Photographs Of Newcastle: Corbridge

Corbridge is a village in Northumberland, England, 16 miles (26 km) west of Newcastle and 4 miles (6 km) east of Hexham. Villages nearby include Halton, Acomb, Aydon and Sandhoe.

Etymology
Corbridge was known to the Romans as something like Corstopitum or Coriosopitum, and wooden writing tablets found at the Roman fort of Vindolanda nearby suggest it was probably locally called Coria (meaning a tribal centre). According to Bethany Fox, the early attestations of the English name Corbridge "show variation between Cor- and Col-, as in the earliest two forms, Corebricg and Colebruge, and there has been extensive debate about what its etymology may be. Some relationship with the Roman name Corstopitum seems clear, however".

History
Coria was the most northerly town in the Roman Empire, lying at the junction of Stanegate and Dere Street.

The first fort was established c. AD 85, although there was a slightly earlier base nearby at Beaufront Red House. By the middle of the 2nd century AD, the fort was replaced by a town with two walled military compounds, which were garrisoned until the end of the Roman occupation of the site. The best-known finds from the site include the stone Corbridge Lion and the Corbridge Hoard of armour and sundry other items. In Rudyard Kipling's Puck of Pook's Hill, the town of Hunno on the Wall is probably based on Corstopitum.

The Roman Town is now managed by English Heritage on behalf of HM Government. The site has been largely excavated and features a large museum and shop. The fort is the top-rated attraction in Corbridge and is open daily between 10 and 6 in the summer and at weekends between 10 and 4 in the winter.

The Church of England parish church of Saint Andrew is thought to have been consecrated in 676. Saint Wilfrid is supposed to have had the church built at the same time as Hexham Abbey. It has been altered several times since, with a Norman doorway, and a lychgate built as a First World War memorial. The Church is built largely from stone taken from Hadrian's Wall to the north, and the entrance to the Church is through glass doors given by Rowan Atkinson (known for Blackadder and Mr Bean) and etched in memory of his mother, a parishioner.

There are only three fortified vicarages in the county, and one of these is in Corbridge. Built in the 14th century, the Vicar's Pele is to be found in the south-east corner of the churchyard, and has walls 1.3 metres (4 ft) in thickness. The register for St Andrew's dates from 1657. Later on in the town's history, Wesleyan, Primitive and Free Methodist chapels were all built too.

Even older than the Vicar's Pele is Corbridge Low Hall, dating from the late 13th or early 14th century, with one end converted to a pele tower in the 15th century. The main block was remodelled in the 16th and 17th centuries, and the building restored c. 1890.

A number of fine Victorian mansions were developed on Prospect Hill to house successful industrialists and local businessmen in the late 19th century, after the arrival of the railway facilitated commuting to Newcastle.

Corbridge suffered, as did many other settlements in the county, from the border warfare which was particularly prevalent between 1300 and 1700. Raids were commonplace, and it was not unusual for the livestock to be brought into the town at night and a watch placed to guard either end of the street for marauders. A bridge over the Tyne was built in the 13th century, but this original has not survived. The present bridge, an impressive stone structure with seven arches, was erected in 1674.

Description courtesy of Wikipedia.

27th October 2017

Market Place Pant.

Pant, dated 1815. Squared stone, cast iron, ceramic inner trough. Square structure with iron spout on west and plaque on north: ERECTED/BY/HUGH PERCY/ DUKE OF/NORTHUMBERLAND/ANNO/MDCCCXV. Simple cornice and tall pyramidal cap with ball finial carrying iron cross. On west side trough of upright slabs linked by iron clamps, with inner trough, bucket-rest bars and glinters at outer corners.

Grade 2 Listed. Source: Historic England.

St. Mary's Chare.

The Angel Inn, Main Street.

Inn, C17 extended C18. Rubble, roughcast and whitewashed except for east end; Welsh slate roof with rendered brick stacks. 2 storeys, 3 sections of 3, 4 and 3 bays.

Slightly taller centre section has left-of-centre 6-panel door under moulded round-headed arch, in square moulded frame; sundial in moulded surround W inscribed E A (Edward and Anne Winship) above. To right 4-light mullioned- and-transomed window holding old small-pane casements; to left 12-pane sash; 12-pane sashes to 1st floor. Left part has 2 tripartite sashes with 3 12-pane sashes above; right part has central 6-panel door in surround copied from main door, flanked by tripartite sashes, and 3 12-pane sashes above.

All sash windows renewed, and in raised surrounds, some stuccoed. Stucco band below flat-coped parapet, stepped up over centre. Coped gables with end stacks to each part. Left return rendered; right return shows 2 blocked stone-surround windows to ground floor. Various rear wings and extensions all much altered and not of special interest.

Grade 2 Listed. Source: Historic England.

Middle Street.

The Wheatsheaf Hotel, St Helens Street.

Inn, mid-C18 altered and enlarged mid-C19. Squared stone with Welsh slate roof. 2 storeys + attic, 3 bays, symmetrical.

2 steps up to central panelled double doors in moulded surround with pulvinated frieze and pediment. 4-pane sashes with tooled wedge lintels and slightly-projecting sills, except for paired plate-glass sashes to attic half dormers in end bays, with later roof dormer between. Coped gables with moulded kneelers and finials to ends and half dormers; twin stacks, with moulded band and cornice, on each return.

Grade 2 Listed. Source: Historic England.

Watling Street.

19th August 2011

12-16, Front Street.

Terrace of 3 houses, c. 1880. Squared stone with tooled ashlar dressings; Welsh slate roof, right end stack heightened in brick. 2 storeys, 4 bays: third bay has yard entrance flanked by boarded doors to Nos. 14 and 16, with 5-pane overlights.

Corbelled-out 1st floor has 3-light mullioned window with hoodmould and rose window above in coped gable with moulded kneelers and ornamental finials. Flanking bays have 16-pane sash windows, the lower with hoodmoulds. Left end bay has similar door sharing common hoodmould with window to right, a sash which has lost its glazing bars; similar window above under ornamental gablet. All openings in chamfered surrounds. Coped left gable, ridge and right end stacks.

Grade 2 Listed. Source: Historic England.

The Blue Bell, Hill Street.

The Golden Lion, Hill Street.

Inn, mid-C18. Squared stone; Welsh slate roof with brick stacks. 3 storeys, 4 bays, irregular.

1st and 2nd floor sill bands. 4-panel door in second bay and 6-panel door with 2-pane overlight in fourth bay, both in raised stone surrounds. Additional window to right; leaded cross casements. Left gable coped, roof hipped to right; left end and ridge stacks, both heightened. Right return, to Princes Street 1 bay with similar detail and fenestration;. continuous facade with nos. 1 and 3. Constructed with materials from Dilston Hall.

Grade 2 Listed. Source: Historic England.

United Methodist Chapel, Hill Street.

The Corbridge Larder, Hill Street.

Bridge House, Main Street.

The Angel Inn, Main Street.

Low Hall, Main Street.

House with tower. Original house C13 or early C14, service end heightened as tower in mid to late C15, main block remodelled in later C16 and again c.1675. Restoration and major extensions to rear c.1890. Roughly-squared stone and rubble with cut dressings; stone slate roofs.

Grade 1 Listed. Source: Historic England.

Monks Holme, Main Street.

House, formerly Inn. Dated 1580 over C19 front door but may be early C17; altered C18 and restored 1891 (date over porch). Rubble with large roughly- shaped quoins, cut dressings; graduated stone slate roof. L-plan. 2 storeys + attics, 5 bays, slightly irregular.

Right-of-centre 1891 porch has elaborate studded door under flat-pointed arch, with stone canopy on moulded corbels with carved heads, 2-light window above. Flanking bays have 3-light mullioned-and- transomed windows, those on 1st floor with hoodmoulds. 3-light attic windows with hoodmoulds in gabled dormers with ornamental finials; end bays have single- light 1st floor windows. All windows small-paned casements in recessed, chamfered surrounds, and are 1891 replacements of sashes, except for 1st floor far right and attic dormers. Coped gables with ornamental finials; 1891 stepped-and-corniced end stacks.

Grade 2 Listed. Source: Historic England.

Main Street Pant.

Grade 2 Listed. Source: Historic England.

Main Street.

Market Cross.

Market Cross, dated 1814. Cast iron on squared stone plinth. 4 circular steps up to square chamfered plinth carrying cast block base with inscription HUGH PERCY/DUKE OF/NORTHUMBERLAND/ANNO/MDCCCXIIII on north; lion, lion on crown and Percy crescent on other sides. Quatrefoil shaft above with stepped foot, 3 moulded rings and moulded cap with plain cross.

Grade 2 Listed. Source: Historic England.

Market Place Pant.

The Black Bull, Middle Street.

Inn, dated 1765; west part, with door surround dated 1755 but incorporating earlier fabric, was separate house until c.1670.

Squared stone, west part rubble, with tooled and painted quoins and dressings; Welsh slate roof with new brick stacks. Front 2 storeys, 4 + 3 bays, irregular, the left part projecting. Left bay has panelled double doors in pedimented wooden doorcase, central bays have older blocked doorways with windows inserted, that to left in raised stone surround, that to right in moulded surrounded with Greek key frieze and dated pediment. Window between blocked doors is C20 insertion.

Left part: right-of-centre blocked doorway, with window inserted, in raised stone surround with date and inscription. All windows 4-pane sashes; original openings have tooled lintels and slightly projecting sills. Interior: old beams and fireplace in eastern part.

Grade 2 Listed. Source: Historic England.

Lloyds TSB, Middle Street.

Bank, c.1890. Snecked stone with tooled ashlar dressings; Lakeland slate roof. 3 storeys, 5 narrow bays.

Plinth, 1st floor band. End bays have 2-panel doors under segmental heads,with shaped fanlights above containing foliage drops in front of small-paned glazing; flanking rusticated pilasters carry shouldered segmental cornice with dentil ornament. 10- and 15-pane sash windows under rock-faced flat arches with projecting key- stones, those to ground floor windows running up into band above. Modillion eaves cornice; hipped mansard roof with 2 large stacks. Left return 4 narrow bays with 15-pane sashes to ground floor and 12-pane sashes above.

Grade 2 Listed. Source: Historic England.

Cross House, Princes Street.

Pair of houses, 1754 for Eliezer Birch. Squared stone with tooled dressings; Welsh slate roof with stacks heightened in yellow brick. 3 storeys, 2 + 2 + 2 bays.

Pedimented centre set slightly forward; 1st and 2nd floor sill bands, modillion eaves cornice. Bays flanking centre have renewed doors, that to left in architrave with pediment, that to right in renewed Gibbs surround. 4-pane sash windows in raised stone surrounds, corniced on lower floors of centre. Coped gables with moulded kneelers; stepped-and-corniced end and central ridge stacks. Returns show small casement attic windows. Contemporary outshut to rear with altered fenestration. Interior: remodelled later C19. Old chamfered fireplace in kitchen at rear of Cross House East.

Grade 2 Listed. Source: Historic England.

Methodist Church, Princes Street.

Town Hall, Princes Street.

Town Hall with shops beneath, dated 1887, by F. Emily. Ashlar ground floor, tower and dressings; snecked stone 1st floor; graduated Lakeland slate roof. English Renaissance style. 2 storeys, 5 bays with central 3-stage tower.

Tower entrance has keyed arch with shields over and egg-and-dart cornice; 2nd and 3rd stages have broad central panel with scrolled bracket feet, holding mullioned-and-transomed windows. Elaborate carved figures and ornament above windows. Cornice below stepped gable with 2 slits, carved flagpole bracket, date panel and ornamental finials. Flanking parts have keyed arches at either end and shopfronts with arched central panes, except fourth bay which is rusticated and has arched window and doorway. 1st floor has large Ipswich oriels. Coped gables with ornamental finials; 2 corniced ridge stacks.

Grade 2 Listed. Source: Historic England.