92-509: The News Post Leader is a British paid-for weekly that covers the north-east county of Northumberland , including the towns of Cramlington , Ashington , Bedlington and Blyth . The paper was formed from the amalgamation of several south-east Northumberland titles during the 1960s, 1970s and 1980s the oldest of which was the Blyth News founded in 1874. The paper was taken over by Johnston Press in 1999. The News Post Leader title
184-625: A Berwicker first, Scottish or English second." Former mayor Mike Elliot said "25% of the town consider themselves English, 25% Scottish and 50% Berwickers." Professor Dominic Watt of the University of Aberdeen noted that: "Older people view themselves more as Scots than the younger people in Berwick, and this can be heard in their accents." In 2008, SNP Member of the Scottish Parliament (MSP) Christine Grahame made calls in
276-462: A diverse physical geography. It is low and flat near the North Sea coast and increasingly mountainous towards the northwest. Being in the far north of England, above 55° latitude , and having many areas of high land, Northumberland is one of the coldest areas of the country. But as the county lies on the east coast, it has relatively low rainfall, with the highest amounts falling on the high land in
368-536: A key role in the Industrial Revolution from the 18th century on. Many coal mines operated in Northumberland until the widespread closures in the 1970s and 1980s. Collieries operated at Ashington , Bedlington, Blyth , Choppington, Netherton, Ellington , and Pegswood . The region's coalfields fuelled industrial expansion in other areas of Britain, and the need to transport the coal from
460-518: A proposal from Asda in 2006 to build a store near the site, but in 2008 gave Tesco planning permission for its new store in the town, which opened on 13 September 2010. Asda went on to take over the Co-op shop unit in Tweedmouth in early 2010. A Morrisons supermarket with a petrol station, alongside a branch of McDonald's , a Travelodge UK and an Aldi all exist on Loaning Meadows close to
552-558: A prosperous town by the middle of the 13th century. According to William Edington , a bishop and chancellor of England, Berwick was "so populous and of such commercial importance that it might rightly be called another Alexandria , whose riches were the sea and the water its walls". In 1291–92, Berwick was the site of Edward I of England 's arbitration in the contest for the Scottish crown between John Balliol and Robert Bruce, 5th Lord of Annandale . The decision in favour of Balliol
644-623: A rich prehistory with many instances of rock art , hillforts such as Yeavering Bell , and stone circles such as the Goatstones and Duddo Five Stones . Most of the area was occupied by the Brythonic - Celtic Votadini people, with another large tribe, the Brigantes , to the south. During the Roman occupation of Britain , most of the present county lay north of Hadrian's Wall . It
736-605: A settlement, the "Pacification of Berwick" . Berwick Bridge , also known as the "Old Bridge" dates to 1611. It linked Islandshire on the south bank of the River Tweed with the county burgh of Berwick on the north bank. Holy Trinity Church was built in 1648–52. It is the most northerly parish church in England and was built under special licence from Oliver Cromwell during the Commonwealth period . In 1707,
828-735: A shire into the unified Kingdom of England by the House of Wessex. However, the West Saxon governmental structures were not extended beyond Tees, leaving the Earldom of Bamburgh and the Community of St. Cuthbert as contested buffer states with the emerging Kingdom of Scotland. After the battle of Nechtansmere , Northumbrian influence north of the Tweed began to decline as the Picts gradually reclaimed
920-771: A site formerly owned by Shultons, who originated Old Spice and were bought by P&G in 1990. McQuay UK makes air conditioning systems on the Bassington Industrial Estate at the A1068/A1172 junction in Cramlington , and Avery Dennison UK make labels on the Nelson Industrial Estate off of the A192. Schweppes' Abbey Well mineral water is made by Coca-Cola in the east of Morpeth . The National Renewable Energy Centre (Narec)
1012-402: A two-tier council system for the county and its six districts , both responsible for different aspects of local government . These districts were Blyth Valley , Wansbeck , Castle Morpeth , Tynedale , Alnwick and Berwick-upon-Tweed . Elections for the unitary authority council first took place on 1 May 2008. The most recent elections, in 2021, had the following results: Northumberland
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#17327649617291104-470: A white light every five seconds from a window overlooking the sea. Seafarers' charity Apostleship of the Sea has a chaplain to support the needs of mariners arriving at the port. Bus services are mostly operated by Borders Buses (part of West Coast Motors) and Arriva providing both local and longer links. The town is also served by National Express coaches. Berwick is famous for its hesitation over whether it
1196-496: A whole. In the 2001 UK Census , 81% of the population reported their religion as Christianity, 0.8% as "other religion", and 12% as having no religion. Being primarily rural with significant areas of upland, the population density of Northumberland is only 62 persons per square kilometre, giving it the lowest population density in England . Northumberland's industry is dominated by some multinational corporations: Coca-Cola , MSD, GE and Drager all have significant facilities in
1288-879: Is Hexham -based Egger (UK) Limited . Pharmaceutical , health care and emerging biotechnology companies form a very significant part of the county's economy. Many of these companies are part of the approximately 11,000-worker Northeast of England Process Industry Cluster (NEPIC) and include Aesica Pharmaceuticals, Arcinova, MSD , Piramal Healthcare , Procter & Gamble , Shire Plc (formerly SCM Pharma), Shasun Pharma Solutions, Specials Laboratory, and Thermo Fisher Scientific . The cluster also includes Cambridge Bioresearch, GlaxoSmithKline, Fujifilm Diosynth Biotech, Leica Bio, Data Trial, High Force Research, Non-Linear Dynamics, and Immuno Diagnostic Systems (IDS). The towns of Alnwick, Cramlington, Morpeth, Prudhoe all have significant pharmaceutical factories and laboratories. Newcastle University and Northumbria University are
1380-541: Is at Blyth. NOTE: New parishes have been added since 2001. These are missing from the list, see List of civil parishes in Northumberland . Although not on this list, the population of Cramlington is estimated at 39,000. Some settlements that are part historic county of Northumberland now fall under the county of Tyne and Wear : A precursor of modern football is still seen in the region at some annual Shrove Tuesday games at Alnwick . In 1280 at Ulgham near Morpeth Northumberland, records show that Henry of Ellington
1472-406: Is at the mouth of the River Tweed on the east coast, 56 mi (90 km) south east of Edinburgh , 65 mi (105 km) north of Newcastle upon Tyne , and 345 mi (555 km) north of London . Uniquely for England, the town is slightly further north than Denmark 's capital Copenhagen and the southern tip of Sweden further east of the North Sea , which Berwick borders. Berwick
1564-674: Is divided into four parliamentary constituencies: Berwick-upon-Tweed, Blyth Valley, Wansbeck and Hexham. The 2019 general election produced the following total votes, with changes since previous election: On 23 June 2016 Northumberland took part in the UK-wide referendum on the UK's membership of the EU. In Northumberland a majority voted to leave the European Union. The only one of the four parliamentary constituencies in Northumberland to vote Remain
1656-553: Is evident throughout. It also tends to cover local politics and the affairs of Northumberland County Council , as well as local sports such as local football team Blyth Spartans . Northumberland Northumberland ( / n ɔːr ˈ θ ʌ m b ər l ə n d / nor- THUM -bər-lənd ) is a ceremonial county in North East England , bordering Scotland . It is bordered by the Scottish Borders to
1748-547: Is in the south of the county, surrounding Cramlington and other communities along the county border, to afford a protection from the Tyneside conurbation. The belt continues west along the border, past Darras Hall , and on to Hexham, stopping before Haydon Bridge . Its border there is shared with the North Pennines AONB. There are also some separated belt areas, for example to the east of Morpeth. The green belt
1840-512: Is part of Scotland or England. Some people are adamant they are English and their loyalty lies with Northumberland, while others feel an affinity with Scotland. Whilst it has been argued that the town's geographic and historic place between the two has led to it developing a distinctive identity of its own, many people in Berwick also have mixed Anglo-Scottish families which contributes to a sense of separate identity. Historian Derek Sharman said "The people of Berwick feel really independent. You are
1932-755: Is recorded in the Anglo-Saxon Chronicle as norð hẏmbra land , meaning "the land north of the Humber ". The name of the kingdom of Northumbria derives from the Old English Norþan-hymbre meaning "the people or province north of the Humber", as opposed to Southumbria , south of the Humber Estuary . The land has long been an English frontier zone, and it is now bordered to the north by Scotland . Northumberland has
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#17327649617292024-553: Is the administrative centre. The remainder of the county is rural, and the largest towns are Berwick-upon-Tweed (12,043) in the far north and Hexham (13,097) in the west. For local government purposes the county is a unitary authority area. The county historically included the parts of Tyne and Wear north of the River Tyne . The west of Northumberland contains part of the Cheviot Hills and North Pennines , while to
2116-623: Is the fourth oldest in the country and is now Alnmouth Village Club; it is a 9 hole links course. Berwick-upon-Tweed Berwick-upon-Tweed ( / ˈ b ɛr ɪ k / ), sometimes known as Berwick-on-Tweed or simply Berwick , is a town and civil parish in Northumberland , England, 2.5 mi (4 km) south of the Anglo-Scottish border , and the northernmost town in England. The 2011 United Kingdom census recorded Berwick's population as 12,043. The town
2208-505: The Act of Union united England and Scotland to create the Kingdom of Great Britain . Since then, Berwick has remained within the laws and legal system of England and Wales . The Wales and Berwick Act 1746 (since repealed) deemed that whenever legislation referred to England, it applied to Berwick without the need for a specific reference to the town. Until the 1830s the borough boundaries of
2300-643: The Blyth , Coquet , Aln , Wansbeck and Tweed , the last of which forms part of the Scottish border. The county contains Northumberland National Park and two national landscapes : the Northumberland Coast and part of the North Pennines . Much of the county's history has been defined by its position on a border. In the Roman era most of the county lay north of Hadrian's Wall , and the region
2392-576: The Board of Ordnance . Berwick's name is of the same origin as the word berewick , denoting a portion of farmland which was detached from a manor and reserved for a lord's own use. This comes from the Old English berewíc , meaning "corn farm" (more specifically, bere refers to barley ). Its earliest recorded spelling, as Berewich , dates from 1167. There are several places in Britain with
2484-479: The Local Government Act 1888 , which were based on the parliamentary boundaries of counties, and so Berwick was brought under the jurisdiction of Northumberland County Council , with the town council thereafter being a lower-tier authority subordinate to the county council. England now is officially defined as "subject to any alteration of boundaries under Part IV of the Local Government Act 1972 ,
2576-618: The North Pennines AONB is also in the county. There is a variety of nature reserves in Northumberland including Holy Island National Nature Reserve and Farne Islands National Nature Reserve. Moreover, 50% of England's red squirrel population lives in the Kielder Water and Forest Park. Natural England recognises the following natural regions, or national character areas , that lie wholly or partially within Northumberland: The Cheviot Hills , in
2668-599: The Restoration in 1660, the county was a centre for Roman Catholicism in England, as well as a focus of Jacobite support. Northumberland was long a wild county, where outlaws and Border Reivers hid from the law. However, the frequent cross-border skirmishes and accompanying local lawlessness largely subsided after the Union of the Crowns of Scotland and England under King James I and VI in 1603. Northumberland played
2760-615: The Scottish Parliament for Berwick to become part of Scotland again. The Liberal Democrat MSP Jeremy Purvis , who was born and brought up in Berwick, asked for the border to be moved twenty miles south, stating: "There’s a strong feeling that Berwick should be in Scotland. Until recently, I had a gran in Berwick and another in Kelso , and they could see that there were better public services in Scotland." However, Alan Beith ,
2852-646: The Treaty of York (1237). The earls of Northumberland once wielded significant power in English affairs because, as powerful and militaristic Marcher Lords , they had the task of protecting England from Scottish retaliation for English invasions. Northumberland has a history of revolt and rebellion against the government, as seen in the Rising of the North (1569–1570) against Elizabeth I . These revolts were usually led by
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2944-677: The Yorkists during the Wars of the Roses . Robert Lauder of Edrington was put in charge of the castle. He was succeeded in 1474 by David, Earl of Crawford . On 3 February 1478, Robert Lauder of the Bass and Edrington was again appointed Keeper of the castle, a position that he held until the final year of Scottish control, when Patrick Hepburn , 1st Lord Hailes, had possession. In 1482, Richard, Duke of Gloucester (later Richard III ) recaptured
3036-572: The " Rough Wooing " (also known as the Eight Years' War) of 1543–1551. The war ended with the Treaty of Norham in 1551, which saw England withdraw back to the border as had existed before the war began, and so retaining Berwick. Under the treaty, Berwick was declared to be a free town, independent of either kingdom. In practice it was controlled by England and sent members of parliament to the English parliament, but as an independent borough, outside
3128-487: The Borough of Berwick-upon-Tweed was abolished as part of wider structural changes to local government in England . All functions previously exercised by Berwick Borough Council were transferred to Northumberland County Council , which is the unitary authority for the area. During periods of Scottish administration, Berwick was the county town of Berwickshire , to which the town gave its name. Thus at various points in
3220-649: The Elizabethan works, and the Italian military engineer Giovanni Portinari was also involved in the project. Berwick's role as a border fortress town ended with England and Scotland's Union of the Crowns . On 6 April 1603, James VI of Scotland crossed the Border on his journey southwards to be crowned James I of England. He was met at Lamberton by the Lord Governor of Berwick with a mounted party from
3312-578: The English, who retook the town in January 1356. In October 1357, a treaty was signed at Berwick by which the Scottish estates undertook to pay 100,000 marks as a ransom for David II of Scotland , who had been taken prisoner at the Battle of Neville's Cross on 17 October 1346. In 1461, Berwick was ceded back to Scotland by Margaret of Anjou on behalf of her husband, Henry VI , in return for help against
3404-647: The English. The monastery at Lindisfarne was the centre of production of the Lindisfarne Gospels (around 700). It became the home of St Cuthbert (c. 634–687, abbot from c. 665), who is buried in Durham Cathedral . The Kingdom of Northumbria fragmented into a series of successor states following the Viking invasion. In the south, Viking settlers established the Kingdom of York between the Humber and Tees. However, Viking influence petered out at
3496-593: The Middle Ages and from 1482 (when Berwick became administered by England), Berwickshire had the unique distinction of being the only county in the British Isles to be named after a town in another country. In 1958, the borough's council applied for a coat of arms , but applied to the Lord Lyon King of Arms , the Scottish heraldic authority, for the grant "as suitable to a Burgh of Scotland", which
3588-600: The Scots at the Battle of Dunbar in April and forcing John Balliol to abdicate at Kincardine Castle the following July. At this time, work began on building the town walls (and rebuilding the earlier Castle); these fortifications were complete by 1318 and subsequently improved under Scottish rule. An arm of William Wallace was displayed at Berwick after his execution and quartering on 23 August 1305. In 1314, Edward II of England mustered 25,000 men at Berwick, who later fought in
3680-668: The Tees, with the river serving as the northern boundary of the Danelaw. Between the Tyne and Tees rivers, the Community of St. Cuthbert emerged as the successors to the Bishops of Lindisfarne; north of the Tyne, the earls of Bamburgh, who traced their lineage back to the Kings of Northumbria, continued to exercise authority and governance over this northern expanse. York was eventually integrated as
3772-468: The Town Moor. The 'Pitmen's Derby' or Northumberland Plate was held from 1833 and moved to Gosforth in 1882. Modern day horse racing still takes place at Newcastle Racecourse. Golf is a Scottish import to many countries, but it is said to have been played in this region by St Cuthbert on the dunes of the Northumberland coast. The oldest club in Northumberland was at Alnmouth , founded in 1869, it
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3864-531: The Vindolanda Trust experts, led by Andrew Birley . Being similar in style and function to the full-hand modern boxing gloves, those found at Vindolanda look like leather bands dating back to 120 AD. It is suggested that, based on their difference from gladiator gloves, the gloves were not used in mortal combat, but rather in a sport for promoting fighting skills. The gloves are currently displayed at Vindolanda's museum. Present-day Northumberland formed
3956-712: The area consisting of the counties established by section 1 of that Act, Greater London and the Isles of Scilly", which thus includes Berwick. In the 1972 act's reorganisation of English local government from 1 April 1974, the Borough of Berwick-upon-Tweed was created by the merger of the previous borough of Berwick-upon-Tweed with Belford Rural District, Glendale Rural District and Norham and Islandshires Rural District . The Interpretation Act 1978 provides that in legislation passed between 1967 and 1974, "a reference to England includes Berwick upon Tweed and Monmouthshire ". In 2009
4048-540: The authority of the sheriffs of any English county, similar to a county corporate . During the reign of Queen Elizabeth I of England , vast sums – one source reports "£128,648, the most expensive undertaking of the Elizabethan period" – were spent on its fortifications, in a new Italian style ( trace italienne ), designed both to withstand artillery and to facilitate its use from within the fortifications. These fortifications have been described as "the only surviving walls of their kind". Sir Richard Lee designed some of
4140-538: The borough in 1841 was 12,578, and that of the parish was 8,484. In the 1840s, Samuel Lewis included similar entries for Berwick-upon-Tweed in both his England and Scotland Topographical Dictionary . Berwick remained a county in its own right, and remained a separate parliamentary constituency until 1885 when it was merged to become a division of Northumberland under the Redistribution of Seats Act 1885 . In 1889 elected county councils were established under
4232-404: The city became a part of the Tyne and Wear metropolitan county in 1974. The county council has been governed from Morpeth since 1981. In 2009 the county council became a unitary authority when the county's districts were abolished and the county council took on their functions. The unitary authority of Northumberland Council was established in April 2009 . Previously, the county had
4324-528: The coast of Northumberland are the Farne Islands , another dolerite outcrop, famous for their bird life. The Northumberland Coalfield extends across the southeast corner of the county, from the River Tyne as far north as Shilbottle . There were smaller-scale workings for coal within the Tyne Limestone Formation as far north as Scremerston . The term 'sea coal' likely originated from chunks of coal, found washed up on beaches, that wave action had broken from coastal outcroppings. Northumberland's green belt
4416-453: The collieries to the Tyne led to the development of the first railways. Shipbuilding and armaments manufacture were other important industries before the deindustrialisation of the 1980s. Northumberland remains largely rural, and is the least densely populated county in England. In recent years, the county has had considerable growth in tourism. Visitors are attracted both to its scenic beauty and to its historical sites. Northumberland has
4508-585: The core of the Anglian kingdom of Bernicia from about 547. It was united with Deira (south of the River Tees ) to form the kingdom of Northumbria in the 7th century. The boundaries of Northumbria under King Edwin (reigned 616–633) stretched from the Humber in the south to the Forth in the north. Northumberland is often called the "cradle of Christianity" in England because Christianity flourished on Lindisfarne —a tidal island north of Bamburgh , also called Holy Island—after King Oswald of Northumbria (r. 634–642) invited monks from Iona to come to convert
4600-402: The county of Northumberland into four dialect zones and placed the Berwick dialect in the "north-Northumbrian" region, an area extending from Berwick down to the River Coquet . Likewise, Charles Jones (1997) classes the dialect as "predominantly North-Northumbrian" with "a few features shared with Scots ". Features of this dialect include the " Northumbrian burr ", a distinct pronunciation of
4692-402: The county, pre Second World War and immediate post war greats were George Camsell and Hughie Gallacher , these were described in the "Clown Prince of Football" by Len Shackleton . The author played for Newcastle United and Northumberland County Cricket Club . Shackleton's book was controversial when it was first published because chapter 9, named "The Average Director's Knowledge of Football",
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#17327649617294784-443: The crushing defeat at the Battle of Bannockburn . Between 1315 and 1318, Scottish armies, sometimes with the help of Flemish and German privateers , besieged and blockaded the town, finally capturing it in April 1318. England retook Berwick the day after the Battle of Halidon Hill in 1333. The Scots briefly took control of the town of Berwick (but not its castle) after a siege in November 1355 , but were in turn besieged by
4876-419: The earls of Northumberland, the Percy family. Shakespeare makes one of the Percys, the dashing Harry Hotspur (1364–1403), the hero of his Henry IV, Part 1 . The Percys were often aided in conflict by other powerful Northern families, such as the Nevilles and the Patchetts. The latter were stripped of all power and titles by the victorious Parliamentarians after the English Civil War of 1642–1651. After
4968-422: The east the land becomes flatter before reaching the coast. The Cheviot (815 m (2,674 ft)), after which the range of hills is named, is the county's highest point. The county contains the source of the River North Tyne and much of the South Tyne; near Hexham they combine to form the Tyne, which exits into Tyne and Wear shortly downstream. The other major rivers in Northumberland are, from south to north,
5060-519: The former Borough's mayoralty and regalia. The mayor for 2022–2023 is Mike Greener. Berwick-upon-Tweed is in the parliamentary constituency of North Northumberland . Slightly more than 60% of the population is employed in the service sector, including shops, hotels and catering, financial services and most government activity, including health care. Some current and recent Berwick economic activities include salmon fishing, shipbuilding, engineering, sawmilling , fertilizer production, malting and
5152-466: The former MP for Berwick, said the move would require a massive legal upheaval and is not realistic. Beith's successor as MP, Anne-Marie Trevelyan , said: "Voters in Berwick-upon-Tweed do not believe it is whether they are in England or Scotland that is important." The local speech of Berwick-upon-Tweed shares many characteristics with both other rural Northumberland dialects and East Central Scots . In 1892, linguist Richard Oliver Heslop divided
5244-426: The fourth attempt in 1910. Today top quality professional football remains in Northumberland. Since the 2017 – 18 season, Newcastle United is a Premier League team. St James' Park in Newcastle is a first class football venue, often used for international games at all levels. Blyth Spartans A.F.C. have had success and public attention through Football Association Cup runs. There are many notable footballers from
5336-447: The garrison and was conducted into the town. In December 1603, the Crown ordered the dissolution of the garrison of Berwick and the number of soldiers was reduced to 100 men and pensioners. In 1639, the army of Charles I faced that of General Alexander Leslie at Berwick in the Bishops' Wars , which were concerned with bringing the Presbyterian Church of Scotland under Charles's control. The two sides did not fight, but negotiated
5428-404: The king's chaplain " Thomas Lauder of the House of God or Hospital lying in the burgh of Berwick-upon-Tweed, to be held to him for the whole time of his life with all lands, teinds, rents and profits, etc., belonging to the said hospital, as freely as is granted to any other hospital in the Kingdom of Scotland; the king also commands all those concerned to pay to the grantee all things necessary for
5520-417: The kingdom of Deira to form Northumbria , which in the mid-10th century entered the Kingdom of England under Eadred . Berwick remained part of the Earldom of Northumbria until control passed to the Scots following the Battle of Carham of 1018. The town itself was founded as an Anglo-Saxon settlement during the time of the Kingdom of Northumbria . Between the late 10th and early 11th centuries,
5612-410: The land between the rivers Forth and Tweed came under Scottish control, either through conquest by Scotland or through cession by England. Berwick was made a royal burgh by David I (reigned 1124–1153). David also established many of the shires of Scotland, with Berwick becoming the county town of Berwickshire , which covered the town and a largely rural area to the north-west of it. A mint
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#17327649617295704-410: The land previously invaded by the Anglian kingdom. In 1018, its northern part, the region between the Tweed and the Forth (including Lothian , which includes present-day Edinburgh ), was ceded to the Kingdom of Scotland. The Earldom of Northumberland was briefly held by the Scottish royal family by marriage, between 1139–1157 and 1215–1217. Scotland relinquished all claims to the region as part of
5796-594: The leading academic institutions nearby. The local industry includes commercial or academic activity in pre-clinical research and development, clinical research and development, pilot-scale manufacturing, full-scale active pharmaceutical ingredient/intermediate manufacturing, formulation, packaging, and distribution. Having no large population centres, the county's mainstream media outlets are served from nearby Tyne and Wear , including radio stations and television channels (such as BBC Look North , BBC Radio Newcastle , ITV Tyne Tees and Hits Radio North East ), along with
5888-638: The letter R historically common to many dialects of North East England ; and predominant non-rhoticity : older speakers tend to be slightly rhotic, while younger speakers are universally non-rhotic. A sociological study of the Anglo-Scottish border region conducted in 2000 found that locals of Alnwick , 30 mi (50 km) south of Berwick, associated the Berwick accent with Scottish influence. Conversely, those from Eyemouth , Scotland, 9 mi (14 km) north of Berwick, firmly classed Berwick speech as English, identifying it as "Northumbrian or Geordie ". Berwick Rangers Football Club were formed in
5980-447: The majority of daily newspapers covering the area ( The Journal , Evening Chronicle ). It is worth remembering however that although Northumberland, like many administrative areas in England, has been shorn of its geographical regional centre, that centre—Newcastle upon Tyne—remains an essential element within the entity we know as Northumberland. Newcastle's newspapers are as widely read in its Northumbrian hinterland as any of those of
6072-487: The manufacture of tweed and hosiery. Berwick town centre comprises the Mary Gate and High Street where many local shops and some retail chains exist. New office development has been built in the Walker Gate beside the library, which combined space with the Northumberland Adult Learning Centre and Tourism centre. There is a retail park in Tweedmouth consisting of a Homebase, Farm Foods, Marks and Spencer, Argos, Next, Carpetright and Poundland. Berwick Borough Council refused
6164-505: The north, the North Sea to the east, Tyne and Wear and County Durham to the south, and Cumbria to the west. The town of Blyth is the largest settlement. Northumberland is the northernmost county in England. The county has an area of 5,013 km (1,936 sq mi) and a population of 320,274, making it the least-densely populated county in England. The south-east contains the largest towns: Blyth (37,339), Cramlington (27,683), Ashington (27,670), and Morpeth (14,304), which
6256-418: The northwest of the county, consist mainly of resistant Devonian granite and andesite lava . A second area of igneous rock underlies the Whin Sill (on which Hadrian's Wall runs), an intrusion of Carboniferous dolerite . Both ridges support a rather bare moorland landscape. Either side of the Whin Sill the county lies on Carboniferous Limestone , giving some areas of karst landscape . Lying off
6348-422: The outskirts of the town near the current A1. The Aldi outlet moved its operations to a new location in the newly constructed Loaning Meadows Retail Park which also hosts KFC and Costa Coffee drive-throughs, A Food Warehouse wholesale store, Greggs and a Home Bargains supermarket. The retail park is located adjacent to the Morrisons store. The old A1 road passes through Berwick. The modern A1 goes around
6440-538: The parliamentary borough (constituency) of Berwick was enlarged to include the townships of Tweedmouth and Spittal south of the Tweed. A couple of years later, the Municipal Corporations Act 1835 standardised how boroughs were governed across England and Wales, and Berwick's municipal boundaries were enlarged to match the parliamentary borough, bringing Tweedmouth and Spittal under the jurisdiction of Berwick's town council. The same act also formalised Berwick's status as an independent county corporate . The population of
6532-496: The region. Tourism is a major source of employment and income in Northumberland. In the early 2000s the county annually received 1.1 million British visitors and 50,000 foreign tourists, who spent a total of £162 million. Coal mining in the county goes back to Tudor times . Coal mines continue to operate today; many of them are open-cast mines. Planning approval was given in January 2014 for an open-cast mine at Halton Lea Gate near Lambley . A major employer in Northumberland
6624-515: The same name; one such is North Berwick in Scotland, and Berwick-upon-Tweed has also been called "South Berwick" in Scottish sources. The medieval seal of the town showed a bear and a wych tree as a pun on the name. In the post-Roman period, the area was inhabited by the Brythons of Bryneich . Later, the region became part of the Anglian kingdom of Bernicia . Bernicia later united with
6716-682: The success and history of their respective clubs. They both became permanent fixtures in Alf Ramsey's 1966 England World Cup winning team. Malcolm Macdonald was a successful Newcastle player of the 1970s. Great national players who played at Northumberland clubs in the 1980s and 1990s include Peter Beardsley , Paul Gascoigne , Chris Waddle and Alan Shearer . Shearer remains the highest scoring player in Premier League history with 260 goals in 441 appearances. Early races were held at Newcastle's Killingworth Moor from 1632 before moving to
6808-403: The support of the hospital. Dated at Edinburgh June 8, in the 20th year of his reign." Berwick's strategic position on the Anglo-Scottish border during centuries of war between the two nations and its relatively great wealth led to a succession of raids, sieges and takeovers. William I of Scotland invaded and attempted to capture northern England in 1173–74. After his defeat in 1174, Berwick
6900-411: The town . Thomas Gower ( fl. 1543–1577 ) was the English marshal of Berwick 1543-1552. The Scots did not accept this conquest evidenced by innumerable charters for at least two centuries after this date, but never regained control of the town. over a little more than 400 years, Berwick had changed hands more than a dozen times. Much of southern Scotland was again invaded by England during
6992-487: The town to the west. The town is on the East Coast Main Line railway and is served by Berwick-upon-Tweed railway station . A small seaport at Tweedmouth facilitates the import and export of goods but provides no passenger services. The port is protected by a long breakwater built in the 19th century, at the end of which is a red and white lighthouse . Completed in 1826, the 13 m (43 ft) tower emits
7084-553: The town were identical to the parish of Berwick, which lay entirely on the north side of the River Tweed, covering the main part of the built-up area and the rural areas immediately north-west of it. By that time, Tweedmouth on the south side of the river had grown to a sizeable population, effectively as a suburb of the town but outside the borough boundaries. Under the Parliamentary Boundaries Act 1832
7176-562: The two kingdoms. The last time it changed hands was when Richard of Gloucester retook it for England in 1482 . To this day, many Berwickers feel a close affinity to Scotland. Both Berwick Rangers Football Club and Berwick Rugby Football Club play in Scottish leagues. Berwick remains a traditional market town and also has some notable architectural features, in particular its medieval town walls , its Georgian Town Hall , its Elizabethan ramparts , and Britain's earliest barracks buildings, which Nicholas Hawksmoor built (1717–1721) for
7268-519: The west. About a quarter of the county forms the Northumberland National Park , an area of outstanding landscape that has largely been protected from development and agriculture. The park stretches south from the Scottish border and includes Hadrian's Wall . Most of the park is over 240 metres (790 feet) above sea level. The Northumberland Coast is also a designated Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB). A small part of
7360-971: The wider county: the Northumberland Gazette , Morpeth Herald , Berwick Advertiser , Hexham Courant and the News Post Leader . Lionheart Radio , a community radio station based in Alnwick , has recently been awarded a five-year community broadcasting licence by Ofcom . Ashington has the former Alcan Lynemouth Aluminium Smelter , next to the Lynemouth Power Station . Hammerite and Cuprinol are made in Prudhoe by ICI Paints . A Procter & Gamble factory in Seaton Delaval makes Hugo Boss aftershave and Clairol and Nice 'n Easy hair dye at
7452-421: Was Hexham . At the 2001 UK Census Northumberland registered a population of 307,190, estimated to be 309,237 in 2003, The 2011 UK Census gave a population of 316,028. In 2001 there were 130,780 households, 10% of the population were retired, and one-third rented their homes. Northumberland has an ethnic minority population at 0.985% of the population, far lower compared to the average of 9.1% for England as
7544-553: Was arrived at from the amalgamation of the paid-for News Post with the freesheet Leader in August 1982. The resulting paper was a freesheet until 30 April 2021, when it became a paid-for title. In December 2021 its website was amalgamated with that of its sister title the Northumberland Gazette . The paper tends to have a focus on community news and events, mixed with its heavy advertising of local companies that
7636-415: Was ceded to Henry II of England under the Treaty of Falaise , along with four other castles at Edinburgh , Jedburgh , Roxburgh , and Stirling , with the five castles to be garrisoned with English troops paid for at Scottish expense. The Treaty of Falaise was annulled in 1189 when William paid Richard I of England 10,000 marks sterling to contribute towards the latter's crusade . Berwick had become
7728-523: Was contested between England and Scotland into the Early Modern era, leading to the construction of many castles, peel towers and bastle houses , and the early modern fortifications at Berwick-upon-Tweed . Northumberland is also associated with Celtic Christianity , particularly the tidal island of Lindisfarne . During the Industrial Revolution the area had significant coal mining, shipbuilding, and armaments industries. The name of Northumberland
7820-644: Was controlled by Rome only for the brief period of its extension of power north to the Antonine Wall . The Roman road Dere Street crosses the county from Corbridge over high moorland west of the Cheviot Hills to Melrose, Scottish Borders ( Latin : Trimontium ). As evidence of its border position through medieval times, Northumberland has more castles than any other county in England, including prominent ones at Alnwick , Bamburgh , Dunstanburgh , Newcastle , and Warkworth . Nearly 2000-year-old Roman boxing gloves were uncovered at Vindolanda in 2017 by
7912-486: Was duly granted. On 1 April 1974, the borough was merged with Belford Rural District, Glendale Rural District and Norham and Islandshires Rural District to form Berwick Borough Council . Northumberland County Council became the unitary authority for the area when the Borough of Berwick-upon-Tweed was abolished on 1 April 2009. A new Berwick-upon-Tweed Town Council was created on 1 April 2008 covering Berwick-upon-Tweed, Tweedmouth , and Spittal. It has taken over
8004-513: Was first drawn up in the 1950s. The historic county town was Alnwick ; assizes were mainly held in Newcastle , with the county gaol in Morpeth . Newcastle became a city in 1400, with county corporate status, with both areas having joint assizes. From the county council 's formation in 1889 until 1981 Newcastle was the county town , being briefly the county town of two counties when
8096-535: Was founded as an Anglo-Saxon settlement in the Kingdom of Northumbria , which was annexed by England in the 10th century. A civil parish and town council were formed in 2008 comprising the communities of Berwick, Spittal and Tweedmouth . It is the northernmost civil parish in England. For more than 400 years the area was central to historic border wars between the Kingdoms of England and Scotland , and several times possession of Berwick changed hands between
8188-488: Was killed playing football when David Le Keu's knife went into Henry's belly and killed him. Organised football teams as we know today did not appear until the 1870s. Newcastle United Football Club was formed in 1892 by uniting Newcastle West End FC with Newcastle East End. Newcastle United were first division champions three times in the early 20th century, reaching the FA Cup Final three times before winning it at
8280-544: Was present in the town by 1153. In 1276, William de Baddeby was Constable of Berwick. While under Scottish control, Berwick was referred to as "South Berwick" to differentiate it from the town of North Berwick , East Lothian , near Edinburgh. Berwick had a mediaeval hospital for the sick and poor, which the Church administered. A charter under the Great Seal of Scotland , confirmed by King James I of Scotland , grants
8372-598: Was produced as a blank page. Notable players after the Second World War included Joe Harvey , Jackie Milburn , Brian Clough and Newcastle's Bobby Moncur who led his team to win the Inter City Fairs Cup in 1969. Two of Jackie Milburn's nephews from Ashington , Bobby Charlton and Jackie Charlton are perhaps the two most significant players for England . Bobby joined Manchester United and Jackie Leeds United both contributing much to
8464-553: Was pronounced in the Great Hall of Berwick Castle on 17 November 1292. In 1296, England went to war with France , with which Scotland was in alliance. Balliol invaded England in response, sacking Cumberland . Edward, in turn, invaded Scotland and captured Berwick , destroying much of the town and massacring the burgesses, merchants and artisans of the town. Edward I went again to Berwick in August 1296 to receive formal homage from some 2,000 Scottish nobles, after defeating
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