Haydon Bridge

infobox UK place
country = England
official_name= Haydon Bridge
latitude= 54.973
longitude= -2.247
population =
shire_district= Tynedale
region= North East England
shire_county = Northumberland
constituency_westminster= Hexham
post_town= HEXHAM
postcode_district = NE47
postcode_area= NE
dial_code= 01434
os_grid_reference= NY842643

Haydon Bridge is a village in Northumberland, England, with a population of about 2000. Its most distinctive features are its two bridges crossing the River Tyne, one the picturesque original bridge for which the village was named, now restricted to pedestrian use, and a modern bridge which now carries the A69 road. The modern village is divided in two by the Tyne, whereas the old village (Haydon) was to the north, on the hill overlooking the river; all that remains is an old Norman church now reduced in size from the original, which used stone taken from nearby Roman constructed Hadrian's Wall. The A686 road terminates at its junction with the A69 just outside the village, linking Haydon Bridge with Alston and Penrith.

John Martin (painter); the painter of biblical destruction, was born in Haydon Bridge at East Land Ends. His dramatic "The Destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah" can be seen in the Laing Art Gallery in Newcastle upon Tyne.

History

Some of the earliest recorded history of the vicinity relates to Hadrian's wall, which crosses Northumberland in a generally east-west direction. Hogan calls this structure "most impressive monument built by the Romans in Britain". [ [http://www.megalithic.co.uk/article.php?sid=18177 C.Michael Hogan (2007) "Hadrian's Wall", ed. A. Burnham, The Megalithic Portal] ] The military strength of the wall was not sufficient to repel a major invasion force, but sentinel coverage was intended to interdict small bands of people who had the intent to disrupt civil settlements and damage and property of the settled province of Brittania. [Stephen Johnson (2004) "Hadrian's Wall", Sterling Publishing Company, Inc, 128 pages, ISBN 0713488409]

Modern culture

At 1A Ratcliffe Road is the cottage once owned by Monica Jones. There she and Philip Larkin would spend holidays. One of his better-known later poems "Show Saturday" is dedicated to the 1973 Bellingham Show, which they attended. They also went to the tar barrel ceremony in Allendale, and dined at Blanchland. It was a record of Tommy Armstrong's 'Trimdon Grange Explosion' which Larkin heard at the cottage that prompted him to write his own late poem "The Explosion". [ [http://www.seaham.i12.com/myers/m-larkin.html] Myer's Literary Guide]

'John Clarke's Newsagents' for years has been a fixture of the local community and the shop where Philip Larkin used to buy the "Telegraph" and the "Observer" [http://www.seaham.i12.com/myers/m-larkin.html] . The village also has four pubs: The Railway, The Anchor, The General Havelock and Haydon Bridge's Working Men's Club. There are two schools: Shaftoe Trust First School and Haydon Bridge High School.

Very recently, the 'old foundry' as locals called it (based on its earlier use as an ironworks established in 1843) was demolished to make way new accommodation specifically for past and present Haydon Bridge residents. The new flats are modern buildings designed to fit in with the rest of the architecture of the village.

For many years the village has been the only one on the main A69 road in Northumberland without a bypass. Recently permission was granted and a bypass is currently under construction, due to finish in spring/summer 2009.

Haydon Bridge railway station is situated on the Tyne Valley Line.

References