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Ryton

Ryton is a semi-rural small town near the western border of Tyne and Wear. Once an independent town in County Durham it became incorporated into the metropolitan county of Tyne and Wear and the Metropolitan Borough of Gateshead in 1974. It has a population of 15,742.


History

Traditionally, Ryton's economy was built upon agriculture and coal mining. Some think that coal-mining was taking place in the area as early as Roman times, however it was not until 1239 when Henry III granted that coal may be mined outside the walls that mining became extensive. The agriculture industry on Ryton was mixed and included both pastoral farming and arable farming.

As well as its coal industry, Ryton formerly contained the lead-smelting reverberatory furnaces of the Ryton Company, whose mines were on Alston Moor. This business was amalgamated into the London Lead Company in 1705.

Ryton soon became a place of migration for the wealthy, who wanted to escape the urban sprawl of the Industrial Revolution in Gateshead and Newcastle-Upon-Tyne.

A reminder of Ryton's affluent past is found in some of the old mansions at old Ryton village, a place rich in rural qualities because of its proximity to Ryton willows on the banks of the River Tyne.

After the decline of the coal industry during the second half of the twentieth century Ryton became increasingly suburbanised and is now used as a commuter village for those that work in the more urban areas of Tyneside.


Geography

The neighbouring village of Crawcrook is a nexus of coal mining nostalgia also. Remnants of several old pits across Ryton and Crawcrook, including Emma, Clara and Addison can still be found. Within a couple of hundred metres of both Crawcrook and Ryton main street there is rich countryside.

Perhaps the most impressive section of this countryside is Ryton Willows Local Nature Reserve located on the banks of the Tyne, just past Old Ryton Village. It consists of 43 hectares of grassland, ponds, woodland and locally-rare rare species of flora and fauna. Because of this it has been designated as a site of special scientific interest.

Other areas of countryside include nearby Stargate pond and Addison and Hedgefield woods. It is at Addison woods that Alexander Graham Bell made one of his pioneering telephone calls.

Further up the Tyne Valley, past the village of Crawcrook and into the border of Northumberland, there are rural market towns such as Prudhoe, Corbridge and Hexham.


Other features of Ryton

The earliest record of a church in Ryton is in 1112. However, the oldest surviving church is The Holy Cross church, the oldest building in Ryton, that dates back to 1220. The most striking feature of the church is its 13th-century broach spire which is 36 m tall. Other well known artefacts include a 13th-century Frosterly marble effigy of a deacon holding a book.

There have been a number of prominent rectors of Ryton. These include Thomas Secker (1727), later the Archbishop of Canterbury. Charles Thorp (1807) Virtual Founder and first warden of the University of Durham and The Hon. Richard Byron (1769) brother of William Byron, 5th Baron Byron and great-uncle of Lord Byron.

Ryton's village green has a rich history with religious and social significance. It is at this green that both John Wesley and Charles Wesley preached. The green, like many greens in similar villages, played host to an annual fair which would include jugglers, dancers and local stalls.

The old pinfold dates back to the 12th century. During the second half of the twentieth century the pinfold was restored.

The annual Ryton Music Festival, held over February and March, has been held in the village for more than sixty years. It offers a variety of music and drama including choral singing and mime.

Description courtesy of Wikipedia.





20th March 2011




Ferndene Park.

Municipal park that could have been a villa garden for Ryton Towers which ws mostly laid out in 1960's. There were boat trips to visit the garden from Newcastle up to the 1950s.

Source: Sitelines.




Elvaston Road, Nos. 5-6a.

The 2 storey octagonal tower is the key part of the building. It is elevated on a substantial stone corbel with rounded ridges narrowing to a curved point at the base. The slender, spire-shaped lead roof curves to its pinnacle, and is surmounted by a weathervane. The small brick plinth to the 1st floor level is topped with a bay of timber casements, and coloured leaded lights above. Above, at 2nd floor level, render panels sit between stout timber mullions with pointed arched sash windows and cornice above.

Internally it is compact and contains a spiral staircase. Architect Charles C Hodges of Hexham Dates 1898. The importance of this building lies in the unusual turret adorning the elevation. It is aesthetically pleasing both in its shape and in the materials used – especially the stained glass and the leaded pinnacle.

It is a quirky design that makes an otherwise simple mixed use terrace special, particularly with its survival almost unchanged for over 100 years. The buildings were originally a row of shops with flats above which were built on the land of Elvaston Hall (home of Charles Parsons).

Source: Sitelines.




The Jolly Fellows Inn.

In the late 1890s the original stone cottage public house named The Jolly Fellows or Three Jolly Lads (HER 16453) was acquired by a group of Newcastle wine and spirit merchants - John George Wood, John Wilkinson and John Davidson. They decided to replace the Jolly Fellows with a three storey building.

The building was designed by the Blaydon architect Thomas Nicholson and constructed by G. Thompson. The 1899 plans show the ground floor sub-divided into three rooms which were accessed via a corridor from the main entrance to a side door in the cart passage. The bar was located at the front of the property. At a rear was a Tap Room and Select Room each with its own fireplace and wall seating. At first floor the property was split into two.

The eastern half was given over to one large open room which served as a café and dining room. The western half was split into a kitchen (front) and scullery (back) with a separate lavatory and W.C off the first floor landing. The staircase rose to the second floor which contained four bedrooms and a boxroom each with its own fireplace.

The new Jolly Fellows was designed solely to meet the needs of cliental. The rebuilding of the pub corresponded with the expansion and redevelopment of Ryton. A small number of alterations have been made to the building - most significantly in 1984 and 1985.

In 1984 permission was granted to infill the cart entrance. In 2012 the building was recorded ahead of plans for the redevelopment of the site. The front and rear elevations had changed little since 1899. Original glazing is largely limited to the first floor rear and front. The eastern elevation is characterised by a later two-storey extension. The western gable has been partially rebuilt following the demoiltion of neighbouring properties in the 1950s.

Internally the building has been heavily modified. Original features of merit are four fireplaces on the second floor, staircase, original windows and some original door fittings.

Source: Sitelines.




Grange Road, Methodist Church.

Stone church in Early English style with impressive square clock tower. This church has 3 levels with transepts and a square tower. It is constructed of sandstone rubble with dressed quoins and arch stones. The steeply pitched slate roof has water tables and decorative finials to the gables.

Some windows are 3 light lancets, whilst some are larger windows with geometrical tracery. The arches are constructed from unusually narrow stones that produce a similar effect to a brick arch.

Eastern double height aisle constructed as a ‘lean-to’ with stone buttressing. To the northern end there is a simple timber plank door beneath an elaborately moulded pointed-arched gable-style hood with inset oculus light. The tower has a clock with tall lancet louvres above and carved finials to each corner.

Internally there is a gallery and an organ. Dates 1881. The church is a large building on a prominent site, which makes a key contribution to the character of the Conservation Area in which it is situated.

It is stately and commanding, and the architectural details such as the window tracery and elaborate doorways are of special interest. The stonework is representative of the area, and aging has produced a pleasing variety in colour - lending a sense of the multilayered history of the locality. The low boundary wall has its own character. The construction costs were £4107, half of which were paid by Mr I. O. Game who also bought the organ for £474.

Source: Sitelines.





Hexham Old Road.




Main Road.





Ryton Cemetery.

Ryton Cemetery was established in 1884 in response to the growing demand for burial space outside town centres, as there was great concern over the health risks involving proximity to areas of dense population. The site chosen was to the south of the village, adjacent to Cushy Cow Lane. A field was bought from James Hindmarsh. The committee minutes do not record who the cemetery was laid out by (the Architect is not referred to by name), and unfortunately no plans have been found showing the original design concept. However, the cemetery appears to have been laid out in a grid form, as it was depicted this way by mapping of about 1900, with (unusually) a single chapel in the centre, which must have been used for both Anglican and non-conformist services.

The large carriage drive swept up to and around this from the entrance to the north, adjacent to which was the charming lodge building. When constructed, the Board asked that the cemetery only ‘be laid out to a little beyond the first walks of the chapel’ (presumably to save on immediate costs), the grave spaces were staked and the byelaws and fees drawn up. The Superintendant submitted a list of trees and shrubs to be planted, but unfortunately species or numbers are not specified in the minutes. However a later request for 100 stakes to support the trees gives an indication that there may have been 100 trees corresponding to these. Historic mapping gives no indication of tree planting. It seems likely, though, that according to design traditions, the trees were planted along the main walks and the boundaries, and indeed now many are to be found in these locations. The densest tree cover within the cemetery is situated to the north east of the chapel, with the south of the site having the most sparse tree cover.

This area corresponds with the extension, which despite being in the ownership of the Board, was laid out comparatively late (in the 1920's or 30's). It had not been required previously and so had initially been let to Mr. Edward Churnside. The evergreens are predominantly clustered around the chapel and include yew, holly, pine and several varieties of cypress.

Large mature broadleaf species that are present include sycamore, lime and poplar. Smaller species include rowan, birch, hawthorn and laburnum. Some young trees are present as a result of recent planting, however the majority of the tree cover is mature.

The whole cemetery was enclosed by wonderful walls, interspersed with fine railings for viewing in certain places, and with grand entrance gates. Overall the cemetery is an attractive landscape with wildlife value as well as historic significance – in particular for the group value of the different elements of chapel, lodge and boundary walls.

On 13 August 1883 the architect reported ‘that from the bungling and dilatory manner in which the masons department was carried on at the new cemetery’ he has stopped building and asks the Board appoint a clerk of works to oversee operation. The Board agree to appoint one for two months, with a salary of £3 a week. The work progressed much more satisfactorily after this.

Source: Sitelines.







Station Bank.




Old Pinfold.

The Pinfold was used to keep stray animals and the owners were charged a fine when they came to collect their animals. The pinfold dates back to the 12th century, the design is thought of as a rarity as the pinfold is located on a hill where a stream once ran through, providing drinking water for the animals, which in many pinfolds was the responsibility of the owner. Ryton Heritage Group restored the pinfold in 1974.





The Market Cross.

The Market Cross was erected in 1795 and renewed in 1951 probably replacing a much older mediaeval structure.




The Ryton War Memorial.

The memorial stands on a high mound on Station Bank, approached by a long flight of steps from the road below. It is within the area of the registered battlefield of the Battle of Newburn Ford and is in close proximity to a number of designated heritage assets. It takes the form of a tall Portland stone cross in the early medieval style, but un-ornamented, that rises from a stepped and moulded pedestal. The pedestal stands on a stepped base. A small stone flower vase stands before the cross on the top step, inscribed IN MEMORIAM.

To the rear of the cross a brick wall with a stone plinth and stone coping and short returns to each side carries five bronze plaques.

The front face of the pedestal is inscribed 1914 1918/ 1939 1945. Two bronze panels to either side of the pedestal record the Second World War dedications, with names listed in columns under the dates 1939 – 1945. The principal dedicatory inscription is recorded on one of the bronze panels fixed to the rear wall, reading TO THE ILLUSTRIOUS MEMORY OF/ THE MEN OF RYTON URBAN/ DISTRICT WHO DIED IN THE CAUSE/ OF RIGHTEOUSNESS AND OF FREEDOM/ IN THE GREAT EUROPEAN WAR/ AND IN GRATITUDE TO ALMIGHTY/ GOD FOR THE GIFT OF SUCH/ SPLENDID SONS/ HOW SLEEP THE BRAVE WHO SINK TO REST/ BY ALL THEIR COUNTRY'S WISHES BLESS'D!/ OFFICERS/ (NAMES). The remaining First World War names are listed on the other four wall plaques.

Source: Heritage England.




The White House.

Circa 1780. Rendered; roof of Welsh slate with 2 corniced end brick chimneys. 2 storeys, 3 windows. Central 4-panelled door under fanlight in raised stone surround; Venetian windows in bays one and 3 and round-headed window above door,all with intersecting glazing bars, in raised stone surrounds. Historical note: Charles Thorpe, rector of Ryton 1807-63, founded a 'Penny Savings Bank', probably the first in the country, in this building about 1816.

Grade 2 Listed. Source: Sitelines.




Main Road, Ryton Hotel.

Turn of 20th century large Public House of red brick with rendered gables and projecting bays. There are sash windows to the 1st floor and a deep classical cornice at the eaves. The roof is of Welsh slate with brick chimneys and there are bulls’ eyes in the gables.

Modern windows have been inserted in the ground floor to the front elevation. There are timber side doors with flat porches and cast iron brackets. Stone classical parchments crown the windows and bays, and the recessed porch to the main door has 4 simple columns. The west elevation has sandstone pilasters to the full height of the building and a stone architrave to the side door. There are brick outbuildings. Dates c. 1900.

This building is large and grandiose, with its classical detailing, and creates a bold but warm feel with its rich deep red brick and bright rendered gables. It stands at a key junction of 5 roads in the central, Lane Head, area of Ryton, and is therefore highly visible. This was an historic public house site, taking advantage of passing trade, the Joiners’ Arms having been here in the early 19th century.

Source: Sitelines.




Holburn Lane, The Ryton Park Country House Hotel.




Elvaston Road, Half Moon Public House.




Ryton Comprehensive School.




Ryton Holy Cross Church.

Founded in 1220, an Early English church consisting of a West tower, 3 bay aisled nave, chancel and south porch. Various alterations were carried out in the late Middle Ages, the early 17th century and early 19th century, before restoration in 1886. The area around is dominated by the church spire which can be seen for many miles up and down river and across the valley, although strangely it cannot be seen from most of Ryton itself.

Grade 1 Listed building.





Barmoor Lane.

A couple of wells which, I think, are part of East Grange Farm.





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