Hexham is a large market town in Northumberland, England, located south of the River Tyne. Hexham is the administrative centre for the Tynedale district, although in terms of population, Prudhoe is now Tynedale's largest town. In 2001, it had a population of 11,139.
Hexham originated as a monastery founded by Saint Wilfrid in 674. The crypt of the original monastery survives, and incorporates many stones taken from nearby Roman ruins - probably Coria or Hadrian's Wall. The current Hexham Abbey dates largely from the 11th century onward, but was significantly rebuilt in the 19th century. Other notable buildings in the town include the Moot Hall, the covered market, and the Old Gaol.
The name of Hexham came from Anglo-Saxon Hagustaldeshām = "Hagustald's home" or "the hedge-warden's home", although it is often incorrectly regarded to mean "land or settlement of witches".
Like many towns in the North of England, Hexham suffered from the border wars with the Scots, including attacks from William Wallace who burnt the town in 1297. In 1312, Robert the Bruce, King of Scotland, demanded and received £2000 from the town and monastery in order for them to be spared a similar fate.
In 1715 the 3rd Earl of Derwentwater raised the standard for the Old Pretender in Hexham Market place, however the rebellion was unsuccessful, and the Earl was captured and beheaded after the battle of Preston.
Text courtesy of Wikipedia.
30th July 2012
Benson Monument and Hexham Community Church, Battle Hill.
Queens Hall, Beaumont St.
The Queens Hall and Town Hall Buildings on Beaumont Street in Hexham were built in 1866. Today the building hosts the Queen's Hall Arts Centre, Library and Tourist Information Centre. The building first became used as an arts centre in 1983 and was run by the local authority until 2001, after which it has been managed by the charitable organisation: Queens Hall Arts.
Grade 2 listed. Source: Co-Curate.
Trinity Church, Beaumont St.
Trinity Methodist Church is located on Beaumont Street, Hexham. The church was built in c.1880 and is Grade II listed on the National Heritage List for England.
Source: Co-Curate.
Fore Street.
The Moot Hall.
The Moot Hall stands in Hexham Market Place opposite the abbey. It is a four-storey gate house with a three storey block attached to it. It is built of square sandstone blocks. The window and doors suggest that it was constructed in the early 15th century.
On the ground floor there is a room with a stone vault to the north of the entrance passage. There is also a doorway into the basement. A staircase built onto the outside of the building led to a large room which was once used as a courtroom. Above this was another hall reached by a modern timber stairway. This second hall has a large fireplace and a garderobe in one corner.
This building was originally built as defence against raiding from Scotland, and was defended as late as 1640. It was also used as a court house until 1838. This is a Grade I Listed Building protected by law.
Source: Keys To The Past.
4-8, Gilesgate.
Late C18. Large dressed rubble house much altered. 3 storeys. 6 windows. Modern tiled roof, brick chimneys, coped verge to left. Prominent cills. Glazing altered to modern casements. Paired doors in centre, recent stonework and joinery details. Rear of No 4 has hipped roof pavilion, 2 storeys, 1 window.
Grade 2 Listed. Source: Historic England.
Old Hexham Swimming Pool, Gilesgate.
Holy Island House, Giles Place.
Dated 1657. Two storeys and attic. Four windows first floor. Rubble with strings over ground and first floors and kneelers to verges of slate roof. Beam ends to floors exposed. Glazing bar windows first floor replacing former fenestration which was similar to ground floor. Latter has two-, four-, two- and four-light mullioned windows. Two gabled four light dormers with kneelers. Doorway right of centre, four centred arched head with raised string. Lintel carved "T.K.B. over "1657". Three later brick chimneys. Second floor also lit from north gable end.
Grade 2 Listed. Source: Historic England.
Glovers Pant.
Dated 1858. Aedicule on north gable end of Holy Island Cottage. A low pitched pediment on each face. Central stone with cast iron finial. Ashlar with slightly raised corner piers, continued up as pediment stops. Rusticated base. Former carved stones reading "Glovers' Pant" and "1858" eroded and replaced by plain date panel above now disused drinking fountain.
Grade 2 Listed. Source: Historic England.
Hallstile Bank.
St. Aidan's Church, Hencotes.
St. Mary's Church, Hencotes.
1830. Gothick. Attributed, unconvincingly, to John Green. Set back from street. West gable end to road. Ashlar, 3 windows to west, separated by applied octagonal shafts. Shallow crenellated gable with Vatican arms at top. Decorated tracery windows.
Lower projecting porch, also with crenellated gable, and with angle buttresses, central pointed doorway with crocketted ogee label. Blind merlons in main gable. 3 bay nave of rubble with dividing buttresses. East gable crenellated with 2 stage octagonal belfry above polygonal shallow chancel. High east window above vestries. Interior retains contemporary furnishings. Encrusted frieze with medallions containing Catholic symbols. Segmental wooden ceiling with ribs. Gallery at west end on 3 Tudor arches. East end has blind plaster tracery on walls with crocketted arches and pinnacles. Altar with 5 gables and icing sugar tracery.
Grade 2 Listed. Source: Historic England.
Hexham House.
Dated 1723 with later wings. Main garden front to south west. 3 storeys, 5 windows with 2 storey flanking wings of 2 windows each. Ashlar with quoins at sides of main block, centre bay and south east wing. Moulded string above 1st and ground floors. Cornice and parapet. Stone chimneys. Glazing bar sash windows.
Projecting porch on piers, reeded door surround to glazed door. Inside on lintel to this door: "T.A." over "Has Aedes struxit" over "1723". Panelled rooms to garden. Left hand wing recessed; rubble with some alterations on ground floor. Right hand (south-east) wing ashlar circa 1840 with cornice and blocking course. Rich plasterwork inside, coved ceiling to garden front room. Street front: wings project, right hand wing (north west) brick built and joined to centre by narrow 1 window annexe. This wing also has a lead rainwater head to street, kidney shaped with mask in relief with, above, a box with the arms of Durham Abbey. South east wing ashlar. Centre ashlar, 3 windows with raised surrounds, cornice and parapet. Closed porch with 6 panel door in centre.
Grade 2 Listed. Source: Historic England.
Hexham House, Medieval Bridge.
C13, with mid C19 crenellated parapet and overbuilding. 4 ribs to C18 arch set back about 10 ft. by C19 pointed arch. The wall to the Sele raised above the arch with blind merlons and flanking lancets and crowned with crenellations over modillion cornice. Side piers to parapet also crenellated.
Grade 2 Listed. Source: Historic England.
Market Place Pant.
In centre of Market Place. Dated 1901. Memorial to William Angus Temperley. Replacing Sir Richard Allgood's Pant of 1703. Red sandstone monument with 4 fluted Ionic pilasters, surmounted by tented pediments; small cupola with a consoled drum; large gilt cross on top. Space between pilasters filled with low relief vegetation. Quadrangular base with copper plaques - one of which is inscribed with a poem by W. W. Gibson, of local fame, another has a dedication, the others carry the arms of Hexham and of Northumberland. Drinking fountain no longer functions.
Grade 2 Listed. Source: Historic England.
Hexham Market.
Heart of all England Pub, Market Street.
The Salvation Army, Market Street.
Market Street.
13-15, Market Street.
Early C19. 3 storeys. 4 widely spaced windows. Rendered front. Glazing bar sash windows. Small 2nd floor, tripartite at sides of 1st floor (which has 6 windows). Long shop front on ground floor to left with 4 fascia brackets. The right hand part of the ground floor (No 13) consists mostly of garage doors, with, to right, a plain doorcase with a simple hood. Central room on 1st floor has enormous ceiling rose in plaster.
Grade 2 Listed. Source: Historic England.
Hexham Old Gaol.
The Old Gaol is a rectangular stone tower with three floors. It has stone walls, over 2m thick at ground level. It entered through a door on the west side. The building has two large stone cellars, which were originally used as prisons. They were entered through a trapdoor in the floor of the ground floor. It was one of the first purpose-built prisons in Britain, and was built in the mid-14th century.
Scheduled Ancient Monument and Grade I Listed Building. Source: Keys To The Past.
The County, Priestpopple.
Priestpopple.
The Coach and Horses, Priestpopple.
Prospect House.
Prospect House was built in the mid 19th century and extensively altered in 1888-90 in the Jacobean style, and includes the remains of an earlier building. Grade II Listed Building. Source: Keys To The Past.
Sele Cottages.
Sele Park Bandstand.
Dated 1912. Octagonal with tented lower roof slope supporting pointed cap with gilt finial. 8 cast iron shafts with corinthian capitals and ornate scroll work brackets. Star ribbed sounding board. Fringed eaves. Arcaded railings between shafts. 1912 plaque commemorating gift of Henry Bell.
Grade 2 Listed. Source: Historic England.
Sele Park, Benson Gates.
Erected in 1912 in memory of Lieut. Col. G. E. Benson of Allerwash, [died 1901], by his brother. Large double gates with ashlar piers flanked by lower side gates and quadrant railings to lower piers. Panelled piers with modillion cornice; plain caps at sides, square with torches in centre, bearing lanterns. Ornate cast iron gates, with swags and gilt decoration in centre.
Grade 2 Listed. Source: Historic England.
Sele Park War Memorial.
Well proportioned Portland stone cross with applied sword, Blomfield type, on a pedestal inscribed with the names of the fallen.
Grade 2 Listed. Source: Historic England.
Northumberland Fusiliers' War Memorial Gateway.
Late C17 or early C18 removed from the White Hart Inn in Fore Street in 1919 and placed in present position as memorial. Stone. Rusticated piers; and quoins to spandrels. Moulded import and architrave to arch. Entablature with pulvinated frieze to dentil cornice. Segmental pediment above.
Grade 2 Listed. Source: Historic England.
Tyne Green Park.
House of Correction, Tyne Green Road.
Circa 1820 addition to a now demolished earlier structure. 2 storeys. Large dressed stone wall, nipped slate roof, stone chimney. The building presents a blank wall to the south; the north elevation has a number of slit windows, 3 on 1st floor, 1 and a triple slit window on the ground floor. All windows have barbed iron bars. Interior contains a stair hall, a groined chamber with 2 piers and a fireplace and an upper room. Much of the cell furniture remains including cast-iron doors with complex locking devices, and shackle rings. Apparently sold in 1876.
Grade 2 Listed. Source: Historic England.
Tyne Green Road.
Wentworth Sport Centre.
8th April 2007
Sele Park War Memorial.
Hexham Market.
Hexham Old Gaol.
The Moot Hall.
Benson Monument.
This bronze statue of Lieutenant-Colonel George Elliott Benson is located at the south end of Beaumont Street in Hexham. Benson served with the Royal Regiment of Artillery in various colonial campaigns. He died in 1901 in the Battle of Bakenlaagte of the Second Boer War.
It is inscribed: "To the memory of a gallant soldier / George Elliot Benson / Lieut. Colonel / in the Royal Artillery Regiment / who was born at Allerwash May 24th 1861 / entered the Army May 19th 1880 / and after serving with distinction / in the Soudan Campaigns of 1885, 1896, 1898 / in the Ashanti Expedition 1895 / and the South African War 1899-1901 / fell while commanding his column / at the Battle of Bakenlaagte Oct 30th 1901. // He is buried with those who fought and died with him / "The Unreturning Brave" // Erected by public subscription".
Grade 2 listed. Source: Co-Curate.
Market Place Pant.
Sele Park.
Hexham House.
Cowgarth.
Halgut Burn.
More Information:
- Wikipedia - Hexham
- Keys To The Past - Hexham
- Northumberland Communities - Hexham
- Historic England - Hexham
- Hexham and District Photographic Society
- Northumberland Cam - Hexham Photos
- Co-Curate - Hexham
- Hexham Local History Society
- 1911 Encyclopædia Britannica - Hexham
See my other photos near Hexham:
- Allendale
- Blanchland
- Broomley
- Bywell
- Cherryburn
- Corbridge
- Corbridge - St. Andrew's Church and Vicars Pele
- Corbridge Bridge and River Tyne
- Cresswell Hall and Pele Tower
- Heddon-on-the-Wall
- Heddon-on-the-Wall - Hadrians Wall
- Heddon-on-the-Wall - St Andrews Church
- Hexham Abbey
- Hexham Railway Station
- Hexham - River Tyne and Hexham Bridge
- Ovingham
- Ovingham - St. Mary the Virgin Anglican Church
- Riding Mill
- Stocksfield
- Wylam
- Wylam Pumping Station
- Wylam - Abandoned Farm
2 comments:
The countryside surrounding Hexham is as beautiful as you could ask for. The first time I saw it I thought I would love to live in it one day. It hasn't happened yet! my mother and father fell in love with its countryside on their first/second visit. And then not too far away is Alan Banks - an equally beautiful park.
A.Smith
I must admit to not having ventured far around Hexham to see the countryside but I will some day.
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