteria, expanded ticket office and upgraded toilets. 5,382 square feet (500 m ) of office space has been created for local small businesses. The exterior of the station has been restored to Benjamin Green's original design, including

2496-783: Was built from local quarry stone. Although the Primitive Methodists were united with the Wesleyan Church to form the Methodist Church of Great Britain in 1932, a separate Wesleyan Church continued to function in Manchester Street until 1964, when the congregations were united at Howard Terrace. The former Wesleyan Church (built in 1883) is currently used as the Explorer Scout headquarters. Morpeth Town A.F.C. , Morpeth RFC and

2548-458: Was completed in 2017, which has allowed increased connectivity to SE Northumberland and beyond. Morpeth's railway station is on the main East Coast Main Line which runs between London and Edinburgh. To the south of the station is a sharp curve which has been the scene of several train crashes . A non-passenger line operates between Morpeth and Bedlington . A former line, closed in 1966, ran west from Morpeth to Scots Gap (from where there

2600-987: Was controlled by seven companies: the Merchant Tailors, the Tanners, the Fullers and Dyers, the Smiths, the Cordwainers, the Weavers and the Butchers. This remained the governing charter until the borough was reformed by the Municipal Corporations Act 1835 . During the Second World War , RAF Morpeth , an air-gunnery training school , opened at nearby Tranwell . The town and the county's history and culture are celebrated at

2652-415: Was described by the royal antiquary John Leland as "long and metely well-builded, with low houses" and "a far fairer town than Alnwick ". During the 1543–51 war of the Rough Wooing , Morpeth was occupied by a garrison of Italian mercenaries, who "pestered such a little street standing in the highway" by killing deer and withholding payment for food. In 1552, William Hervey, Norroy King of Arms , granted

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2704-463: Was sold to Northeast Press , now a division of Johnston Press in 1992. Editorial remained in Morpeth until the late 2010s when it moved to Alnwick and then to Sunderland. During Northeast Press ownership the Herald was printed in Hartlepool or Sunderland and since the closure of Northeast Press's remaining Sunderland print centre in September 2012 until 2014, under contract by Trinity Mirror plc on their presses in Newcastle upon Tyne . Advertising

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