161-486: North East England is one of nine official regions of England at the first level of ITL for statistical purposes. It has three administrative levels below regional level: combined authorities , unitary authorities or metropolitan boroughs , and civil parishes . There are also multiple divisions without administrative functions; ceremonial counties , emergency services ( fire-and-rescue and police ), built-up areas and historic counties . The largest settlements in
322-403: A "Sub-National Review of Economic Development and Regeneration". Most of their functions transferred to the relevant regional development agency and to local authority leaders' boards . In June 2010, the incoming Coalition Government announced its intentions to abolish regional strategies and return spatial planning powers to local government. These plans include the withdrawal of funding to
483-560: A Macone consule fraudulenter interempti sunt, ac deinde in partibus illis rex Eadredus regnavit. King Eric was treacherously killed by Earl [ consul ] Maccus in a certain lonely place which is called Stainmore, with his son Haeric and his brother Ragnald, betrayed by Earl [ comes ] Oswulf; and then afterwards King Eadred ruled in these districts. Stainmore , traditionally in Westmorland and administratively in Cumbria , lies in
644-513: A Scottish saint with a Brythonic name, visited a certain King Eric ( Erichus ) in York as he proceeded southwards from his native Strathclyde and Cumbria to Loida civitas , sometimes identified as Leeds , on the boundary with Cumbria, ultimately intending to go to West France. This Eric was both settled and married, and may have been on good terms with his neighbours in the north-west, although
805-618: A business growth fund to help small and medium-sized businesses (SMES). Businesses investing in the region are supported by the Local Enterprise Partnerships of Tees Valley (part of the TVCA ) and the North East. Both these organisations manage enterprise zones (Invest North East England and Tees Valley Business) to encourage new business investors. There are also several Industry and Business led Cluster bodies in
966-579: A career of international piracy: four years were spent harrying the Baltic coasts and those of Denmark, Frisia and Germany ('Saxland'); another four years those of Scotland, Wales, Ireland and France; and lastly, Lappland and Bjarmaland (in what is now northern Russia). Describing the last trip, Egils saga notes that Eric sailed up the Dvina River into the Russian hinterland of Permia , where he sacked
1127-691: A certain Eric have been described as rulers of 'the Isles' ( Hebrides ) (see below). In a letter addressed to Pope Boniface VIII , King Edward I (r. 1272–1307) remembered a certain Eric ( Yricius ) as having been a king of Scotland subject to the English king. In the 19th century, a case had also been made for Harald Bluetooth King of Denmark (d. 985) as being Eric's true father. J.M. Lappenberg and Charles Plummer , for instance, identified Eric with Harald's son Hiring. The only authority for this son's existence
1288-752: A decade later the Labour administration also founded the Regional Improvement and Efficiency Partnerships (RIEPs) with £185m of devolved funding to enhance councils' capacity to improve and take the lead in their own improvement. The Maastricht Treaty encouraged the creation of regional boundaries for selection of members for the Committee of the Regions of the European Union : Wales , Scotland and Northern Ireland had each constituted
1449-537: A decisive role in Amlaíb's career in the early 940s, remains tantalisingly unclear. One might assume that Wulfstan, given his political eminence, headed the Northumbrian party which elected Eric. It has likewise been suggested that Eadred's punitive attack on the ancient minster of Ripon, which carried little military weight, was targeted at Wulfstan in particular. In what sense his deposition in 948 may have affected
1610-466: A directly elected Mayor and Assembly . Six regions have local authority leaders' boards to assist with correlating the headline policies of local authorities. The remaining two regions no longer have any administrative functions, having abolished their regional local authority leaders' boards. In 1998, regional chambers were established in the eight regions outside London, which produced strategic plans and recommendations to local authorities. Each of
1771-571: A handful of Egill's lausavísur . The earliest saga, Historia Norwegiæ , describes her as the daughter of Gorm inn Gamli (‘the Old’), king of Denmark (and hence a sister of Harald Bluetooth ). Most subsequent accounts name her father Ozur , nicknamed either Toti "teat" ( Egils saga, Fagrskinna , Heimskringla ) or lafskegg "dangling beard" ( Ágrip , Fagrskinna ), a man who hailed from the northern province of Hålogaland ( Egils saga , Heimskringla ). Icelandic hostility towards Gunnhild has been cited as
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#17327762037901932-641: A leading statesman in Northumbrian politics, played a key role in Amlaíb's support, although he would later change his mind (see below). In 942 Edmund struck back with a recapture of Mercia and the Five Boroughs of Danelaw , which so impressed contemporaries that a poem was written in honour of the achievement and included in the Chronicle . In response, Amlaíb launched a successful raid on Tamworth (Mercia), probably sometime later that year. However, in 943, when Amlaíb had marched on to Leicester , one of
2093-533: A matter of some debate: some argue that it was written shortly after Eric's death, while others who regard the poem as an imitation of the Hákonarmál in honour of Haakon the Good prefer a date sometime after Haakon's death, c . 961. In spite of the decidedly pagan contents of the poem, Eric may have died a Christian, as some of the sagas suggest. There is no evidence for his religious beliefs, but if ever Eric
2254-670: A new ruler of the Uí Ímair dynasty had made York his seat. From Irish annals it is known that Edmund's old rival Olaf Guthfrithson left Dublin in 939 ( Annals of the Four Masters ), that in 940 his cousin, known in Ireland as Amlaíb Cuarán and in England as Olaf Sihtricsson, joined him in York ( Annals of the Four Masters , Annals of Clonmacnoise ) and that Olaf Guthfrithson died in 941 ( Annals of Clonmacnoise , Chronicon Scotorum ), while
2415-434: A north-westerly direction (possibly in search of support), was about to cross over into Cumbria, when in a bid for power, his official Osulf had him killed through the agency of Maccus. Exactly what made this a betrayal ( proditio ) in the eyes of the 10th century chronicler or those of Roger of Wendover , is unclear. It is unknown whether Osulf was also behind Eric's expulsion, despite being the main beneficiary, and whether he
2576-541: A number of later sagas such as the Separate Saga of St. Olaf ( c . 1225), Heimskringla , Egils saga and Óláfs saga Tryggvasonar en mesta assert that he sailed directly to Orkney, where he took the joint jarls into vassalage, collected forces and so set up a base which enabled him to organise several expeditions in overseas territory. Named targets include Ireland, the Hebrides, Scotland and England. Eric sealed
2737-525: A possible source for her dissociation from the Danish royal house. There is no consensus on how to solve this problem. An early suggestion is that the name for the king in York in the Life of Cathróe has been erroneously supplanted for Eric's predecessor Amlaíb Cuarán (Olaf Sihtricsson), whose (second) wife Dúnflaith was an Irishwoman. Recently, Clare Downham has suggested that Erichius , Eric of Northumbria,
2898-463: A raven and valkyrie . It tells that Harald "chose the lady from Denmark [ konu danska ] / broke with his Rogaland loves / and his lemans of Horthaland, / the maidens of Hálogaland / and of Hathaland eke." In the Flateyjarbók , it is preceded by another stanza which refers to the "handmaidens of Ragnhildr" ( ambáttir Ragnhildar ) as witnesses of the event. However, it is uncertain whether her name
3059-735: A region, but England represents such a large proportion of the population of the United Kingdom that further division was thought necessary. The English regions, which initially numbered ten, also replaced the Standard Statistical Regions . Merseyside originally constituted a region in itself, but in 1998 it was merged into the North West England region, creating the nine present-day regions. The nine regions were used as England's European Parliament constituencies from 1999 until Britain's departure from
3220-629: A result of abundant minerals such as salt and coal, the chemical industry of the Northeast England is today spread across the whole of the region, with pharmaceuticals being primarily produced in the north of the region, speciality and fine chemicals spread across the middle of the region and commodity chemicals and petrochemicals on Teesside. These companies are members of the Northeast of England Process Industry Cluster (NEPIC). The early chemical industry in this region, however,
3381-449: A scribal confusion for Stan -, which in turn would have referred to Stainmore (OE * Stan ). Having thus ascribed a historical core to the body of Scandinavian material, he in turn interprets the event as a battle. However, scholars today are usually less prepared to colour the sober records with details from the sagas, preferring to take the view that Eric was assassinated in exile. In sum then, it looks as if Eric, expelled and heading in
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#17327762037903542-721: A series of referendums were planned to establish elected regional assemblies in some of the regions. The first was held in London in 1998 and was passed. The London Assembly and Mayor of London of the Greater London Authority were created in 2000. A referendum was held in North East England on 4 November 2004, but the proposal for an elected assembly was rejected. In 2007, a Treasury Review for new Prime Minister Gordon Brown recommended that greater powers should be given to local authorities and that
3703-476: A short duration, since in 954 (a date on which MSS D and E agree), the Northumbrians expelled him, too. Clare Downham notes the existence of an otherwise unrecorded Eltangerht , whose coins were minted at York and date from about the same time, but nothing is known of him from other records. The nature of Eric's relationship with Archbishop Wulfstan , the leading Northumbrian churchman who played such
3864-881: A smaller scale), but which also receive additional delegated functions from central government relating to transport and economic policy. Regional development agencies were public bodies established in all nine regions in 1998 to promote economic development. They had certain delegated functions, including administering European Union regional development funds, and received funding from the central government as well. These were abolished in 2012, with statutory functions returning to local authorities and central government; however, smaller scale local enterprise partnerships were voluntarily established to take on some functions relating to coordinating economic priorities and development. After about 500 AD, England comprised seven Anglo-Saxon territories— Northumbria , Mercia , East Anglia , Essex , Kent , Sussex and Wessex —often referred to as
4025-465: A son of the Norwegian king Harald (I) Fairhair . The skaldic poems ascribed to Egill Skallagrímsson may offer further reassurance that the sagas are on the right track, although doubts have been expressed about the date and integrity of the verses in the form in which they have survived. One of Egill's lausavísur speaks of an encounter in England with a man of "Harald's line" ( Haralds áttar ), while
4186-563: A strong religious past, as can be seen in works such as the Lindisfarne Gospels and the Anglo-Saxon Chronicle . The works of Cuthbert (634–687 AD), Bede (673–735 AD) and Hilda of Whitby (614–680 AD) were hugely influential in the early church, and are still venerated by some today. These saints are usually associated with the monasteries on the island of Lindisfarne , Wearmouth-Jarrow , and
4347-490: Is Adam of Bremen , who in his Gesta ( c . 1070) claims to cite the otherwise unknown Gesta Anglorum for a remarkable anecdote about Hiring's foreign adventures: "Harald sent his son Hiring to England with an army. When the latter had subjugated the island, he was in the end betrayed and killed by the Northumbrians." Even if Eric's rise and fall had been the inspiration for the story, the names are not identical and Harald Bluetooth's floruit does not sit well with Eric's. In
4508-521: Is also the English stronghold of black grouse and contains 80–90% of the UK population of yellow marsh saxifrage . The Magnesian Limestone grasslands of East Durham are a unique habitat not found anywhere else in the world which is particularly important to many species of butterfly and moths. The Northeast of England also features woodland such as Kielder Forest , the largest man-made forest in Europe. This
4669-504: Is an organisation created in the region to share knowledge and best practice between membership based business support organisations in the Northeast of England. The Forum creates a single voice for business when this is needed. This business led forum also links its member organisations to wider business issues, both locally and nationally, through the local and national business membership organisations that are also represented. Members of
4830-466: Is arguable whether its preservation in two lausavísur by Egill Skallagrímsson and a contemporary skald genuinely dates to the 10th century or had been inserted at some stage when Eric was becoming the focus of legend. There is no guarantee that it significantly predates the 12th-century narrative tradition, where it is first attached to him in Ágrip and in Latin translation as sanguinea securis in
4991-595: Is clearer on the point of agency, writing that it was Wulfstan and the ealdorman ( dux ) of the Mercians who deposed these 'deserters' – perhaps born again pagans – and forced them to submit to Edmund. The same year, Edmund raided Cumbria and entrusted it to Malcolm I of Scotland in exchange for support "both on sea and on land". The Irish annals report that in 945, Amlaíb was back in Dublin and an anonymous ruler at York, possibly Ragnald (Rögnvaldr), died. Edmund
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5152-630: Is located within Northumberland National Park and contains an important habitat for the endangered red squirrel . The North East has the smallest population of all English regions. The North East with Scotland , the South West of England, Wales and Northern Ireland are the British regions to have seen the least immigration in over 50 years. The Northeast of England as a region has the lowest rate of HIV infection in
5313-547: Is may be instructive. Wulfstan is still seen at court in 950, but of the five charters which were issued in 951, not one was attested by him, which once again may imply his backing of Amlaíb. Eric's reign (952–954) is more obscure. We do know, however, that in 952, the same year that Eric began his second term at York, Wulfstan was arrested and stood on trial in Iudanbyrig (unknown) on account of several unspecified allegations which had been repeatedly brought before Eadred. Of
5474-553: Is not out of the question that both were issued during a single reign. Eric's sudden appearance in the Chronicle , first noted by the D-text, is a puzzling one, lacking any information as to how or why he emerged on the scene. As hinted above, the Life of the Scottish saint Cathróe of Metz , written by a cleric (Reimann) who claimed to have been a former pupil of the saint, may possibly shed some light on his background. St Cathróe,
5635-440: Is not the same as Eric Bloodaxe. And there remains the possibility that he was not strictly monogamous, and the existence of two wives need not be mutually exclusive. The dominant theme of the sagas about Harald's numerous sons is the struggle for the Norwegian throne, in particular the way it manifests itself in the careers of Haakon and his foil Eric. According to Heimskringla , Harald had appointed his sons as client kings over
5796-408: Is often low by English standards, in spite of the low levels of sunshine, with Stockton-on-Tees averaging only 574.2 millimetres (22.61 in) annually, and with the seaside town of Tynemouth (despite its slightly sunnier climate) recording 597.2 millimetres (23.51 in) annually. The summers on the northern coastlines are significantly cooler than in the southern and central inland areas: Tynemouth
5957-512: Is only just above 18 °C (64 °F) in July. Further inland, frosts during winter are more common, due to the higher elevations and distance from the sea. The region has a diverse landscape that includes maritime cliffs and extensive moorland that contains a number of rare species of flora and fauna . Of particular importance are the saltmarshes of Lindisfarne , the Tees Estuary ,
6118-555: Is the UK region with lowest cost of living per household. The 2023 data shows that for the first time since 2010 renting is now 11.3% cheaper than owning a mortgaged property in the North East. Businesses in Northeast England are supported by the North East Chamber of Commerce. The North East Chamber of Commerce (NECC) is based in Durham and has active sub committees working in all sub regions. To further encourage SMEs in
6279-415: Is uncertain", since the grey wolf is always lying in wait. Eric is then greeted by the famous hero Sigmundr : "Hail now, Eiríkr [...] / here you shall be welcome; / brave hero, enter the hall." Some have argued that the language of the poem shows influence from Old English . However, on recently examining the poem, John McKinnell could find little trace of this. The (original) date of composition remains
6440-612: The Arinbjarnarkviða envisages a ruler at York (Jórvik) who is a descendant of Halfdán ( Halfdanar ) and of the Yngling dynasty ( ynglings burar ). If genuine, the latter identification would form the only direct clue in the contemporary record which might link Eric with the Norwegian dynasty. Another Harald known from this period is Aralt mac Sitric (d. 940), king of Limerick, the probable father of Maccus and Gofraid . This may be relevant, since both these brothers and
6601-551: The 2009 European election , Labour got 25% of the region's vote, the Conservatives 20%, the Liberal Democrats 18%, and UK Independence Party 15%. However, in recent years, the North East has seen a significant swing away from Labour. In the 2019 election, many constituencies were targeted by the Conservatives and their representation increased to 10 MPs. The region wide vote shares were 43% for Labour and 38% for
North East England - Misplaced Pages Continue
6762-536: The Anglo-Saxon Chronicle (MS E) dates his death – incorrectly it seems – to 942. Amlaíb Cuarán succeeded him and did so with popular support, as the Anglo-Saxon Chronicle (MS D) reports that in 941, "the Northumbrians belied their pledges, and chose Olaf [i.e., Amlaíb Cuarán] from Ireland as their king." Amlaíb shared the throne with his nephew Ragnald (Rögnvaldr), son of Gofraid. There are indications that Wulfstan, Archbishop of York and
6923-468: The Battle of Steinmor ... and there fell Eirikr, with his sons and brothers and all his army ... and his brother Reginaldus [Latin for Ragnald or Ragnvald] ... His son was also known as: Henricus or Haericus [Latin form] and brother as Ragnald or Reginaldus [Latin form] ... together with his son Henricus" whom the commentator Michael Wood in a 1981 BBC documentary series identifies as 'Harékr' (from
7084-514: The Chronicle (MS D) notes that the Northumbrians soon violated their pledges and oaths (947) and records a definite outcome of their disloyalty in 948, by which time "they had taken Eirik [ Yryc ] for their king". That year, King Eadred harshly punished the northern defectors by launching a destructive raid on Northumbria, which notably included burning the Ripon minster founded by St Wilfrid . Although Eadred's forces had to sustain heavy losses in
7245-588: The Committee of the Regions , with members drawn from the elected councillors of the local authorities in the region. The final nominations were made by central government. Although they were publicly funded, one of the Regional Assemblies claimed not to be a public authority and therefore not subject to the Freedom of Information Act 2000 . As power was to be devolved to Scotland, Northern Ireland and Wales without corresponding devolution in England,
7406-734: The First World War . In 1912, the Third Home Rule Bill was passing through parliament. The Bill was expected to introduce a devolved parliament for Ireland, and as a consequence calls were made for similar structures to be introduced in Great Britain or "Home Rule All Round". On 12 September the First Lord of the Admiralty , Winston Churchill , gave a speech in which he proposed 10 or 12 regional parliaments for
7567-578: The Historia Norwegiæ makes him flee directly to England, where he was received by his half-brother Haakon, baptised and given charge of Northumbria by Æthelstan. When Eric's rule became intolerable, he was driven out and slain on an expedition in Spain. Ágrip tells that he came to Denmark first. According to Historia Norwegiæ , it would have been his wife's native country and hence a power base where he might have expected to muster some support, but
7728-469: The Historia Norwegiæ. The sagas usually explain it as referring to Eric's slaying of his half-brothers in a ruthless struggle to monopolise his rule over Norway; Theodoricus gives the similar nickname fratrum interfector ( killer of brothers or brother-bane ). Fagrskinna , on the other hand, ascribes it to Eric's violent reputation as a Viking raider. The Anglo-Saxon Chronicle (MS E) describes Eric laconically as ‘Harold’s son’ ( Haroldes sunu ). In
7889-725: The North Atlantic Current of the Gulf Stream . The Met Office operates several weather stations in the region and are able to show the regional variations in temperature and its relation to the distance from the North Sea . The warmest summers in the region are found in Stockton-on-Tees and the Middlesbrough area, with a 1981–2010 July average high of 20.4 °C (68.7 °F). Precipitation
8050-488: The River Tees and returned with many cattle and captives. Marios Costambeys suggests that it "may have been directed against, or mounted in favour of, Eirik, though the protagonist could just as easily have been Óláf Sihtricson." Eric's removal cleared the way for Amlaíb [Anlaf Cwiran], who having suffered defeat at Slane (Co. Meath, Ireland) in 947, returned to Northumbria and took the kingship, supposedly in 949, if
8211-698: The Tees Valley Combined Authority in 2016. The region is generally hilly and sparsely populated in the North and West, and urban and arable in the East and South. The highest point in the region is The Cheviot , in the Cheviot Hills , at 815 metres (2,674 ft). The region contains the urban centres of Tyneside , Wearside , and Teesside and is noted for the rich natural beauty of its coastline, Northumberland National Park , and
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#17327762037908372-661: The comes Maccus son of Anlaf, is unclear. His name may point to origins in a Norse-Gaelic family based in the Border country . While Anlaf (Middle Irish: Amlaíb , Old Norse: Óláfr ) is a common Scandinavian and Norse-Gaelic name, Maccus , a Norse-Gaelic name of Middle Irish origin, is geographically more restricted and is particularly well attested in southern Scottish place-names. Based on Eric's confrontation with his predecessor Óláfr in Fagrskinna , attempts have been made to connect Onlaf to Amlaíb Cuarán , but this must remain in
8533-512: The government office regions , are the highest tier of sub-national division in England . They were established in 1994 and follow the 1974–96 county borders. They are a continuation of the former 1940s standard regions which followed the 1889–1974 administrative county borders. Between 1994 and 2011, all nine regions had partly devolved functions; they no longer fulfil this role, continuing to be used for limited statistical purposes. While
8694-717: The heaths , bogs and traditional upland hay meadows of the North Pennines, and the Arctic-alpine flora of Upper Teesdale. The beauty of the Northumbrian coastline has led to its designation as an area of outstanding natural beauty (AONB) stretching 100 miles from Berwick-Upon-Tweed to the River Coquet estuary. Among the 290 bird species identified on the Farne Islands , is the rare seabird
8855-533: The heptarchy . The boundaries of some of these, which later unified as the Kingdom of England , roughly coincide with those of modern regions. During Oliver Cromwell 's Protectorate in the 1650s, the rule of the Major-Generals created 10 regions in England and Wales of similar size to the modern regions. Proposals for administrative regions within England were mooted by the British government prior to
9016-461: The new county structure ". A minority report by Lord Crowther-Hunt and Alan T. Peacock suggested instead seven regional assemblies and governments within Great Britain (five within England), which would take over substantial amounts of the central government. Some elements of regional development and economic planning began to be established in England from the mid-1960s onwards. In most of
9177-524: The roseate tern . One of the foremost bird sanctuaries and observatory for migratory and wading birds in the UK is now operated at "Saltholme" which is part of a wider site of special scientific interest called Seal Sands . The Saltholme reserve is managed by the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds (RSPB). This project was pronounced as one of the best places to view birds by Bill Oddie ,
9338-500: The 1580s, but by the 16th century the industry had been eclipsed by South Shields on the Tyne. In 1894 the industry returned to Greatham with the establishment of the Greatham Salt and Brine Company by George Weddell. The works was later purchased by the famous salt-making company Cerebos in 1903. By the mid-20th century, Cerebos was owned by the food conglomerate Rank Hovis McDougall , and the factory closed in 2002. Regions of England The regions of England , formerly known as
9499-476: The 1986 Government Green Paper and 1989 White Paper on The Future of Development Plans , which proposed the introduction of strong regional guidance within the planning system, and by the Government's issuing of Strategic Guidance at a regional level, from 1986 onwards. In April 1994, the John Major ministry created a set of ten Government Office Regions for England. Prior to 1994, although various central government departments had different regional offices,
9660-950: The 2007 Indices of Deprivation (these indices have been updated in 2010 ). It takes many years for areas to become deprived, suggesting that the underlying causes of area-based deprivation are long-term such as: Industrial restructuring has disproportionately affected some communities and groups. In particular: The region's most deprived council districts, as measured by the LSOA data before County Durham and Northumberland became unitary authorities in 2007, are in descending order Easington (7th in England), Middlesbrough (9th), Hartlepool (23rd), Wear Valley (33rd), Sunderland (35th), Newcastle upon Tyne (37th), South Tyneside (38th), Wansbeck (46th), Redcar and Cleveland (50th), Gateshead (52nd), Sedgefield (54th), Derwentside (73rd), Blyth Valley (80th), and Stockton on Tees (98th). The least deprived council districts in 2007 were, in descending order, Tynedale, Castle Morpeth , Teesdale , then Alnwick . Since
9821-422: The Abbey at Whitby , though they are also associated with many other religious sites in the region. Bede is regarded as the greatest Anglo-Saxon scholar. He worked at the monasteries of Wearmouth and Jarrow, translating some forty books on all areas of knowledge, including nature, history, astronomy, poetry and theological matters such as the lives of the saints. His best known work is " The Ecclesiastical History of
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#17327762037909982-424: The April 2009 abolition of these four districts, Northumberland is the least deprived, followed by North Tyneside. Unemployment is a severe problem in the North East, where many children grow up in households where no adult works. in 2010 Easington had the highest rate in the country, as 40.3% of its households with children had no working adult, followed by Sedgefield with 34%. As of April 2013, youth unemployment in
10143-509: The Battle of Castleford ( Ceaster forda ) – near Tanshelf – as they returned southwards, Eadred managed to check his rival by promising the latter's supporters even greater havoc if they did not desert Eric. The Northumbrians preferred to appease the English king, renounced Eric and paid compensation. The Chronicle of the Kings of Alba records that shortly thereafter, in 948 or 949, Malcolm (I) of Scotland and Cumbria, at Constantine 's instigation, raided Northumbria as far south as
10304-498: The Boroughs, he and Wulfstan were besieged by Edmund and managed to escape only by a hair's breadth. Peace negotiations followed later that year to the effect that Edmund accepted Amlaíb as an ally and as two northern sources add, ceded to him Northumbria as far south as Watling Street. Later, Edmund stood sponsor to him at baptism and to Ragnall at confirmation. In 944, however, Northumbria passed into West-Saxon hands again as Edmund drove out both Viking rulers. The chronicler Æthelweard
10465-468: The Conservatives, with the Brexit Party a distant third on 8%. In November 2004, a referendum on whether a directly elected regional assembly should be set up for North East England resulted in a decisive "no" vote. The number of people who voted against the plans was 696,519 (78%), while 197,310 (22%) voted in favour. John Prescott , the Deputy Prime Minister at the time, admitted that his plans for regional devolution had suffered an "emphatic defeat" to
10626-420: The E-text is to be trusted. Eadred does not appear to have undertaken any significant action and may even have turned a blind eye on his brother's godson, or so at least the silence of the sources appears to suggest. The E-text reports, however, that in 952, "the Northumbrians drove out King Olaf and accepted Eric, son of Harold." The Annals of Ulster for the same year report a victory of the "foreigners", i.e.,
10787-418: The English People ". One of the most famous pieces of art and literature created in the region is the Lindisfarne Gospels , thought to be the work of a monk named Eadfrith, who became Bishop of Lindisfarne in 698. This body of work is thought to have been created in honour of Cuthbert, around 710–720. In 793, the Vikings arrived on the shores of north-east England with a raiding party from Norway who attacked
10948-434: The European Union ; and as statistical NUTS level 1 regions. Since 1 July 2006, there have also been ten strategic health authorities , each of which corresponds to a region, except for South East England , which is divided into western and eastern parts. In 1998, regional chambers were created in the eight English regions outside London under the provisions of the Regional Development Agencies Act 1998 . The powers of
11109-408: The Friars Goose Alkali Works. The passing of the Alkali Act of 1863 in the UK Parliament brought about a further reduced pollution from these processes and was the first industrial environmental legislation to come into practice globally. Salt-making in and around Greatham (between Hartlepool and Billingham) had been important in Roman and medieval times, and salt was also produced on Wearside from
11270-435: The Hebrides, is described as having allied himself to Sitriuc mac Tuirgeis, king of Dublin. Although the Caithréim is hardly a work celebrated for its accuracy as a source of history, the distant memory of an Eric who ruled the Hebrides may not be fictitious. It may be a matter of coincidence that the next Vikings known to have ruled the Hebrides were also 'sons of Harold', Gofraid mac Arailt , ri Innsi Gall (d. 989), who
11431-578: The Industrial Revolution alkali was mostly used to aid the bleaching process of cloth. As the Industrial Revolution took hold, increasing demand for alkali came from higher production of dyestuffs, and bleach. In 1798 John Losh and the Earl of Dundonald took out a lease for a rich supply of brine pumped from a nearby coal mine, the Walker pit, becoming the supplier of raw material for The Losh, Wilson & Bell Alkali works. The works were established at Walker-on-Tyne in 1807 and bleaching powder manufacture began there in 1830, Losh Brothers soon manufactured half
11592-635: The Latin Haeric or Henricus or Haericus ) "and brother Ragnald" (from the Latin Reginaldus ). Historians have been struck by the correspondence with these names in Fagrskinna , which says two of the kings who died with Eric in his final battle against Osulf (Olaf) were called Harékr and Ragnvald, although they are not identified as relatives there they certainly are identified as his son ( cum filio – meaning: 'with his son') and his brother ( et fratre – meaning: 'and [his] brother') in
11753-799: The North East of England to Export, the Northeast Process Industry Cluster (NEPIC) has collaborated with the North East Chamber of Commerce (NECC) and RTC North Limited to create a jointly owned subsidiary company Go Global Limited to manage the contract they have to deliver the United Kingdom Trade & Investment (UKTI), Government funded, support products and programme for all business sectors in their region. The UKTI business support products, to help grow international trade, are focused on supporting individual SMEs to grow their exports and they also support Trade Missions to new markets. The Northern Business Forum
11914-564: The North East was 24.8%, with 51,000 out of work. In 2013, the Office for National Statistics report issued the statements highlighted in the table below: In November 2017 the region's employment dropped to 5.5%, the joint highest unemployment rate in the UK. In the ONS International Territorial Levels (ITL), North East England is a level-1 ITL region, coded "UKC", which is subdivided as follows: In 2013,
12075-543: The North Sagas. Further details on his family background are provided solely by the Icelandic and Norwegian sources of the 12th and 13th centuries, which are of limited and uncertain historical value and should therefore be treated with due circumspection. Harald 'Fairhair' is usually portrayed as a polygamous and virile king, the number of his sons varying between 16 and 20. While Eric's mother remains anonymous in
12236-407: The Northeast, and if so, how deprived neighbourhoods can be better recognised. Secondly to present a summary of "what works" in tackling deprivation in each of these types of area. The report discusses the factors influencing deprivation and points out that it is a significant problem for the North East with 34% of the regions Lower Super Output Areas (LSOAs) are amongst England's 20% most deprived in
12397-687: The Northmen or the Norse-Gaels, over "the men of Scotland and the Welsh [ Bretnu , i.e., Britons of Strathclyde] and the Saxons." Exactly what this succinct account may tell us of his second rise to power, if anything, is frustratingly unclear. He may have led the Viking forces in a second bid for the throne, or only returned from the sideline to exploit the ravages of defeat. His reign proved once again of
12558-402: The Norwegian nobility. At this propitious time, Haakon returned to Norway, found a nobility eager to accept him as king instead and ousted Eric, who fled to Britain. Heimskringla specifies that Haakon owed his success in large part to Sigurd, earl of Lade. Determining the date and length of Eric's reign (before and after his father's death) is a challenging and perhaps impossible task based on
12719-504: The Regional Chambers should be phased out of existence by 2010. The same year, nine Regional Ministers were appointed by the incoming Brown ministry . Their primary goal was stated as being to improve communication between central government and the regions of England. The assemblies were effectively replaced by smaller local authority leaders' boards between 2008 and 2010, and formally abolished on 31 March 2010, as part of
12880-600: The Scots granted him oaths that they would do all that he wanted." Moreover, in 947 he convened Archbishop Wulfstan and the Northumbrian witan at Tanshelf (now in Pontefract , West Yorkshire), on the boundary of the Humber (near an old Roman road), where they pledged their obedience to him. What perceived threat was being countered remains unclear, but English rule does not seem to have been very warmly received. In any event,
13041-810: The Tyne includes the Port of Tyne North Estate, Swan Hunter in North Tyneside, and Neptune Yard in Newcastle. The zone was launched in April 2012. In that year another cluster of sites, composing the Blyth Estuary Renewable Energy Zone at Port of Blyth , was added to the zone. The enterprise zone contains ten sites over the three clusters, covering 115 hectares (280 acres) in total. After more than 2,000 years of industrial activity as
13202-543: The UK was UK and the NUTS standard had hierarchy of three levels, with 12 first level regions, which are currently mirrored by the ITL classification, of which 9 regions are in England . The sub-structure corresponds to administrative divisions within the country. Formerly, the further NUTS divisions IV and V existed; these have now been replaced by Local Administrative Units (LAU-1 and LAU-2 respectively). Between 1994 and 2011,
13363-503: The UK was a member of the European Union , they defined areas ( constituencies ) for the purposes of elections to the European Parliament . Eurostat also used them to demarcate first level Nomenclature of Territorial Units for Statistics (NUTS) regions ("NUTS 1 regions") within the European Union , which in 2021 were superseded by International Territorial Level (ITL) regions ("ITL 1 regions"). The London Region has
13524-404: The UK, but has the highest rate of heart attacks among men and of lung cancer among women in England, along with the highest male lung cancer rate in the UK. In 2010, the region had the second highest trade union membership among UK men. Higher education students from the North East are most likely to pick a university in their home region. The last immigration wave before the 21st century was in
13685-532: The United Kingdom. Within England, he suggested that London, Lancashire, Yorkshire, and the Midlands would make natural regions . While the creation of regional parliaments never became official policy, it was for a while widely anticipated and various schemes for dividing England devised. By the 1930s, several competing systems of regions were adopted by central government for such purposes as census of population, agriculture, electricity supply, civil defence and
13846-416: The account cited in the Latin text of the North Sagas entitled, Morte Rex Eilricus (The death of King Eirikr) which had been copied long ago from the annals of the lost York Chronicles, the author provides the details of the events leading to Eric (Eirikr or Eirik) Bloodaxe's death "fraudulently, treacherously betrayed by Earl Osulfus" ( Osulf, Earl of Bamburg ) "... was killed by Earl Maccus ... at
14007-576: The alliance by giving his daughter Ragnhild in marriage to the future earl of Orkney, Arnfinn, son of Thorfinn Turf-Einarsson. It is when Eric gains the kingship in Northumbria that he finally steps more firmly into the historical limelight, even though the sources provide only scanty detail and present notorious problems of their own. The historical sources – e.g., versions A-F of the Anglo-Saxon Chronicle , Historia regum and Roger of Wendover's Historia Anglorum – tend to be reticent and
14168-408: The assemblies were limited, and members were appointed, largely by local authorities, rather than being directly elected. The functions of the English regions were essentially devolved to them from Government departments or were taken over from pre-existing regional bodies, such as regional planning conferences and regional employers' organisations. Each assembly also made proposals for the UK members of
14329-527: The change from raiding to settlement when it records that in 876 the Vikings "Shared out the land of the Northumbrians and they proceeded to plough and support themselves" The Anglo-Saxon Kingdom of Northumbria extended from the Scottish borders (then Pictish borders) at the Firth of Forth to the north, and to the south of York , its capital, down to the Humber. The last independent Northumbrian king from 947–8
14490-601: The chronology is confused. However, the best chronological guideline appears to be that offered by the Worcester Chronicle, i.e., the D-text of the Anglo-Saxon Chronicle . The Northumbria on which he set foot was one which had been bitterly fought over between the West-Saxon kings and the Hiberno-Norse line of descendants from Ímair , kings of Dublin. The Northumbrians' own position in the middle of
14651-599: The confused chronology of our late sources. It is also unfortunate that no contemporary or even near contemporary record survives for Eric's short-lived rule in Norway, if it is historical at all. The Norse sagas differ in the way they treat the manner and route by which Eric first came to Britain after he was forced out of Norway. The synoptic histories offer the most concise accounts. Theodoricus goes straight for Eric's arrival in England, his welcome there by King Æthelstan , his brief rule and his death soon afterwards. Similarly,
14812-537: The conquest in 1080 by Robert Curthose , William the Conqueror's eldest son. The region has the following sub-divisions: Created in 1994, the region was defined as Northumberland , Tyne and Wear , County Durham and Cleveland . A 1996 local-government reform created ceremonial counties and unitary authorities, allowing districts to govern outside their designated counties. The reform also abolished Cleveland with it split between County Durham and North Yorkshire ,
14973-671: The creation of eight provinces in England, which would see power devolved from central government. Edward Heath 's administration in the 1970s did not create a regional structure in the Local Government Act 1972 , waiting for the Royal Commission on the Constitution , after which government efforts were concentrated on a constitutional settlement in Scotland and Wales for the rest of the decade. In England,
15134-518: The discrepancy, the sagas – including Heimskringla – are unanimous in making Haakon Eric's younger half-brother and successor. According to Heimskringla and Egils saga , Eric spent much of his childhood in fosterage with the hersir Thórir son of Hróald . Of his adolescent years, a remarkable picture is painted in Heimskringla, which recounts that Eric, aged twelve and seemingly possessed of prodigious valour and strength, embarked on
15295-406: The early part of the 12th century, John of Worcester had reason to believe that Eric ( Yrcus ) was of royal Scandinavian stock ( Danica stirpe progenitum , a phrase used earlier for the Hiberno-Norse ruler of Northumbria, Sihtric Cáech ). This appears to match with independent tradition from Norwegian synoptic histories and Icelandic sagas, which are explicit in identifying Eric of Northumbria as
15456-431: The effect of consolidating his power. This impression is borne out by royal charters issued towards the end of his reign, between 937 and 939, which style Æthelstan ruler over all Britain (e.g., totius rex Brittanniae or Albionis ). However, Æthelstan died in 939 and his successor Edmund , only 18 years of age, was unable to retain control of Northumbria. In 939 or 940, almost as soon as Edmund had come to power,
15617-445: The estimated number of conceptions to women aged under 18 in England and Wales in 2011 is the lowest since records began in 1969. Conception statistics include pregnancies that result in either one or more live births or stillbirths or a legal abortion. A comparison of rates across regions in England shows that the North East had the highest of under 18 conception rates in 2011, with 38.4 per thousand women aged 15–17. The South East had
15778-403: The evidence is indirect and somewhat ambiguous: the saint claimed kinship not only with Eric's wife but also with Dyfnwal (III) (d. 975), king of Strathclyde and Cumbria ( Donevaldus, rex Cumbrorum ), which may point to an alliance of some kind between the two rulers. Based on internal evidence for the saint's itinerary, Cathróe's stay is to be dated between 940 x 943, when Constantine (II) left
15939-420: The existing eight Local Authority Leaders' Boards, with their statutory functions also being assumed by local councils. The boards in most cases continue to exist as voluntary associations of council leaders, funded by the local authorities themselves. No appointments as Regional Ministers were made by the incoming UK government in 2010. These changes did not affect the directly elected London Assembly , which
16100-465: The few charters surviving for 953, Wulfstan attests one and by 955, after Eric's death, he was restored to office, but now with Dorchester rather than York as his episcopal seat. Clare Downham suggests that during this period, Wulfstan may have been pressured by King Eadred into relinquishing his support of Eric. Eric's Northumbrian rule is also corroborated by numismatic evidence. As of 3 February 2009, 31 coins minted at York had been found which bear
16261-594: The fore. Following a report on the invasion of Scotland by William I in 1072, the Historia regum attributed to Symeon of Durham recalls that Eric was driven out and slain by one Maccus son of Onlaf. The Flores historiarum (early 13th century) by Roger of Wendover is thought to have relied on a northern source now lost to us when it adds the following details: ... rex Eilricus in quadam solitudine quae 'Steinmor' dicitur, cum filio suo Henrico [in other MSS, Haerico ] et fratre Reginaldo, proditione Osulfi comitis,
16422-550: The former host of the BBC's Spring Watch Programme. In December 2012 he also presented the project with a prize as the UK's favorite National Lottery funded project. The seal colony at Seal Sands on the mouth of the River Tees is thriving and in 2013 had more than 60 harbour seals . This is the only breeding colony of this species on the northeast coast. " Rainton Meadows " is also a recently created bird-watching site. The region
16583-460: The former version, earlier generations of scholars have envisaged the occasion of Eric's death on Stainmore to have been a last stand in battle. The view was espoused by W.G. Collingwood and later still by Frank Stenton , who speculates that Eric might have attempted to regain the kingdom or was fighting off pursuers. Finnur Jónsson re-interprets the alternative tradition in a historical light by proposing that Span- "Spain" in Ágrip goes back to
16744-538: The forum include NECC, NEPIC, the Federation of Small Businesses (FSB), Confederation of British Industry (CBI) North East, the Make UK Northern, The Institute of Directors (IOD) and RTC North. RTC North provide business expertise in specific growth areas such as product innovation, market research, technology transfer, commercialisation, business growth. North East Access to Finance (NEA2F) operates
16905-427: The group "Scotland, Cumbria and the North of Ireland", but not so closely related to the other peoples of the UK. In a 2022 study by Joscha Gretzinger et al., the population of North East England was found to be among the groups with the highest amount of Iron Age/Roman period British Isles-related ancestry, being on par with Cornish people in that regard. The Office for National Statistics in April 2013 report that
17066-409: The historical figure, are matters which have inspired a variety of approaches and suggestions among generations of historians. Current opinion veers towards a more critical attitude towards the use of sagas as historical sources for the period before the 11th century, but conclusive answers cannot be offered. Eric's soubriquet blóðøx , ‘Bloodaxe’ or 'Bloody-axe', is of uncertain origin and context. It
17227-478: The inscription of his name. These can be divided into two distinct types of issue: N549, in which the moneyer's name (reverse) is written horizontally and broken up in two, and N550, in which his name is inscribed around the edges and Eric's name (obverse) accompanied by a sword symbol (image above on the right). The two principal moneyers, Ingalger and Radulf, who had also minted coins for Amlaíb, occur on both types. The two types may correspond to his two reigns, but it
17388-499: The kingdom of Scotland to Malcolm (I) , and 946, when Edmund was slain. The greatest obstacle to an identification of the Erics lies in the problem that the account would be difficult to square with the version of events presented by the Anglo-Saxon Chronicle and the assertion in royal charters that in 946, Edmund was still king of all Britain. It may be noted that the text's chronology has likewise presented some difficulties concerning
17549-469: The late 1990s as a result of the government's dispersal policy scheme that relocated asylum seekers and new arrivals throughout the country. In 2017, most migrants were non-EU born, and about 60,000 EU-born. North East England, together with Tweeddale, was the ancient British tribal kingdom of Bernicia (Bryneich) and is notable for providing the stable ancestry of its present indigenous population, which has been identified by DNA analysis to be an offshoot of
17710-488: The later Icelandic kings' sagas Orkneyinga saga ( c . 1200), Fagrskinna ( c . 1225), the Heimskringla ascribed to Snorri Sturluson ( c . 1230), Egils saga (1220–1240), and Óláfs saga Tryggvasonar en mesta ( c . 1300). Exactly in what sense the Eric of the sagas may have been based on the historical Eric of Northumbria, and conversely, to what extent later evidence might be called upon to shed light on
17871-504: The latter county covers parts of two regions since. The region is mostly parished with some remaining unparished areas following the 1974 creation of the Cleveland districts, Darlington , Tyne and Wear districts, Derwentside and Wear Valley . The North East has a strong tendency to vote Labour . In the 2015 election , 47% of the electorate voted Labour, while 25% voted Conservative , 17% UKIP, 6% Liberal Democrat and 4% Green. At
18032-526: The life of Eric of Norway, a chieftain who ruled the Norwegian Westland in the 930s. Norse sources have identified the two as the same since the late 12th century, and while the subject is controversial, most historians have identified the two figures as the same since W. G. Collingwood 's article in 1901. This identification was rejected early in the 21st century by the historian Clare Downham , who has argued that later Norse writers synthesized
18193-489: The literary development. Fagrskinna ( c . 1220) mentions his daughter Ragnhild and her marriage to an Orkney earl, here Hávard, but never describes Eric as actually stepping ashore. The Orkneyinga saga , written c . 1200, does speak of his presence in Orkney and his alliance with the joint jarls Arnkel and Erland , sons of Torf-Einarr , but not until his rule in Northumbria was challenged by Olaf (Amlaíb Cuarán). However,
18354-402: The lowest rate for women aged under 18 in 2011 with 26.1 per thousand women aged 15–17. A study into social deprivation was published in 2010 to help the local partners developing a Regional Strategy for the North East better understand the factors influencing deprivation in the region. The study had two main aspects: Firstly to establish if there are different types of deprived neighbourhoods in
18515-411: The main locations for the chemical industry such that in the 19th century, which led to a cluster of iron, soap and alkali manufacturing. By 1828 the alkali works had a large problem controlling emissions of hydrochloric acid fumes which devastated the neighbouring countryside. One solution was to build tall chimneys to drive the fumes further away and in 1833 the tallest chimney in England was built at
18676-575: The main pass through the northern Pennines , the Stainmore Pass or Gap, which marks the boundary between Cumbria in the west and modern Durham in the east. It is here that the mountains are traversed by an old Roman road – more or less followed by the A66 today – leading from York to Catterick and north-westwards from Catterick (via Bowes , Stainmore, Brough , Appleby and Penrith ) to Carlisle . Eric may therefore have followed by and large
18837-515: The majority of the Commission "suggested regional coordinating and advisory councils for England, consisting largely of indirectly elected representatives of local authorities and operating along the lines of the Welsh advisory council". One-fifth of the advisory councils would be nominees from central government. The boundaries suggested were the "eight now [in 1973] existing for economic planning purposes, modified to make boundaries to conform with
18998-431: The monastic settlement on Lindisfarne. The monks fled or were slaughtered, and Bishop Higbald sought refuge on the mainland. A chronicler recorded: "On the 8th June, the harrying of the heathen miserably destroyed God's church by rapine and slaughter." There were three hundred years of Viking raids, battles and settlement until William the Conqueror defeated King Harold at Hastings in 1066. The Anglo-Saxon Chronicle notes
19159-763: The nine regions had an administrative role in the implementation of UK Government policy, and as the areas covered by (mostly indirectly) elected bodies. Local government in England does not follow a uniform structure. Therefore, each region is divided into a range of further subdivisions . London is divided into London boroughs and the City of London , while the other regions are divided into metropolitan counties , shire counties and unitary authorities . Counties are further divided into districts and some areas are also yet further divided into civil parishes . Regions are also divided into sub-regions, which usually group socio-economically linked local authorities together. However,
19320-575: The no campaign, spearheaded by Dominic Cummings . Bernard Jenkin, the Conservative spokesman for the regions, said the vote would mean the end of plans for a North East Assembly. He told the BBC : "The whole idea of regional government has been blown out of the water by this vote". The former Association of North East Councils was based in Newcastle upon Tyne , and the preceding North East Assembly
19481-613: The political status of Dyfnwal in the story (see main article there ). A further glimpse may be offered by the mid-12th-century Irish saga entitled Caithréim Chellacháin Chaisil , a text which was primarily designed to glorify the deeds of Cellachán mac Buadacháin (d. 954), king of Munster, and hence his descendants, the Clann Faílbe . In one of its poems, an "Eric, King of the Islands" ( Éiric Righ na n-Innse ), meaning ruler of
19642-428: The province of Northumbria was henceforward administered by earls and records the formal appointment of Osulf as earl of Northumbria the following year. Likewise, the early 12th century De primo Saxonum adventu notes that "[f]irst of the earls after Erik, the last king whom the Northumbrians had, Osulf administered under King Eadred all the provinces of the Northumbrians." By contrast, the identity of Eric's slayer,
19803-604: The purposes of statistical analysis, simply as Regions. International Territorial Level (ITL) is a geocode standard for referencing the subdivisions of the United Kingdom for statistical purposes, used by the Office for National Statistics (ONS). Between 2003 and 2021, as part of the European Union and European Statistical System , the geocode standard used for the United Kingdom were Nomenclature of Territorial Units for Statistics or NUTS . The NUTS code for
19964-478: The realm of speculation. Eric's death receives a grander treatment in the synoptic histories and sagas. Fagrskinna , apparently the Eiríksmál which it incorporates, and Heimskringla assert that Eric and five other kings died together in battle in an unnamed place in England. According to Ágrip and Historia Norwegiæ , Eric died on a foray in Spain after being forced out of Northumbria. Somewhat in line with
20125-439: The realm, slaughtered the combined forces of his half-brothers Olaf and Sigrød, and gained full control of Norway. At the time, however, Eric's younger and most famous half-brother Haakon, often nicknamed Aðalsteinsfóstri , had been staying at the West-Saxon court, having been sent there to be reared as fosterson to King Æthelstan (r. 924–939). Eric's rule was reputedly harsh and despotic and so he fell rapidly out of favour with
20286-568: The recovery of the Five Boroughs (942), the archbishop did not attest any royal charters, but he began to do so during or after the negotiations of 942. What the charters reveal for Eric's first reign is less clear-cut, but intermittent absence may explain gaps in the record for Wulfstan's attestations in the turbulent years 947–948. Unfortunately, the critical period between 950 and 954 has produced comparatively few charters (owing perhaps to Eadred's deteriorating health), but what little there
20447-678: The region and a special exhibition based around the Roman Fort of Segedunum at Wallsend and the other forts along Hadrian's Wall are complemented by the numerous artifacts that are displayed in the Great North Museum Hancock in Newcastle. St. Peter's Church in Monkwearmouth , Sunderland and St. Pauls in Jarrow also hold significant historical value and have a joint bid to become a World Heritage Site. The area has
20608-461: The region are Newcastle upon Tyne , Middlesbrough , Sunderland , Gateshead , Darlington , Hartlepool and Durham . The region's historic importance is displayed by Northumberland's ancient castles, the two World Heritage Sites of Durham Cathedral and Durham Castle , and Hadrian's Wall , one of the frontiers of the Roman Empire . In fact, Roman archaeology can be found widely across
20769-423: The region had the highest proportion of Christians in Great Britain. A number of the region's settlements expanded from around priories, abbeys and monasteries. The latest statistical report from the Office for National Statistics comparing the North East of England to other regions of the United Kingdom, dated May 2012, states: The North East is the most affordable region in the UK. Figures from 2017 indicate it
20930-575: The region to network and engage companies on a sector basis and give local business-to-business advice and supply chain intelligence: the Northeast of England Process Industry Cluster (NEPIC) (chemicals-polymers-pharmaceuticals-biotech), the Northern Offshore Federation (NOF) (energy and offshore engineering), Service Network (accountants-finance-law firms-HR) and Make UK (defence related engineering), Design Network North (DNN) (design issues for all sectors.) The Invest North East,
21091-479: The regional local authority leaders' boards created in 2009. Regional ministers were not reappointed by the incoming Coalition Government , and the Government Offices were abolished in 2011. From 2011, combined authorities have been introduced in some city regions , with similar responsibilities to the former regional chambers (and in some cases, replacing a regional local authority leaders' board on
21252-542: The regions also had an associated (central) Government Office with some responsibility for coordinating policy, and, from 2007, a part-time regional minister within the Government. House of Commons regional Select Committees were established in 2009. However, the chambers and select committees were abolished in May 2010, restoring these functions to the main tier of local government, with limited functions transferred to
21413-627: The regions they used tended to be different and ad hoc . The stated purpose was as a way of co-ordinating the various regional offices more effectively: they initially involved the Department of Trade and Industry , Department of Employment , Department of Transport and the Department for the Environment . Following the Labour Party 's victory in the 1997 general election , the government created regional development agencies . Around
21574-418: The regulation of road traffic. Nine "standard regions" were set up in 1946, in which central government bodies, statutory undertakings and regional bodies were expected to cooperate. However, these had declined in importance by the late 1950s. Creation of some form of provinces or regions for England was an intermittent theme of post- Second World War British governments. The Redcliffe-Maud Report proposed
21735-454: The relationship in later years is more open to speculation. The witness lists of Anglo-Saxon charters , which reveal when or not Wulfstan attended Eadred's court, in his own right or as a diplomat intermediating between two kings, have been used to provide a chronological framework for Wulfstan's swerving loyalties. Between 938 and 941, that is roughly between the Battle of Brunanburh (937) and
21896-696: The saga's introduction, commissioned by his widow Gunnhild. Except for a single stanza in the Edda, the skaldic poem is preserved nowhere else and what has survived may represent only the opening stanzas. Cast as a dialogue between Bragi , Odin , and fallen heroes, it tells of Eric's arrival in Valhöll , accompanied by five other kings, and his splendid welcome there by Odin and his entourage. Odin had eagerly awaited his coming because "many lands [...] / with his sword he has reddened" and on being asked why he had deprived Eric of such earthly glory, answers that "the future
22057-408: The same route that St Cathroé had taken, except in the opposite direction, possibly with Strathclyde or the Hebrides as his intended destination. The comes Osulf who betrayed Eric was high-reeve of the northern half of Northumbria, centred on Bamburgh, roughly corresponding to the former kingdom of Bernicia. He clearly benefited from his murderous plot against Eric. The Historia regum says that
22218-456: The section of the Pennines that includes Teesdale and Weardale . North East England has a Marine west coast climate (generally found along the west coast of middle latitude continents) with narrower temperature ranges than the south of England and sufficient precipitation in all months. Summers and winters are mild rather than extremely hot or cold, due to the strong maritime influence of
22379-622: The small trading port of Permina . The Life of St Cathróe of Metz , written c . 1000 at the latest and therefore of near contemporary value, has information about Eric and his wife. It relates that "after keeping him for some time", the King of the Cumbrians conducted Cathróe to Loidam Civitatem , the boundary between the Normanni ("Scandinavians") and the Cumbri ("Britons"): And there he
22540-512: The soda in England. By 1814 the Leblanc process of making alkali from common salt was introduced to Britain. Alkali works using this process opened at Tyne Dock 1822, Felling shore Tyneside 1826, Friars Goose Gateshead 1828 and again on Felling Shore in 1834. Such works also produced soda, alum and Epsom salts. The river frontage at South Shore of the River Tyne at Gateshead was one of
22701-561: The standard regions, Economic Planning Councils and Boards were set up, comprising appointed members from local authorities, business, trade unions and universities, and in the early 1970s, these produced a number of regional and sub-regional planning studies. These institutions continued to operate until they were abolished by the incoming Conservative government in 1979. However, by the mid-1980s local authorities in most regions had jointly established standing conferences to consider regional planning issues. Regional initiatives were bolstered by
22862-482: The struggle may have been complex and the outcome was variable, leading an unsympathetic historian like Henry of Huntingdon to judge harshly "their usual faithlessness" ( solita infidelitas ). In 927, having ejected Gofraid ua Ímair from York, King Æthelstan brought Northumbria under English control. His victory in the Battle of Brunanburh in 937, in which he and his half-brother Edmund defeated Gofraid's son King Olaf (III) Guthfrithson of Dublin , seems to have had
23023-432: The sub-regions have no official status and are little used other than for strategic planning purposes. Eric Bloodaxe Eric Haraldsson ( Old Norse : Eiríkr Haraldsson [ˈɛiˌriːkz̠ ˈhɑrˌɑldsˌson] , Norwegian : Eirik Haraldsson ; fl. c.930−954), nicknamed Bloodaxe ( Old Norse : blóðøx [ˈbloːðˌøks] , Norwegian : Blodøks ) and Brother-Slayer ( Latin : fratrum interfector ),
23184-406: The synoptic histories ( Ágrip ) and most of the Icelandic sagas, the Heimskringla ( c . 1230) claims that she was Ragnhildr , daughter of Eric, king of (South) Jutland. The possibility that Harald had married a Danish princess may find some support in a skaldic stanza which is usually assigned to Þorbjörn Hornklofi 's Hrafnsmál , a eulogy on Harald's deeds in the form of a conversation between
23345-434: The text makes no such claims. However, later sagas greatly expand upon Eric's activities in the interim between his reigns in Norway and Northumbria, claiming that he initially adopted a predatory lifestyle of raiding, whether or not he was aiming for a more political line of business in the longer run. The jarldom of Orkney , the former Viking base subjected and annexed by Eric's father, came to loom large in these stages of
23506-554: The two Erics, possibly using English sources. This argument, though respected by other historians in the area, has not produced consensus. Contemporary or near-contemporary sources include different recensions of the Anglo-Saxon Chronicle , Eric's coinage, the Life of St Cathróe , and possibly skaldic poetry . Such sources reproduce only a hazy image of Eric's activities in Anglo-Saxon England . Strikingly, Eric's historical obscurity stands in sharp contrast to
23667-459: The various districts of the kingdom, and intended Eric, his favourite son, to inherit the throne after his death. At strife with his half-brothers, Eric brutally killed Ragnvald (Rögnvaldr), ruler of Hadeland on his father's orders, and Bjørn Farmann , ruler of Vestfold . Some texts maintain that towards the end of his life, Harald allowed Eric to reign together with him ( Heimskringla , Ágrip , Fagrskinna ) . When Harald died, Eric succeeded to
23828-414: The wealth of legendary depictions in the kings' sagas, in which he takes part in the sagas of his father Harald Fairhair and his younger half-brother Haakon the Good . These include the late 12th-century Norwegian synoptics – Historia Norwegiæ (perhaps c . 1170), Theodoricus monachus ' Historia de antiquitate regum Norwagiensium ( c . 1180), and Ágrip af Nóregskonungasögum ( c . 1190) – and
23989-524: Was Eric Bloodaxe , who died at the Battle of Stainmore , Westmorland, in 954. After Eric Bloodaxe's death, all England was ruled by Eadred , the grandson of Alfred the Great ; and so began the machinery of national government. Today, the Viking legacy can still be found in the language and place names of north-east England and in the DNA of its people. The name Newcastle comes from the castle built shortly after
24150-414: Was Gunnhild , the famous "mother of kings". This account was constructed by the author of Egils saga using an earlier poem called Arinbjarnarkviða "Lay of Arinbjörn", and this poem does not mention Gunnhild by name, implying therefore that the name was introduced by the author of Egils saga . Saga tradition is, however, unanimous that Eric did cohabit with a woman named Gunnhild. Her name occurs in
24311-428: Was a Norwegian king . He ruled as King of Norway from 932 to 934, and twice as King of Northumbria : from 947 to 948, and again from 952 to 954. Historians have reconstructed a narrative of Eric's life and career from the scant available historical data. There is a distinction between contemporary or near contemporary sources for Eric's period as ruler of Northumbria and the entirely saga-based sources that detail
24472-442: Was already in the original composition, as another manuscript reading has the metrically regular ambáttir Danskar . The account of Heimskringla , which claims that Harald had enjoyed the company of eleven consorts before Ragnhildr, and that of Egils saga are at variance with the suggestion elsewhere that Eric was one of the oldest ( Fagrskinna ), if not the eldest son of Harald ( Historia Norwegiæ , Ágrip ). Whatever one makes of
24633-697: Was announced by the government in 2011. The zone focuses on technology for low carbon vehicle development, marine offshore and subsea engineering, petrochemicals and renewable energy. At the time of announcement the enterprise zone included two clusters of sites, an Ultra Low Carbon Vehicle zone in Sunderland and a zone on the River Tyne North Bank. The Sunderland cluster is close to the Nissan plant and includes Turbine Business Park. It hosts Gateshead College 's Future Technology Centre. The cluster on
24794-592: Was based in Gateshead until its dissolution in 2009. Local enterprise partnerships were established, these later became combined authorities. The North East Combined Authority was established in 2014 and covered much of the region excluding Tees Valley . North of Tyne authorities later split off, leaving authorities south of the River Tyne. The Tees Valley boroughs (Darlington, Hartlepool, Stockton-on-Tees, Redcar & Cleveland, and Middlesbrough) established
24955-439: Was described as rex totiusque Albionis primicerius in one of his charters, but did not live long enough to enjoy his renewed hold on the northern zone. He was killed in 946. When Eadred succeeded to the throne in 946, Northumbrian as well as Scottish loyalties had proved unstable, though nothing is known for certain of the ambitions of rival rulers at this stage. Eadred "reduced all the land of Northumbria to his control; and
25116-487: Was established by separate legislation as part of the Greater London Authority . In 2011, Greater London remains administered by the Greater London Authority, which consists of an elected London Assembly and a separately elected Mayor of London . Following the abolition of the Government Offices in 2011, it was announced that the former Government Office Regions (GOR) would henceforth be known, for
25277-542: Was expected to grant Eric safe passage and perhaps an escort to guide him safely through that part of Northumbria over which he (Osulf) had jurisdiction. It is equally obscure whether Maccus ambushed his victims, or was part of the escort, betraying them ( fraudulenter ) as soon as he saw the opportunity. Towards the end of its portrait of Eric, Fagrskinna cites the Eiríksmál ("Lay of Eric"), an anonymous panegyric written in commemoration of Eric's death and according to
25438-478: Was primarily Tyneside based and associated with the manufacture of soap and glass. The most important chemical activity in the 18th and 19th centuries was the manufacture of alkali to make soap, which was when mixed with lime and sand and used to make glass. The effects of the industrial revolution could be seen through an economy dominated by iron and steel, coal mining and shipbuilding. Rationalisation of chemical firms in 1891 left only four works on Tyneside. Before
25599-427: Was received by a certain nobleman, Gunderic, by whom he was led to king Erichius in the town of York, because this king had as wife a relative of the godly Cathróe Given what is known of Cathróe's own background, this probably means that she was of British ("Cumbrian") or Scottish descent. This contradicts to some extent later saga tradition. According to the early 13th century Egils saga , Eric's consort at York
25760-531: Was succeeded by his son Ragnall, rí na n-innsi (d. 1005), and probably Gofraid's brother Maccus mac Arailt , who is accorded the title "king of very many islands" ( plurimarum rex insularum ). The Chronicle gives no explanation, but it seems as if the abdications of Amlaíb and Eric are described as essentially northern affairs, apparently without much (direct) West-Saxon intervention, let alone invasion. The historical accounts of Eric's death point to more complex circumstances, but Northumbrian politics are to
25921-466: Was to be accepted and consecrated as king, probably with Wulfstan as king-maker, acceptance of the Christian faith would have been set as a condition to royal office. The impression is borne out by Wulfstan's earlier removal of Amlaíb Cuarán and Ragnald on grounds that they had become, in Æthelweard's words, deserti "deserters" (see above). In support of this view, it has sometimes been suggested that
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