Northumbrian Heritage
This is a draft page from the now out of print book on Northumberland postcards by Stan Owen - Northumbrian Heritage - published in the early days of the Heritage Centre Bellingham. In this draft page the images are missing and will be added at a later date.
Upper Coquetdale
There is a road which goes to Barrowburn, but it is not as yet suitable for motoring. The cyclist can penetrate far into the hills and even pass by sheep-tracks over the watershed into Scotland.
Robert Hugill (1930)
A fellow called Collier used to come around and stay in Alwinton and take photos and family pictures. If I remember rightly, I think that he came from Bellingham.
Grace Hunter (née Dagg), (1935)
785 COQUETDALE MEET The Salmon Inn was kept by Mr & Mrs Emmerson for many years. The huntsman, with two of his companions, has stopped with his pack of fox hounds and border terrier to receive the traditional stirrup-cup. The fox hounds chase the fox, while the border terrier bolts the fox, if it goes to ground. The clothes that the landlady and the huntsman are wearing suggest a date around 1914.
773 LINBRIG & LINSHEELES The old track up Coquetdale used many fords and footbridges: swing bridges served the two farms in this picture. By 1930, the ford which crossed the Coquet had been replaced by a new road which swept across the fields of Linbriggs Farm (on the right) to use the new road bridge. Linshields Farm (on the left) got its road bridge in 1959. W.P. Collier's bicycle can be seen by the road.
825 HARBOTTLE The village in the 1930s looking down the main street. The Gothic fountain on the left is the Clennell memorial, built in 1880. The Star Inn is further down. Every morning, Dr. Henry Bedford attended the Dispensary on the right, where there is a glimpse of W.P. Collier's motorcycle NL 3770. This enabled him to take his camera to places, difficult of access even today.
776 SHILLMOOR A fine 1920s view of this 2000 acre farm, standing at the foot of the Usway Burn and extending as far as Kidlandlee. The swing bridge was the only way of crossing the Coquet dryshod before a new road bridge was built to replace the ford, in the early 1930s. The bridge was built a little upstream of the ford, which can just be seen, opposite the two hay stacks.
786 BARROWBURN This farm was central to the life of Upper Coquetdale, especially as the old road right ran across the farmyard. The new road runs nearer the Coquet, just behind the mounds of the tatie-pits. It was the home of such legends as Mary Barton, Eliza Murray and Mary Tait - three generations of ladies rooted in the history of Coquetdale. This was a favourite place of W.P. Collier.
730 WINDYHAUGH Originally located in a converted stable at Windyhaugh Farm, in the distance, the school moved to the old Lounges Farm, on the left, and then to the new school building, which was built in 1879. The teacher's house was added later. A young pupil stands at the door of the school, which, as was typical of many upland schools, rarely had more than a dozen pupils.
858 BARROWBURN CLIPPINGS Judging from the fleeces in the cart, clipping was already well advanced when this picture was taken at The Faads, near Barrowburn. The sheep folds are still in the same place. The girl who is busting (marking) the sheep is possibly Nelly Oliver, whose family shepherded Windyhaugh. She wears a large bonnet: a sun tan was the last thing a girl of the 1920s wanted.
826 USWAYFORD Though well-supplied with paths and tracks, Uswayford was an isolated farm, even by Coquetdale standards, when this picture was taken around 1914. All provisions were left at Barrowburn, four miles away, and were brought up by horse and cart. A walled tatie-garth, two peat stacks and three hay stacks can be seen. These were essential to carry a family and the livestock through long winters.
825 FAIRHAUGH An early view of the single storey cottage, midway between Uswayford and Barrowburn, before an upper floor was added around 1920. Fairhaugh was classed as a moorland township, in the parish of Alwinton, which had, in 1911, a single shepherd's house and a population of 6, most of whom would appear to be on this picture. In such a remote area, self-sufficiency was vital.
839 ALWIN HILL MARKET PLACE A charming picture, taken around 1914, at the foot of Kidland Hill. Access to farms was often difficult, so carriers would meet their customers at an agreed time and place. It was a chance to exchange news as well as buy and barter. The carrier in the foregound is Andrew Tully of Netherton. Other carriers were Robert Davidson of Harbottle and Matthew Reed Wood of Alwinton.
CLIPPING AT KIDLANDLEE The clippers pose for the picture, taken about 1915. The boy on the far left is Alec Rutherford, the buster: he put tar on the newly clipped sheep either to identify them or to cover any nicks made by the clippers. The man holding the Kidlandlee mark (TK) is Henry Thompson. The skyline is dominated by the shooting box, built by Captain C.D. Leyland. It was demolished in 1957.
PEATS AT KIDLANDLEE Peat is the traditional fuel of Coquetdale and every cottage kept at least one elongated peat-stack. Peats were collected from selected places, carried home and carefully stacked. They were carefully covered over and left to dry for a year before being burnt. "Peat-reek" had a welcoming smell and, as it rose from the chimney, it told everyone that the people inside were up and about.
Hadrian's Wall
A small charge admits to the camp of Cilurnum, or Chesters, as it is more usually called, and to the beautifully-kept museum of Roman antiquities in a building behind the lodge-cottage.
The Roman Wall is additionally attractive by reason of the country it traverses - the middle portion is of as spectacular a nature as anything to be found in the north.
Robert Hugill (1930)
490 CHESTERS MUSEUM Chesters has always been a popular destination for visitors to the Roman Wall. John Clayton, a wealthy scholar, who owned six Roman forts, including Chesters, began the first of his excavations in 1843. In 1896, six years after his death, the Clayton Memorial Museum was opened to display the collection of objects found at Chesters and other sites on the Roman Wall.
59 CHESTERS BATH-HOUSE A view of the Roman bath-house, looking north, probably taken shortly before the Sixth Pilgrimage of the Roman Wall in 1930. The furnace was in the foreground and the entrance in the background. The absence of consolidation produces an evocative effect but the results of such neglect are plain to see and had "wrought sad havoc" as a contemporary scholar ruefully observed.
32 KNAG BURN GATEWAY Just east of Housesteads, this Roman gateway, discovered in 1856 and excavated in January 1936, allowed civilian traffic to pass through the Wall. The notice reads "A charge of 6d each person will be made for admission to the camp. Tickets must be obtained at the Farm House and given up to the caretaker in the camp. Parties of over 20, 3d each. No dogs allowed."
25 HOUSESTEADS Thomas Thompson (1850-1938) followed his father as shepherd of Housesteads farm and became caretaker of Housesteads fort, first for the Clayton family and then for the National Trust. This impressive figure was familiar to thousands of visitors to Housesteads fort. Born within the Roman ramparts of High Rochester, he had a broad Northumbrian accent and a deep interest in the Romans.
27 CHESTERHOLM MILESTONE A rustic view of the Roman Stanegate which linked Corbridge and Carlisle. This road, seen rising in the distance, originally ran in front of the milestone, seen in its original position on the right. The farm is Codley Gate, over which tower the walls of Roman Vindolanda. The ford across the Bradley Burn has been replaced by a shallow culvert.
1819 CHESTERHOLM A nostalgic view of the cottage, built in 1831 by Anthony Hedley, a talented archaeologist, who conducted several excavations of Vindolanda between 1818 and 1834. Excavations were resumed in 1930 by Eric Birley and have continued to the present day. The cottage is now the museum of the Vindolanda Trust, which has made some outstanding discoveries about life on the Roman frontier.
41 ROMAN WALL Named after the old farmstead, which has become the car park, Steelrigg remains a favourite starting point for a walk along the Wall. This view, looking east towards Hotbank Crags, captures the grim determination of the Roman Wall as it strides "along the wave-crest of the great Whin Sill" towards Crag Lough and Hotbank Farm. The worn grass bears evidence of the tramp of 1930s feet.
3246 NORTH ROAD The Twice Brewed Inn, noted for the coolness of its cellars and the mellowness of its amber ale, offered teas and light refreshments for walkers and day trippers. Further along, the Bognor Guest House, offered similar fare. Just off the picture, to the left, was the first Once Brewed Youth Hostel. Sir Charles Trevelyan opened this converted cottage with a tea party in October 1934. Its sign was a tea pot.
17 SOUTH GRANARY HOUSESTEADS In December 1931, the National Trust excavated part of the South Granary, easily identifiable from the sturdy foundations and rows of stone piers, which carried the joists of a wooden floor, which is no longer visible: this kept the corn dry. Judging by the camera and film pack on the table, W.P. Collier was not the only photographer interested in recording the results.
2 CRAG LOUGH Taken from the top of the Roman Wall on Hotbank Crags, this outstanding view of Tynedale, looking west, was guaranteed to delight W.P. Collier. Hotbank Farm is on the left, partly hidden behind the plantation, while the Roman Wall, carried high above Crag Lough, sweeps away towards Steelrigg. At around 327 metres, Hotbank Crags are the second highest point of the Roman Wall.
12 CRAG LOUGH Taken from High Shield Crags, looking east, this fine view emphasises the dramatic drop to Crag Lough, 20 metres below. The Roman Wall ran slightly to the south of the crags. All the land in this picture, including Crag Lough and Hotbank Farm, is now owned by the National Trust. The crags are popular with climbers while the lough provides private fishing: boats are moored on the east side.
16 CASTLE NICK Measuring 19 metres by 15 metres, Castle Nick is one of the 80 milecastles that ran along the Roman Wall from Wallsend on Tyne in the east to Bowness on Solway in the west. The milecastles had gateways, north and south, and accommodation for a small garrison. The crags make this view easy to take but only military planning would place a fortification in such an uncompromising hollow.
Redesdale
This is the finest main road radiating from Newcastle, and most attractive in the vicinity of the Cheviots, which it approaches by a lonely valley and crosses by a picturesque pass - the only true pass over the Cheviots, utilised by a main road.
Otterburn, pleasantly situated near the Rede, is interesting chiefly from its connection with the Battle of Otterburn.
Robert Hugill (1930)
453 OTTERBURN An early 1920s picture of the main road, looking east towards Newcastle. The Murray Arms is on the extreme right. Judging from the charabancs and cars randomly parked on the roadside, Otterburn is already becoming an established venue for a day out. The house in the centre later became a filling station to cater for the increasing motor traffic.
455 OTTERBURN An early 1920s picture of the main road, looking west towards Jedburgh. The bridge across the Otter Burn was built in 1862. St John's Church can be seen to the left of centre through the trees. Two children pose happily for the camera, opposite the future filling station. The road surface is still rough, reflecting the era of the horse rather than the automobile.
402 OTTERBURN A late 1920s picture of the garage which Thomas Gibson opened around 1922. He sold petrol in two gallon cans. The road surface is much improved. There is a fine display of petrol pumps to cater for the increasing motor traffic. There are numerous advertisements, including one for John Foster, an automobile engineer, who had open or closed cars for hire.
396 MURRAY ARMS An early 1920s view of the Murray (now Percy) Arms, taken from the gardens that were to become the forecourt of Gibson's garage. Miss Isabella Snaith ran the inn for many years, as seen on the faded sign. Some fine automobiles stand outside, the one on the right apparently requiring some attention. The wall which curves round, on the right, enclosed the front gardens of private cottages.
404 PERCY ARMS HOTEL Perhaps one of the last pictures that W.P. Collier took, dating to around 1936. The Murray Arms has become the Percy Arms, managed by John Hodgson. On the right, the former cottages have been incorporated into the hotel. The mark of the automobile is unmistakable. Motor cars now occupy the space provided by the old cottage gardens. Popular motoring has arrived.
410 ROMAN TOMB W.P. Collier was never slow to go off the beaten track in search of good pictures, especially those of Roman antiquities. This circular stone tomb, originally holding the ashes of a Roman officer, stands near the deserted farm of Petty Knowes, not far from the Roman fort of High Rochester. The worn outline of a horned deer head can be seen just below the tiny stone in the middle.
451 OTTERBURN Taken around 1922, this picture shows the Grocer and Draper shop, with its fine display in the window. It is now the Post Office. The lady on the left was Miss Margaret Mitchell, who ran the business until the late 1930s. The man was Thomas Robson who was brought up with the Mitchells and married the lady on the right who was Ann Marie Douglas.
432 OTTERBURN This picture of Otterburn Post Office was taken around 1913 and shows sub-postmistress Mary Potts (1870-1923) and her husband James (1864-1917) the post office clerk. Mary Potts was succeeded by her son Archibald Stanley Potts and his French-born wife, Emma Louise Leonie Perrigny. James Graham Miller was a Bellingham doctor who held a surgery in Otterburn on Tuesdays.
OTTERBURN HALL HOTEL A red brick Victorian mansion with stone facings, Otterburn Hall was the residence of Sir Charles and Lady Louisa Morrison-Bell, until their deaths in the 1920s. The Hall then became empty. Rebuilding followed a major fire in 1928, with the glasshouse section being finished by 1930. From that time, the Hall, with its extensive grounds, has offered accommodation for visitors.
1 CAPTAIN DAWES Flying from York to Montrose in a Maurice Farman biplane, Captain G.W. Dawes of the Royal Flying Corps spent the weekend at Otterburn Hall with his aunt, Lady Louisa Morrison-Bell. The children of Elsdon and Otterburn schools were invited into the grounds to see an exhibition flight before the gallant captain continued on his way. One of the first datable pictures of W.P. Collier.
419 REDESDALE ARMS Proudly displaying his new automobile stands Ben Prior who ran the Redesdale Arms from around 1926 until 1940. "What a character!" are the words used on one postcard to describe him. Still called the 'First and Last' by locals, and rebuilt after a major fire in the summer of 1993, the inn remains an important point on the road between England and Scotland over Carter Bar.
453 ROCHESTER Outside the taller building, members of the Leighton family watch a Vickers tank, reminding us of the All Arms Training Area. The building with the porch is Rochester Post Office. In the 1920s, Miss Mary Isabella Leighton was the sub-postmistress. Her brother, Norman Leighton, helped with the business and used his car to run children from the outlying districts to Rochester school.
11 MILITARY HOSPITAL In 1911, the War Office purchased the Featherwood Estate to use as an Artillery Training area. The first buildings to be erected were stables for the horses. The wooden hut, pictured above, served as a military hospital. In 1950, it became living quarters. It was demolished in 1970. The foundations are still visible to the North West of the modern camp. [Otterburn Training Area is 56,900 acres of moorland, hills and forests, where internationally threatened species, such as peregrine falcons and merlin breed against a background of military activity]
170 BYRNESS The modern traveller might fail to recognise this 1920s view of old Byrness, a little south of the new Byrness, developed by the Forestry Commission in the 1950s. Byrness Church is the tiny building on the far left. Beside it is the old school house, which could hold 70 pupils. Byrness farm is the large building on the right. It is now an hotel and is surrounded by trees.
445 WHITELEE The modern farm of Whitelee is the last house before the Scottish border. A coaching inn was built around 1767 for those travelling on the turnpike road. When Catcleugh Reservoir was completed in 1905, the inn was closed to prevent any contamination of the River Rede by the Lumsdon Burn, which flows under the bridge on the far left of the picture.
483 CARTER BAR The AA and RAC signs proudly mark the achievement of reaching the English-Scottish border at Carter Bar, 418 metres above sea level. The telegraph poles will follow the main road all the way to Newcastle. W.P. Collier has skilfully used their silhouettes to emphasise the nature of the land which is always undulating and, in dull weather, often dreary.
Bellingham
In the long descent to Bellingham, we see the town attractively spread out along the hillside, near to the cleft of the Hareshaw Burn.
A delightful excursion on foot is to Hareshaw Linn, a mile up the burn of that name from Bellingham.
One is soon following a winding course in a shady ravine that would be worth visiting without the final reward of the splendid force beneath a hundred-foot precipice.
Robert Hugill (1930)
89 PINCH ME NEAR Judging from the fresh stone walling and the rough road surface, this is an early picture of the main road from Wark into Bellingham. The cottage is now called Fell End. It was originally a smithy and, much later, the home of W.P. Collier. It had old stone floors, no hot water and no electricity. The name, which originally came from Pinch me Ne'er, means Never sell me short.
270 TYNE BRIDGE W.P. Collier produced many postcards of the Tyne Bridge, especially from the river bank, where he could carefully compose his picture. The bridge with its four graceful stone arches was built in 1835 by public subscription. John Green was the architect. This view captures the routine of driving sheep to market. The horseman appears to have got stuck between the two flocks.
163 ROAD TO BELLINGHAM MART A rustic view of Catholic Corner before re-alignment of the road removed the sharp bend to the left. The Roman Catholic church of St Oswald, built in 1839, lies hidden behind the trees and high wall in the top left of the picture. The picture captures the once common sight of a shepherd driving his sheep to market. These Cheviots are possibly from Newton, near Charlton.
187 BELLINGHAM A nostalgic picture, reminding us of quieter days. Tyne View is on the right, Reed's School (now Reed's Hall) is on the left. The driver leads in the hay pikes on his bogie. He is probably Thomas Breckons. The little girl is not camera shy but some one else is hiding behind the bogie. Everyone looks towards the camera and keeps still, except for the horse, who moves just as the picture is being taken.
145 BELLINGHAM Two men stand outside the saddlers shop and watch W.P. Collier taking this picture one overcast morning around 1914. Outside the Black Bull Hotel, one of five public houses at this time, stand beer barrels and a cart: the horse still reigned supreme. Displaying a large advertisement for M. Alexander, decorator and painter, the Town Hall on the left looks quite grand.
117 BELLINGHAM A view of Front Street taken in the early 1920s. Horse and motor transport are equally represented. On the left is the drapery shop of Miss Smith and Miss Foster. It claimed to be the Harrods of Bellingham. On the right stands the shop of Mr. A. Crester Wilson, a general dealer, who sold sweets and stationery. The shopkeepers of these times took pride in staging lavish window displays.
141 BELLINGHAM The Rose and Crown was a popular destination for charabanc parties of the 1920s. John Philipson was the landlord. His wife Lizzie would bake all sorts of things for the parties. After looking round the shops, or strolling up Hareshaw Burn, they would come back to the Rose and Crown for their teas, retiring to the back room. Walter James Turnbull made boots and shoes.
123 BELLINGHAM A fine view of the Railway Hotel, now the Coach House, taken around 1914. The landlord was Thomas Henry Glass who has just installed a telephone. This family and commercial hotel catered for parties, providing supper, bed and breakfast. It boasted: Bus Stop at Door, 2 minutes LNER, Golf, Tennis, Fishing. The garage of Jack Thompson, now the Bellingham Heritage Centre, is just behind.
125 BELLINGHAM A 1920s view across King Street to the Railway Hotel. It shows clearly the sloping platform, or coach dike, where passengers could board their carriages more easily. Thomas Hedley was a draper and tailor. W.P. Collier had his shop in Lock Up Lane, on the left. The notice board can still be seen. The shop behind the cyclist belonged to John Telford, who made clocks and watches.
3 TERRITORIALS AT BELLINGHAM The Boer War Memorial was set up in 1901 in honour of 28 local men who survived that conflict. The prelude to the First World War saw many troops marching along the local roads. Hareshaw Common was an established training area for troops to practise manoeuvres. How many of these Royal Horse Artillery terriers would come back to tell their tales?
143 BELLINGHAM W.P. Collier seems to have taken his coat off for this picture, taken around 1914. Alec T. Low, Chemist and Druggist, has a fine window display of bottles and potions. Next door is Charlton's Commercial Temperance Hotel. Numerous small shops are evident along Parkside. The building on the right is the North Eastern Banking Company Ltd, which is now Barclays Bank.
147 BELLINGHAM A view of Parkside taken around 1916. Alec T. Low has his usual fine window display. C.J. Sutherland was an upholsterer and cabinet maker. His wife developed the Royal Temperance Hotel. The whole family was keen on singing and amateur dramatics but did not stay in Bellingham for very long. The Newcastle firm of solicitors, Humble & Meikle, attended these premises on Saturdays.
158 BELLINGHAM The Union Jack flying from the Boer War Memorial may date this picture to 1919. The Sutherlands have left the Royal Temperance Hotel and Miss E.M. Smith, newsagent and stationer, has taken over the chemist's shop. The two boys are delivering milk for the Demesne Farm. The boy on the left is Willie Aynsley and the boy on the right is Stanley Smith, nephew of Mr. W. Stanley Telfer, the butcher.
BELLINGHAM FOOTBALL CLUB Standing: Tom Hedley, Eddie Little, George Dagg (goalkeeper), Stan Telfer, Matt Sisterson, Bert Lamb. Sitting: Jimmy Little, Ridley Milburn, Tid Scott, unknown, Harry Pigg. The supporters include Teddy Dodd, on the left, with the cap, and, in the centre, the brothers Robert and Thomas Hedley, the tailor, both wearing large cloth caps. Billy Lawrence is smoking the cigarette.
BELLINGHAM HOCKEY CLUB Back row: unknown, Colin Nesbit, Violet Matthews, William Aynsley, Jack Thompson, Matt Sisterson, Tommy Milburn, Alf Hutchinson. Middle row: Teddy Johnson, Maisie Johnson, Helen Bell, Harry Glass, Jean Milburn, Roddy Thompson. Front row: George Milburn, Sarah Thompson, Jimmy Armstrong, Jean Bell, Bert Lamb. The picture was taken at Catholic Corner.
222 BELLINGHAM This 1930s picture, looking towards Reedsmouth, shows a neat Bellingham station, on that part of the London & North Eastern Railway, which ran from Riccarton Junction to Hexham and Morpeth. Though never a commercial success, the line was important on market days and for schoolchildren. The line was formally closed on 15th October 1956, to the dismay of the local population.
3 JUBILEE DAY BELLINGHAM The Parade of the Children, escorted by their teachers, including Jean Milburn (in the round hat) and Frank Greener (in the smart suit). A Sports Day then followed in the grounds of Riverdale Hall, where the children received a Jubilee Day mug and a paper bag containing sandwiches and cakes for tea. This is one of several pictures which recorded the whole parade.
142 BELLINGHAM GOLF CLUB c.1925 Sitting: Harry Walker, Matt Sisterson, Wilf Thompson, Jack Turnbull. Standing: unknown, unknown, ? Turnbull, ? Johnson, ? Johnson, William Warwick, William Aynesley. The original Club House, shown in this picture, stood by the Otterburn Road. In 1925, fees for visitors were 1/6d per day (Sundays from 1 p.m. 2/6d.), 5/- per week, 7/6d per fortnight, and 10/- per month.
1 BELLINGHAM MART Fairs were once common. Hirings for servants were on the Saturdays before the 13th May and 11th November. The Wool Fair was on the first Saturday after July 20th. St Cuthbert's Fair was on the Saturday after September 15th. The fairs died as the marts for the auction of cattle and sheep, especially the autumn sale of sheep and lambs, became more important.
191 St CUTHBERT'S WELL This 1930s view shows everything in immaculate condition: a newly stepped path leads to a newly tidied well. Tales were told of its miraculous properties, dating back to the 12th century, though the visible pant is believed to have been built in Georgian times. Its water is said to have cured a girl called Edda of a crippled hand.
North Tyne
The Valley of the North Tyne is a peculiarly happy hunting-ground for the tourist. The road keeps long and close acquaintance with a stream whose endowments of sylvan banks, gently sinuous course, and placid waters are best summed up in the word gracious.
The North Tyne is an exception among Cheviot streams - it is wooded to within a few miles of its source.
Robert Hugill (1930)
195 CHARLTON Now secluded by trees and road realignment, Charlton is the first of several hamlets, dating from medieval times, dotted along the River North Tyne. It takes its name from the Charlton family, whose residence, Hesleyside Hall, is situated on the south side of the River. Charlton had a railway station between 1861 and 1862. This picture breathes the rural tranquillity that W.P. Collier enjoyed so much.
153 HOTT SCHOOL Opened in 1851 by the Presbyterians, the building could accommodate 50 pupils of all denominations. For the first 40 years, the teacher was Ralph Anstruther Macadie; in the 1920s it was George Britton Stanley, followed by Miss Margaret Dagg. For many years, Peter Robson ran Greystead Post Office and Grocery. The school closed in 1966 when a new school opened at Greenhaugh.
1323 TARSET In 1931, Robert Hugill described the route from Tarset to Falstone, via Donkleywood, as emphatically worthwhile for the cyclist, and for the motorist who does not object to a winding and rather neglected road. In this picture, the road descends steeply past Redmire cottage to the elegant bridge across the Tarset Burn. This picture breathes the rural tranquillity that W.P. Collier enjoyed so much.
3 THORNEYBURN GARDEN FETE Wearing their best dresses, the girls pose round the may pole in the garden of Thorneyburn Rectory. The Rector is the Reverend George Hanson. The Church of St Aidan was built in 1818 by the Commissioners of Greenwich Hospital. Thorneyburn had a station but, as only two trains a week stopped there, on Tuesdays, most people used the station at Tarset.
1373 MOUNT PLEASANT This picture captures the rural tranquillity of this hamlet, just east of Falstone. In the centre stands the Rectory, commanding a fine view over the Valley of the North Tyne and the surrounding moor lands. On the left stands a splendid hay stack, carefully built and thatched with straw. Building a stack, which might contain over 20 tons of hay, was a skilled job, performed by several people.
259 FALSTONE STATION The railway was the life blood of the North Tyne Valley, until its closure in 1956. Falstone station was typical of many on the North British Railway, single track for much of its length. It had a single platform, a loop line allowing trains to pass, sidings, offices, a station house and signal box. In the 1920s, the station master was Hector Inglis, followed by Archibold Brown Robertson.
152 FALSTONE The sign over the front door of the Black Cock Inn reads W.R. Allcroft, dating this picture to around 1914. Next door is the Church of St Peter, built around 1815. Falstone also had a Presbyterian Chapel. Before the Chapel at Kielder was built in 1874, farmers from as far afield as Deadwater would walk with their dogs to Falstone. The dogs were left in the porch during the service.
1397 WHICKHOPE CAMP Situated on the Whickhope Burn, opposite Bull Crag, the Camp was built in 1930 to give work to unemployed men from Tyneside. Known as Dolies, they built the road from Whickhope to Cranecleugh, which was one of the first Forestry Commission roads. They put a weir into the Cranecleugh Burn. Kielder Water now covers all their work, except for a short stretch of road at Cranecleugh.
157 WELLHAUGH The township comprised the hamlets of Ridge End, Yarrow and Stannersburn. Wellhaugh Farm, one mile south of Plashetts Colliery Village, was the home of Mr & Mrs Adam Robson. In the morning, some of the children from the school at Plashetts would walk down to Wellhaugh Farm to fetch their milk, crossing the North Tyne by a very dilapidated bridge. All are now beneath Kielder Water.
1564 PLASHETTS The village lived for coal and died after its collieries were flooded during the General Strike of 1926. The Farm, which was uncomfortably close to the colliery workings, was the home of Mr John Thompson, his daughters Nell and Hannah, Miss Bell, the aunt who kept house, and Mr John Grieve, the shepherd who had lived there all his life. All are now beneath Kielder Water.
278 KIELDER STATION Mr John Achincloss, the stationmaster, stands on the platform of the station, later renamed Kielder Forest. He ran a post office and coal agency for the isolated community and had several small warehouses. The coach house, built for the staff of Kielder Castle, was later used by local blacksmith, Mr Arthur Grimwood of Stannersburn, who would visit once a month to shoe horses.
2456 KIELDER Snaking its way towards Deadwater station and the Scottish Border, the single track passes through country which seems strikingly bare without its covering of trees. The small Presbyterian Chapel, built in 1874, can be seen on the right, while Light Pipe Farm nestles beneath Deadwater Fell. In 1930, the Forestry Commission bought the Kielder Estate and planting started shortly afterwards.
1560 PLASHETTS On the left, the railway swings towards the station of Plashetts hamlet, with a few cottages, church hall and public house. On the right are the coal screens, a smithy, brickworks and rail incline which gave the only access to Plashetts colliery, high above. The building with the smoking chimney is Plashetts Farm and the building in front is Hollinwood School House. All are now beneath Kielder Water.
