125-576: The Rothbury Branch was a 13-mile single track railway line in Northumberland , England. It was built by the Northumberland Central Railway and was conceived as part of an alternative trunk route from Newcastle to Berwick. There were serious problems raising money for the ambitious scheme, and it was scaled back to run from Scotsgap to Rothbury. It opened in 1870. Even so, it was always short of money and had to request
250-532: A border. In the Roman era most of the county lay north of Hadrian's Wall , and the region 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
375-491: A distance of 2¾ miles. Mineral traffic only was carried at first, but it was opened for passengers also on 1 August 1850. In effect this was an extension of the growing Blyth and Tyne Railway; it crossed the River Blyth by a timber viaduct 80 feet in height and 770 feet in length. Described as a "splendid viaduct" by newspapers, it was designed by Robert Nicholson. There were now several separate private railways, and there
500-462: 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
625-536: 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
750-564: A mid-day service from Rothbury to Scotsgap and return was included. After the railways were nationalised by Government in 1948, the Rothbury line became part of the Scottish Region of British Railways . Increasingly efficient road transport caused a collapse of the passenger and goods traffic, and closure was inevitable. The last passenger trains ran on 13 September 1952. A basic weekly goods service continued but, on 9 November 1963,
875-500: A reputable London-based contractor, was finalised, but the absence of money prevented a start. A call on subscribers brought in some money, and debate raged as to whether construction should be from the Scotsgap end or the northern end. Warings was pressed to consider courses of action that would have disadvantaged the firm and, given the absence of ready money, it saw that the contract was vain, and asked to be relieved of it. The company
1000-569: A route to the Tyne. The line was named the Blyth and Tyne Junction Railway. Construction was started in August 1845, but the line was not opened for passenger traffic until 3 May 1847; on that date the whole 4½ miles between Seghill and Blyth began to cater for passengers. Bedlington colliery needed to be connected to the network, and on 12 June 1850 a private line was opened from the colliery to Newsham,
1125-453: A section of shareholders. The NBR paid off the £9,600 debt, and ordinary shares were to be guaranteed 1% until 1878. The NBR acquired the line for about 10% of its cost. That was implied to be a considerable bargain for the NBR. A prominent Northumberland Central Railway shareholder was reported as saying, at the final shareholders' meeting, that the NBR was being made a present of the line. However,
1250-735: 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
1375-771: 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)
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#17327912237151500-529: A small profit in the early weeks, but that soon turned to a loss. The line had cost £95,000 to build, and the Company owed £9,600 to contractors, as well as having incurred heavy debenture debts and issued preference shares, and it was obvious that financial disaster was imminent. The only way out was a sale to the NBR, which was agreed at a meeting in Newcastle on 23 February 1872, although fiercely opposed by
1625-428: A state of great excitement, by the startling news that five Frenchmen had been taken during the night, and were lodged in the guard-house. They were officers who had broken their parole at Edinburgh castle, and in making their way home had reached the neighbourhood of Blyth; when discovered they were resting by the side of Plessy wagon-way, beside the "shoulder of mutton" field. The railway had timber track: The railway
1750-702: A tail rope from the drum of the engine, to bring hack the empty wagons. The remainder of the line from Seghill to Holywell was worked by locomotives; those used at first were the Samson and the John, both built by Timothy Hackworth. The Newcastle and North Shields Railway contemplated building an extension of the Seghill line to Blyth, but the takeover of the N&;NSR by the Newcastle and Berwick Railway diverted attention to wider horizons. The onward transport of coal by water
1875-474: A third-class smoking vehicle, the centre a third-class carriage for non-smokers, and the last a first-class coach with luggage compartment." New carriage sheds were erected at South Gosforth and as part of the preparation for electrification, a spur was built from south to west at Benton, for empty stock to reach the sheds from the main line. It opened on 1 May 1903. A south to east curve was opened nearby on 1 July 1904 giving express electric trains access between
2000-575: A third. The Tynemouth Dock Bill was thrown out in Parliament, and the Blyth and Tyne Railway succeeded in getting the powers it had applied for, by act of Parliament of 4 August 1853. There was to be a branch from Newsham to Morpeth and another from New Hartley to the Dairy House near Seaton Delaval, a line ultimately planned to reach Tynemouth. The B&TR intended to buy some existing private lines and continue one of them to Morpeth. The B&TR
2125-462: A through railway connection from Edinburgh to London. The Newcastle and Berwick Railway later became part of the York, Newcastle and Berwick Railway . The people of Rothbury saw the advantage of having a railway connection; the district had long been a centre for the production of lime , important in improving acidic soil for agricultural purposes, and Morpeth was a centre of demand for the mineral. It
2250-402: 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
2375-551: 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
2500-879: 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
2625-541: 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
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#17327912237152750-501: Is bordered by the Scottish Borders to 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
2875-674: 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
3000-547: 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
3125-409: Is the fourth oldest in the country and is now Alnmouth Village Club; it is a 9 hole links course. Blyth and Tyne Railway The Blyth and Tyne Railway was a railway company in Northumberland , England, incorporated by act of Parliament on 30 June 1852. It was created to unify the various private railways and waggonways built to carry coal from the Northumberland coalfield to Blyth and
3250-453: The Blyth and Tyne Railway Act 1872 ( 35 & 36 Vict. c. l), but the authorisation was never put into effect. After the amalgamation, the north Eastern Railway decided to reactivate the powers, and obtained a fresh act of Parliament on 29 June 1875. There was still delay in carrying out the work, but on 3 July 1882 the new line opened. It ran to make an end-on connection (from the east) with
3375-625: The Beeching Report of 1963. In the period from 1975, coal extraction declined and parts of the Blyth and Tyne system that were dependent on the mineral traffic suffered accordingly; the passenger business also declined. At the end of the 1970s, the decision was taken to establish a light rapid transit system, the Tyne and Wear Metro ; this was based on the North Tyneside network at first and this started operating in 1980, using part of
3500-949: The Brigantes , to the south. During the Roman occupation of Britain , most of the present county lay north of Hadrian's Wall . It 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
3625-586: The Humber Estuary . The land has long been an English frontier zone, and it is now bordered to the north by Scotland . Northumberland has 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,
3750-684: The Industrial Revolution the area had significant coal mining, shipbuilding, and armaments industries. The name of Northumberland 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
3875-596: The Newcastle and Carlisle Railway to Riccarton on the Border Union Railway (which became known as the Waverley Route ). Although this was to be a slow and circuitous line, mostly single line through thinly populated terrain, it served the NBR purpose of providing, or at least threatening, a separate route to Newcastle from the north. However the Newcastle and Carlisle Railway was not unfriendly to
Rothbury Branch - Misplaced Pages Continue
4000-699: The North British Railway was frustrated by its dependency on the North Eastern Railway (which had taken over the York, Newcastle and Berwick Railway in 1854). It had proved a wily partner in the traffic between Edinburgh and Newcastle. The NBR was anxious to secure independent access to Newcastle if possible. The NBR supported the promotion of the Border Counties Railway , which was being built in stages from Hexham, on
4125-618: 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
4250-599: 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
4375-470: The River Tyne , which it took control of on 1 January 1853. Over time, the railway expanded its network to reach Morpeth (1857/8), North Seaton (1859), Tynemouth (1860/1), Newcastle upon Tyne (1864), and finally Newbiggin-by-the-Sea (1872). It became part of the much larger North Eastern Railway in 1874. Following the takeover, some integration of service and facilities took place, but
4500-535: The River Tyne . The west of Northumberland contains part of the Cheviot Hills and North Pennines , while to 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
4625-646: 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
4750-567: The Blyth and Tyne Railway. From 25 June 1844, the Newcastle and North Shields Railway (N&NSR) worked the passenger and goods traffic on the Seghill Railway, but in November 1844 George Hudson , "The Railway King," made a provisional agreement with the N&NSR to merge that undertaking with the Newcastle & Berwick Railway which he was promoting at the time; the N&NSR gave his Berwick company access to central Newcastle. When
4875-437: The Blyth and Tyne routes. Most of the remainder of the former system has no passenger railway activity now, although much of it remains open for freight. From the seventeenth century, coal had been extracted in the area north of the River Tyne , at first close to the river to allow onwards transport by boat. As the easiest deposits close to the river became worked out, the focus of mining was pushed back further, and transport to
5000-499: The Blyth and Tyne section retained its individual identity. In 1904, electric traction was introduced for suburban passenger trains on north Tyneside and part of the Blyth and Tyne system was electrified; the new trains proved to be a considerable success. Speculative branch lines built in the twentieth century were less successful. Passenger services on the Newcastle – Newbiggin (via Seghill ), Monkseaton – Blyth – Newbiggin, and Newsham – Blyth routes, were earmarked for withdrawal by
5125-532: The Central station. At the same time a further connection was made at Tynemouth, where an extension ran from the earlier terminus of 1860 to a location close to the North Eastern Railway station there. The Blyth and Tyne Railway charged the same fares to Tynemouth as the North Eastern Railway, and the new line was extremely well patronised: 17,000 passengers, mostly third class, were carried during
Rothbury Branch - Misplaced Pages Continue
5250-406: The Company decided to improve the passenger carriages while they made the network extensions. The company obtained new passenger rolling stock of modern design. The third class carriages were of a type then probably unsurpassed elsewhere in the country. They were designed in 1854, and twenty years later had given such satisfaction that the travelling public desired no change. In the period from 1857
5375-701: 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
5500-489: The N&NSR was authorised on 31 July 1845, the arrangement was confirmed. In the changed circumstances the Seghill Railway and the projected extensions assumed a new importance. In July 1845, Jobling & Partners decided to construct a part of the proposed railway, and, by forming a junction with the Seaton Delaval Railway and arranging for the connection of that railway with the Seghill Railway, to create
5625-485: The NBR acquired a bankrupt, loss-making business, paid its £9,600 immediate debts, paid 3% mortgages taken out by the NCR, and paid 1% on worthless NCR stock for seven years. The acquisition was formalised by Act of Parliament of 18 July 1872. There was a serious accident near Longwitton on 3 July 1875. A passenger train was running down the steep gradient towards Scotsgap, with eight empty stone wagons marshalled in front of
5750-585: The Newcastle and Carlisle Railway altogether. If the Blyth and Tyne Railway could be befriended, then the desired access to Newcastle was secure—but by a very roundabout route. When the Wansbeck Railway was constructed, the North British (who were in control of it) considered how to connect to the Blyth and Tyne at Morpeth. That company's station was alongside, but on the south side of, the York, Newcastle and Berwick station, and direct connection
5875-489: The North British Railway to take it over, along with its debt, which was effected in 1872. The line was never busy and closure to passenger traffic took place in 1952; after a period of limited goods operation, the line closed completely in 1963. In 1847, the Newcastle and Berwick Railway started operation. It was created by George Hudson , the so-called Railway King , and his intention was to form part of
6000-472: The North Eastern Railway continued to have an individual identity. When the Tynemouth branch had been built in 1860, it ran north to south from Monkseaton (at first called Whitley) at some distance from the coast. As residential travel increased in subsequent decades, the emphasis was on locations nearer the coast. The Blyth and Tyne Railway had obtained powers to build a parallel line to serve those areas in
6125-510: The North Eastern Railway electrified what became known as the North Tyneside Loop , much of which was part of the Blyth and Tyne system, between New Bridge Street, Backworth, Monkseaton and Wallsend. This was the first part of a network of suburban electrified routes, the Tyneside suburban electric system . The Railway Magazine recorded the opening: On Tuesday, March 29, 1904, at 12.50 p.m. electric working for public traffic
6250-455: The North Tyneside suburban network], equivalent to some 82 miles of single track, over the whole of which the passenger service will in the near future be worked electrically. For the present the goods traffic will be mainly operated by steam, although two electric goods locomotives are to be used on a portion of the system... The third rail system is adopted, the current being picked up by a contact shoe from this rail... and after passing through
6375-534: The Rothbury line was closed completely. The line climbed at 1 in 67 from Scotsgap to a summit at Longwitton, then falling on the same ruling gradient to Rothbury. Locations on the line were: [REDACTED] Media related to Rothbury Branch at Wikimedia Commons 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
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#17327912237156500-629: The Seaton Delaval coal company sunk a new pit, and formed a waggonway 1¼ miles in length from there to Mare Close where it was connected to the Cramlington line. In the same year the Cramlington company, considering that their dependency on the congested Backworth line was becoming impossible, constructed their own line to the staiths, parallel to, and to the east of, the Backworth line, leaving it at Murton Row. The Seghill colliery owner
6625-617: 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
6750-411: 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
6875-442: The Tyne, which exits into Tyne and Wear shortly downstream. The other major rivers in Northumberland are, from south to north, 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
7000-464: 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
7125-426: The YN&BR and might prove an uncertain ally. The Wansbeck Railway was then promoted, with the intention of forming a connection between Reedsmouth on the Border Counties Railway and Morpeth. The commercial viability of this line was even more shaky—Lee says "a thinly-populated district without manufactures and with very few mineral resources"—than the Border Counties Railway, but it gave access to Morpeth, avoiding
7250-467: The best terms they could get, and towards the end of January 1874, terms of amalgamation were settled. The North Eastern Railway would guarantee a dividend of 10 per cent on Blyth and Tyne ordinary stock (then capitalised at £315,000) and to pay £50,000 in cash for distribution among the ordinary shareholders, as well as taking on all the liabilities of the B&TR. The merger was ratified by act of Parliament of 7 August 1874. The Blyth and Tyne section of
7375-487: The branch line to Morpeth. They also planned the eastward extension to Whitley and Tynemouth. Northumberland Dock was opened on 22 October 1857 and their presence there was a valuable asset in taking Northumberland steam coal to market. On 1 October 1857 the Morpeth branch was opened for mineral traffic, and on 1 April 1858 for goods and passenger traffic. In 1855 passengers on the Blyth and Tyne were conveyed in low-roofed springless carriages locally called "bumler boxes," but
7500-413: The circumstance by three ladies, Misses Winship, who were standing in a field on the east side of the line, close to the railway fence, and who, on observing the train running over the bank, called and waved their arms as violently as they could to attract the attention of the engine-driver. The young ladies proceeded at once to give all the assistance they could to the injured passengers ... A cattle market
7625-404: 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
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#17327912237157750-444: The coast north of the River Blyth. Some years elapsed before the opening of the final extension of the Blyth and Tyne Railway during its independent days: on 1 March 1872 the Newbiggin branch of 3½ miles was opened. It joined the Cambois branch at West Sleekburn Junction. During 1872 the North Eastern Railway approached the Blyth and Tyne Railway to discuss a merger. The directors of the B&TR were agreeable, but they held out for
7875-528: 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
8000-405: The coastal shops by means of steam derricks fitted to Bedlington . This arrangement continued in use until 1851. Other proposals involved further railways and waggonways but for the time being they were not implemented. Nevertheless, the limitation of Blyth as a harbour spurred consideration of a railway connection directly to the Tyne, and it was this cause that led ultimately to the formation of
8125-453: 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
8250-429: The company, but the terms were stated to be unacceptable, and the Blyth and Tyne Railway were to be approached to do so. Since running to Morpeth required the permission of the NBR, it was unlikely that arrangement would work, and in fact the NBR working arrangement was later accepted. On 1 November 1870, the line opened to the public, the directors having travelled over the line the previous day. The steepest gradient
8375-496: The connection with the former Newcastle & North Shields Railway, and several short branches to shipping places on the Tyne. The new Company came into existence on 1 January 1853. A rival company, the Tynemouth Docks & Morpeth & Shields Direct Railway, proposed a dock at the Low Lights, North Shields, and a railway from Morpeth running directly to North Shields, with branches to Ashington and Seaton Sluice. The Blyth and Tyne Railway produced plans for lines occupying part of
8500-585: 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
8625-402: 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",
8750-419: 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
8875-420: The existing Tynemouth terminus, and a lavish new station was provided there. A new station was provided at Monkseaton on the new line, and a complex layout of short spurs connected it into the old system there. Whitley Bay and Cullercoats also had new stations. (Whitley Bay was further enlarged in 1910.) The old route from Monkseaton to Tynemouth was closed down, except for a short length at Tynemouth used to access
9000-547: The expenditure was about £130,000. The act of Parliament incorporating the Blyth and Tyne Railway, the Blyth and Tyne Railway Act 1852 ( 15 & 16 Vict. c. cxxii), received royal assent on 30 June 1852, capital £150,000. The line controlled by the new company totalled 13 miles, consisting of the main line from Blyth to the Hayhole on the Tyne (12 miles), a short branch to the York. Newcastle & Berwick Railway at Percy Main,
9125-552: The first week. Third class business was proving popular and the B&;TR announced that from 1 October 1864 third class travel would be available on all trains. Third class carriages had formerly only been attached to one train each way daily; misgivings that this would abstract income by trading down were stated by the chairman to have been misplaced. In 1867 a branch was opened extending the Bedlington stub eastwards to Cambois, on
9250-426: 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
9375-471: The goods depot there. In 1867 the Cambois branch had been opened. In 1893 further expansion was necessary on the River Blyth and extensive facilities were provided on the north bank; rail connection was provided by extending the Cambois line. This work was commissioned on 13 July 1896; at the same time a curve was installed near Sleekburn Junction giving direct running from North Blyth towards Ashington; this
9500-404: The impossible situation; a number of financial devices to get the money had been tried, all of them in vain. Most directors were persuaded to continue. However, by the end of 1868 it had proved possible to scrape together enough money to instruct Dowson to restart work. However, in August 1870, it was stated that the construction was nearly complete. The NBR had been approached to work the line for
9625-679: 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
9750-429: The largest towns: Blyth (37,339), Cramlington (27,683), Ashington (27,670), and Morpeth (14,304), which 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
9875-405: The latter years of the nineteenth century. Street-running tramcars were introduced from 1878, and in 1901 the system was converted to electric traction, representing a considerable step forward in convenience for the public, and competition for suburban railways. The total number of passengers booked in the Newcastle area in 1901 was 9,847,000 but by 1903 this had fallen to 5,887,000. In response,
10000-594: 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
10125-444: The line, and the prospects looked extremely good. However, the extraction company suddenly surrendered its lease in 1886 and, except for a small amount of quarry working, the minerals were no longer brought to the surface. In February 1902, Tynemouth Corporation requested a siding connection to assist in the construction of Fontburn Reservoir . The siding was provided and a temporary platform costing £180 opened on 12 January 1903, for
10250-447: 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
10375-503: The motors returns to the dynamos [at the generating station] by the ordinary running rails. The current is generated at high pressure, 6,000 volts three-phase alternating, at the central power station, and transmitted to sub-stations, where it is converted into low pressure 600 volt direct current, and fed on to the rails. The electric power was to be procured from the Newcastle upon Tyne Electric Supply Company. The trains would be multiple units: "each train consists of three bogie coaches, one
10500-544: The name to The Wansbeck Railway and obtained the Royal Assent for their line on 8 August 1859; the capital was set at £120,000. They constructed their line in stages, and it opened in sections from 1862 to 1865. It passed through Scotsgap, but came no closer to Rothbury. The company was constantly short of money and was heavily supported by the North British Railway, which saw it as a strategic means of by-passing Hudson's railways in getting access to Newcastle. Rothbury
10625-531: 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
10750-416: The passenger coaches, when the drawbar of one of the wagons broke away. Digging into the track, it derailed the vehicles behind it, and they plunged down an embankment; four people lost their lives. The Board of Trade inspecting officer, Col F H Rich commented, The engine-driver and fireman were not aware that they had left the greater part of their train behind ... The fireman's attention was first drawn to
10875-564: The point of junction, and propelling between there and the station. This was a dangerous practice, and a collision took place in 1871 from that cause. By then hopes of independent main line running to Newcastle were over, and in 1872 the Wansbeck line was diverted to connect into the YN&;BR station in the ordinary way. Although NBR passenger trains began using the connecting line in May 1872, it
11000-551: 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
11125-501: The same ground to spoil the competing line, and both proposals went to Parliament. The promoters of the Tynemouth Docks Direct Railway hoped to take advantage of avoiding the cost of wayleaves with which the Blyth and Tyne was burdened, and the B&TR found itself uniting with the landowners who imposed these charges against the newcomer. Its reward was a concession by the landowners, reducing their terms by
11250-572: The same size but the wheels were of 4 ft 6 inch in diameter. In the 1860s a three-cylinder 0-6-0 engine was built. After the electrification of 1904, steam autocar trains composed of a Fletcher BTP 0-4-4T engine between two coaches operated on the Monkseaton-Shields section, operating a shuttle passenger service over the Avenue branch from Blyth to North Shields. Residential travel into Newcastle and Gateshead developed considerably in
11375-413: The section between Backworth and Allotment was converted to rope haulage by stationary steam engine in 1821. Two years later the incline between Allotment and Percy Main was altered and eased, and the whole line was rope worked by 1827. About 1838 the line was extended north-westwards to West Cramlington, and when the Newcastle and Berwick Railway was constructed, a junction was made with it there. In 1839
11500-682: 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
11625-434: The terrain to be crossed north of Rothbury was very thinly populated. Although the promoters must have understood that the Wansbeck line only continued with the support of the NBR, they were evidently undeterred. In fact, the Wansbeck Railway was absorbed by the NBR on 21 July 1863. A Parliamentary Bill for the line, to be called The Northumberland Central Railway , was submitted for the 1863 session. A cash deposit of £20,800
11750-500: The use of workers. It was named White House at first but then Fontburn (or "Fontburn (Halt)"), and it later became a public station. The main line railways of Great Britain were "grouped" by the government under the Railways Act 1921 , and the North British Railway was a constituent of the new London and North Eastern Railway . During World War II the passenger train service was reduced to two return trips daily, but from 1945,
11875-417: The waterway was essential. Wooden waggonways were introduced and were relatively successful, but a major limitation was the issue of wayleaves , by which owners of land on the proposed route could demand payment, usually on a tonnage basis, for allowing the passage of the wagons. The wayleave demands were heavy, and this continued to be a major difficulty. Wallace (1869) recorded that "in 1723, Plessy colliery
12000-492: The way of the Seghill coal. The main part of the route ran straight south east, crossing the old line of the Cramlington Coal Company by a low timber bridge of two laminated arches each of 81 feet 6 inches (24.84 m) span. There were steep gradients on the line; from Seghill to Prospect Hill rising as steep as 1 in 61, and from Prospect Hill to the Tyne falling gradients, the steepest of which
12125-519: 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
12250-971: 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
12375-421: 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
12500-483: Was 1 in 25. The line was worked mainly by stationary engines, one at Prospect Hill, near the Allotment, which hauled up the loaded wagons from Holywell, and the empty wagons from the Newcastle and North Shields road. The other engine was at Percy Main, hauling the empty wagons from the staiths. From Prospect Hill to Percy Main and from Percy Main to the staiths the loaded wagons ran by gravity, unwinding as they descended
12625-423: Was a day’s work. There was considerable expenditure on new pits at Seghill and Cramlington in 1822 and 1823. The Tyne was six miles away and the problem of transport to water arose once again. The Cramlington waggonway was only two miles away, however. It was opened in 1822 and ran from the pit later known as Ann Pit to Murton Row where it joined the Backworth line. Backworth Colliery had had a primitive railway, but
12750-403: Was a movement to make them into a single, incorporated company. The spur was passenger duty imposed on private railways, and also concern about promotion of a possible competing railway. They connected two parts of the group together by cutting through Prospect Hill in the year 1851 to enable the adoption of locomotive power; the new cut formed considerably gentler gradients. With other improvements
12875-434: Was also dissatisfied with the route to the staiths, and in early 1839 Robert Nicholson made a survey for a private mineral railway from Seghill to Howdon. Nicholson had been engineer of the Newcastle and North Shields Railway, which was shortly to open. The owners of the colliery at Seghill had used the Cramlington waggonway, owned by the Cramlington Coal Company, but the latter favoured its own traffic and put obstructions in
13000-421: Was brought into use at the same time. In 1903 the North Eastern Railway introduced 40-ton bogie coal wagons to operate a shuttle service between Ashington and North Blyth. Most of the Blyth and Tyne locomotives were of the 2-4-0 and 0-6-0 type. The 2-4-0s mostly had 5 ft 6 in wheels and two 16 by 24-inch cylinders, with a typical working boiler pressure of 140 lb. The 0-6-0 goods engines had cylinders of
13125-554: Was committed to the completion of a line to Tynemouth and in 1854 obtained an act of Parliament to make this extension, as well as a building a branch from Bedlington to Longhirst. From 1855 a number of extensions were built to consolidate the network. Prospect Hill was further improved and double track provided over six miles of railway, and more staiths were built in the Tyne. They purchased two short colliery lines which formed portions of their main line between Seaton Delaval and Hartley and between Bedlington and Newsham, and constructed
13250-460: Was constructed of a double line of beech rails, and laid upon oaken sleepers. The railway from Plessy continued to be made of wood till the road was discontinued in 1812. Originally the wagons had wooden wheels, and to prevent the wear and tear of the wheels, which were extremely expensive to maintain, they were studded with nails driven up to the head... Each wagon required a horse, and a man to conduct it; three journeys or "gaits", as they were termed,
13375-409: Was difficult. (Running over the YN&BR line, even for a few yards, would defeat the notion of independence.) In fact the Wansbeck line crossed the YN&BR line by a bridge and connected to the Blyth and Tyne line further east. For simple through running that was practicable, but in the event only local traffic ran, and all of that started or ended at Morpeth B&T station. This involved reversal at
13500-660: Was established in Rothbury in 1871, and development of the town for residential and holiday purposes, as well as the provision of a racecourse, improved the financial situation of the line. Nonetheless, the two-hour journey time from Newcastle was a significant negative factor. The passenger train service settled down to three trains each way daily, aligned towards Morpeth. Although journeys from Rothbury towards Reedsmouth and beyond were possible, connections at Scotsgap were not good. In 1873, very considerable deposits of lime and coal, as well as fireclay, started to be exploited at Longwitton. That brought large volumes of mineral traffic to
13625-457: 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
13750-451: Was given the task of building from Scotsgap to Rothbury. On 12 April 1867, the company received Parliamentary authority to shorten the scheme, making it simply a branch line to Rothbury, with authorised capital of £75,000. The difficulty in raising that money was no less acute, and became impossible to continue. Dowson had to discontinue the work, which was hardly started. In February 1868, the directors all offered their resignation in view of
13875-458: Was in the hands of Richard Ridley; and as he was a man of both wealth and enterprise he would in all probability make the railway by which the coals then came to Blyth". The harbour at Blyth was used for the onward transport by coastal shipping. Mining of the early Northumberland Coalfield was taking shape. In 1794 a colliery was commenced within a mile of Cowpen, which at once brought a large increase of population and trade. "An Act of Parliament
14000-488: 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
14125-445: Was natural to consider making a railway branch line from Rothbury to Morpeth , which was on the Newcastle and Berwick main line. A scheme for a railway was developed, and an estimate was prepared for the construction: it would cost £95,000. However, despite the local enthusiasm, there was inadequate financial support for the scheme and it was dropped. The Border Counties Railway opened the first section of its line in 1858. This line
14250-612: Was not until August that the Board of Trade formally sanctioned the use of the line; the delay was due to the lack of a turntable at the NER Morpeth station. The Blyth and Tyne station at Morpeth remained in use for its own passenger trains until 24 May 1880, after which B&T trains used the NER station. The chairman of the Blyth and Tyne Railway, Joseph Laycock, proposed to build an extension to Newcastle. The necessary act of Parliament
14375-503: Was obtained, and Cowpen Quay was erected... [About 1812] when Plessy Colliery was discontinued, a railroad was made to connect Cowpen Colliery with Blyth, as we have it at the present time, and instead of the coal being shipped at Cowpen Quay it was sent to Blyth." The Plessy waggonway played a peripheral role in the Napoleonic Wars: One Sunday morning in the year 1811, the inhabitants [of Blyth] were thrown into
14500-416: Was opened on 31 October 1860. The new extension from Hotspur Place (near Benton) to Newcastle, and from Hotspur Place to Monkseaton in the other direction, was formally opened on 22 June 1864; the public opening took place on the 27 June. The Newcastle terminus was at New Bridge Street , on the north side of the city beyond the present-day Manors station; it was designed by John Dobson, who had also designed
14625-598: 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
14750-472: Was put into operation on the North-Eastern Railway; the line on which the new motive power is employed being that between New Bridge Street Station (Newcastle) and Benton, a distance of 4 miles 7 chains... The outward journey took 11 minutes, the inward 12 minutes, being a reduction of 25 per cent, on the time occupied by steam-hauled trains... There are 37 miles of double and four-way track [in
14875-402: Was required to do so, but the cash available to the provisional company was inadequate, so three individuals, including Richard Hodgson of the NBR, provided the money themselves. The bill received the Royal Assent on 28 July 1863; capital was £270,000. The act (as it now was) merely authorised the capital; actually raising it was a problem for the company. A provisional contract with Warings,
15000-597: Was restricted by the fact that the only harbours available were at Blyth and Seaton Sluice, both of them small and incapable of handling larger vessels. From 1842, the Bedlington Coal Company developed a novel method of shipping its coal: loaded chaldron wagons, 40 at a time, were taken in an iron twin-screw steamer, the Bedlington , from the staiths on the north side of the River Blyth near Mount Pleasant to Shields Harbour; there they were discharged into
15125-568: Was said to be 1 in 60 and there was a twelve-arch viaduct at Fontburn. There were stations at Rothbury, Brinkburn, Ewesley and Scotsgap, and a private platform at Rothley for the use of the Trevelyan Estates. The Rothley platform was later renamed Longwitton and made public. The working arrangement with the NBR was considered onerous by the Northumberland Central directors, but there was no alternative. Operations made
15250-543: Was secured on 1 May 1861. It authorised the extension to Newcastle, as well as some branches, forming the loop from Newcastle through South Gosforth and Benton to Monkseaton; and from Seghill to the Seaton Burn waggonway, from Bothal Demesne (North Seaton) to Newbiggin, and from the B&TR existing line at Tynemouth to proposed docks at the Low Lights. The Blyth & Tyne line between the Dairy House and Tynemouth
15375-488: Was still an important centre for the production of lime, but the lack of a railway connection was felt more keenly than ever, and during the construction of the Wansbeck Railway, a scheme was brought forward to build a 45-mile (72 km) line from Scotsgap northwards through Rothbury and Wooler to Cornhill, near to Berwick on the Kelso line of the North Eastern Railway . The line would need capital of £260,000 to construct, and
15500-506: Was to link Hexham with apparently rich mineral deposits, and was stated to be the first stage of a new line, independent of Hudson's York, Newcastle and Berwick Railway, linking the area with Edinburgh. That revived consideration of a railway running west from Morpeth, which led to the development of a scheme for a Wansbeck Valley Railway from Morpeth to Reedsmouth on the Border Counties line. The Wansbeck Valley committee changed
15625-405: Was unable to provide money to make a start, and on 7 August 1865, a difficult shareholders' meeting took place, which ended with agreement to abandon the proposed line north of Rothbury. The eclipse of Richard Hodgson as chairman of the North British Railway was significant in the loss of commitment to the northward extension. The contract with Dowlings was cancelled, and a local contractor, Dowson,
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