Haltwhistle

infobox UK place
country = England
official_name= Haltwhistle
latitude= 54.9701
longitude= -2.4585
population = 3,595
shire_district= Tynedale
region= North East England
shire_county = Northumberland
constituency_westminster= Hexham
post_town= HALTWHISTLE
postcode_district = NE49
postcode_area= NE
dial_code= 01434
os_grid_reference= NY706640

Haltwhistle is a small town in Northumberland, England, situated ten miles east of Brampton, near Hadrian's Wall, and the villages of Plenmeller, Rowfoot and Melkridge. The town has a population of 3,595 (2001). [ [http://www.tynedale.gov.uk/residents/showdesc.asp?id=62 Census data (PDF)] ]

It is one of two towns in Great Britain which claim to be the exact geographic centre of the island, along with Dunsop Bridge in Lancashire, located 71 miles (114km) to the south.

History

Haltwhistle was probably in existence in Roman times, as it is one of the closest approaches of the River South Tyne in its upland reaches to Hadrian's Wall. The earliest recorded history of this area derives from the Roman occupation period; in 122 AD, the Romans constructed Hadrian's Wall, the course of which lies about one kilometre north of Haltwhistle. The length of Hadrian's Wall is 117 kilometres, spanning Britain; the wall incorporated Agricola's Ditch and was constructed chiefly of stone in the eastern reaches, [ [http://www.megalithic.co.uk/article.php?sid=18177 C.Michael Hogan (2007) "Hadrian's Wall", ed. A. Burnham, The Megalithic Portal] ] such as near Haltwhistle. The wall was designed primarily to prevent entrance by small bands of raiders or unwanted immigration from the north, not as a fighting line for a major invasion according to Johnson. [Stephen Johnson (2004) Hadrian's Wall, Sterling Publishing Company, Inc, 128 pages, ISBN 0713488409] The old Roman road or "Stanegate" passes just two miles to the north of the town.

The development of the town was based on its position on the main Newcastle to Carlisle road and on the Newcastle and Carlisle Railway line. Although the name of the town suggests that it may have been named because of the presence of the railway, this is not so; the name Haltwhistle was in existence long before the railways arrived, and derives from the Old English "twistle", meaning a meeting of rivers, and possibly the French prefix "haut-" meaning "high". [ [http://www.northeastengland.talktalk.net/SouthTynedale.htm#HALTWHISTLE The North East England History Pages] ]

Haltwhistle railway station was also the northern terminus of a branch line to Alston, in Cumbria, the line was thirteen miles in length. Part of the southern end of the Haltwhistle to Alston line has been reopened as a two foot narrow gauge railway, known as the South Tynedale Railway, between Alston and Kirkhaugh.

The expansion of Haltwhistle in the 18th and 19th centuries was due to coal mining in the area and to a lesser extent the use of Haltwhistle as a loading point for metal ores coming from the mines on Alston moors. In 1836 while some workmen were quarrying stone for the Directors of the Newcastle and Carlisle Railway, on the top of Boreum, a high hill in the township of Thorngrafton and Parish of Haltwhistle, one of them found a copper vessel containing 63 coins, 3 of them gold and 60 copper. The gold coins were, one of Claudius Caesar, reverse Nero Claudius Drusus Germanicus; one of Nero and one of Vespasian. [ [http://detecting.merseyblogs.co.uk/2007/04/1836_haltwhistl.html Coin Hoard Article] ]

More recently, paint manufacture became a major commercial force in the town, but has now stopped major production.

In the 21st century, the tourist industry dominates the economy with Hadrian's Wall and walking and rambling counting among the principal interests of tourists.

Administration

Haltwhistle lies within Tynedale District Council, itself part of Northumberland County Council. It maintains an active Town Council which has succeeded in making a number of local improvements including the establishment of a heated outdoor swimming pool complex which is very popular during the summer months. It is believed that Haltwhistle may be one of the smallest towns to have made such a provision in Great Britain.

Local Attractions

Hadrian's Wall to the north of the town is used as a major selling point for the town. The section of the wall closest to Haltwhistle is among the most spectacular and complete, with the wall striding eastwards from the lake at Crag Lough along the spine of the Whin Sill. Haltwhistle also claims to be at the geographic centre of Britain - equidistant from the sea as measured along the principal points of the compass. A hotel in the centre of Haltwhistle is named the "Centre of Britain Hotel" in recognition of this claim. The claim is rather tenuous as it requires that the northern extremity is taken to be the Orkneys rather the Shetlands. Depending on how the centre of the island is calculated however the centre can be said to be Dunsop Bridge in Lancashire. See Centre points of the United Kingdom.

There are many historic properties nearby, including Featherstone Castle, Blenkinsop Castle, Unthank Hall, Bellister Castle and Thirlwall Castle.

Communications

The A69 trunk road which links Carlisle and Newcastle on Tyne formerly passed south of the town centre and through the western part of the town until a full bypass was opened in 1997.

The town is also served by Haltwhistle railway station on the Newcastle and Carlisle Railway. Until 1976, the station was also the northern terminus of a branch line which ran to Alston, Cumbria. Part of this line now forms the South Tynedale Railway.

References

External links

* [http://communities.northumberland.gov.uk/Haltwhistle.htm Official site]
* [http://www.northumberland-cam.com/haltwhistle/index.htm Haltwhistle Photos]