Kirkwhelpington
Encyclopedia
Kirkwhelpington is a village and civil parish
in the English
county of Northumberland
about 13 miles (20.9 km) northeast of Hexham
. It is on the River Wansbeck
alongside the A696 trunk road
between Otterburn
and Ponteland
.
, obtained a market charter from King Henry III
but lost its privileges on the grounds of non-usage. He had a bridge built over the Wansbeck to improve its communications.
donating the land. The Post Office is now in the hall and the weekly activities include a Youth Club, Toddler Group, and a Bowls Club. The monthly meetings include the Parish Council, The Royal British Legion Women's Section, and an Art Club.
The village school was built in 1858 and closed in 1972. Northumberland County Council Education Committee used the premises as a Girl Guide holiday centre. This has now been converted to a private house.
The Methodist Church was built in 1870 and closed in 1995/96. It was bought by a villager and is now used for exhibitions of paintings and other art work.
Sweethope Loughs
are two freshwater lakes almost 1 miles (1.6 km) in length, 4 miles (6 km) west of Kirkwhelpington, and a renowned fishing location stocked with large rainbow trout. Sweethope Lough boasts good access to those anglers with disabilities, and annually hosts The Viscount Devonport Sweethope Challenge for Disabled Anglers.
tower and long nave and chancel, was altered in the fifteenth century and then in 1896. Excavations have revealed that the building originally had aisles and transepts.
There are two fourteenth-century bells, a seventeenth-century font (which rests on the reversed capital of a fourteenth or fifteenth-century pier) and a mahogany pulpit from 1797. The glass includes work by Heaton, Butler and Bayne (1909 and 1914).
Civil parish
In England, a civil parish is a territorial designation and, where they are found, the lowest tier of local government below districts and counties...
in the English
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
county of Northumberland
Northumberland
Northumberland is the northernmost ceremonial county and a unitary district in North East England. For Eurostat purposes Northumberland is a NUTS 3 region and is one of three boroughs or unitary districts that comprise the "Northumberland and Tyne and Wear" NUTS 2 region...
about 13 miles (20.9 km) northeast of Hexham
Hexham
Hexham is a market town and civil parish in Northumberland, England, located south of the River Tyne, and was the administrative centre for the Tynedale district from 1974 to 2009. The three major towns in Tynedale were Hexham, Prudhoe and Haltwhistle, although in terms of population, Prudhoe was...
. It is on the River Wansbeck
River Wansbeck
The River Wansbeck runs through the county of Northumberland, England. It rises above Sweethope Lough on the edge of Forelaws Forest in the area known locally as The Wanneys ; runs through the town of Ashington before discharging into the North Sea at Sandy Bay near Newbiggin-by-the-Sea.The River...
alongside the A696 trunk road
A696 road
The A696 is a major road in northern England, that runs from Otterburn in Northumberland to Newcastle upon Tyne.-Route:The A696 begins at a junction with the A68 road . It heads in a south-easterly direction through the village of Otterburn, and then past Kirkwhelpington...
between Otterburn
Otterburn, Northumberland
Otterburn is a small village in Northumberland, England, northwest of Newcastle Upon Tyne on the banks of the River Rede, near the confluence of the Otter Burn, from which the village derives its name. It lies within the Cheviot Hills about from the Scottish border...
and Ponteland
Ponteland
Ponteland is a village situated in Northumberland near Newcastle upon Tyne, England. The name means island in the Pont , as the area consisted of a small piece of solid ground around St. Mary's church and the old bridge, surrounded by marshland. This marshland is now drained, with housing built on...
.
History
Kirkwhelpington has medieval origins and is an abortive market town. The lord, Gilbert de UmfravilleUmfraville
Umfraville, the name of an English baronial family, derived from Amfreville in Normandy. Members of this family obtained lands in Northumberland, including Redesdale and Prudhoe, from the Norman kings, and a later member, Gilbert de Umfraville , married Matilda, daughter of Malcolm, earl of Angus,...
, obtained a market charter from King Henry III
Henry III of England
Henry III was the son and successor of John as King of England, reigning for 56 years from 1216 until his death. His contemporaries knew him as Henry of Winchester. He was the first child king in England since the reign of Æthelred the Unready...
but lost its privileges on the grounds of non-usage. He had a bridge built over the Wansbeck to improve its communications.
Landmarks
The Memorial Hall was built in 1924 as a memorial to the men of the village and district who gave their lives in the First World War. Money for this was raised locally with the Duke of NorthumberlandDuke of Northumberland
The Duke of Northumberland is a title in the peerage of Great Britain that has been created several times. Since the third creation in 1766, the title has belonged to the House of Percy , which held the title of Earl of Northumberland from 1377....
donating the land. The Post Office is now in the hall and the weekly activities include a Youth Club, Toddler Group, and a Bowls Club. The monthly meetings include the Parish Council, The Royal British Legion Women's Section, and an Art Club.
The village school was built in 1858 and closed in 1972. Northumberland County Council Education Committee used the premises as a Girl Guide holiday centre. This has now been converted to a private house.
The Methodist Church was built in 1870 and closed in 1995/96. It was bought by a villager and is now used for exhibitions of paintings and other art work.
Sweethope Loughs
Sweethope Loughs
Sweethope Loughs are two freshwater lakes almost in length, the smaller one just east of the larger, in the southern part of Northumberland, England and lying between the A68 road, and the A696 road. They lie about west of Morpeth; west of Kirkwhelpington; and east of Bellingham. There is a...
are two freshwater lakes almost 1 miles (1.6 km) in length, 4 miles (6 km) west of Kirkwhelpington, and a renowned fishing location stocked with large rainbow trout. Sweethope Lough boasts good access to those anglers with disabilities, and annually hosts The Viscount Devonport Sweethope Challenge for Disabled Anglers.
Religious sites
St Bartholomew, a thirteenth-century (or earlier) building, with its low, broad PerpendicularEnglish Gothic architecture
English Gothic is the name of the architectural style that flourished in England from about 1180 until about 1520.-Introduction:As with the Gothic architecture of other parts of Europe, English Gothic is defined by its pointed arches, vaulted roofs, buttresses, large windows, and spires...
tower and long nave and chancel, was altered in the fifteenth century and then in 1896. Excavations have revealed that the building originally had aisles and transepts.
There are two fourteenth-century bells, a seventeenth-century font (which rests on the reversed capital of a fourteenth or fifteenth-century pier) and a mahogany pulpit from 1797. The glass includes work by Heaton, Butler and Bayne (1909 and 1914).
Exhibitions etc
The Kirkwhelpington and District Show is held on the first Saturday in September every year. This is an exhibition of horticultural and craft work with home baking and children's exhibits. On one of the Sunday's during July six or seven local gardens are open to the public in aid of charity.Notable people
- The celebrated antiquary John HodgsonJohn HodgsonJohn Hodgson was an Australian politician and Mayor of Melbourne 1853–54. He died at his house in Kew of bronchitis.-Arrival in Melbourne:...
wrote his History of Northumberland during his incumbency between 1823-34. - The distinguished engineer and inventor Sir Charles ParsonsCharles Algernon ParsonsSir Charles Algernon Parsons OM KCB FRS was an Anglo-Irish engineer, best known for his invention of the steam turbine. He worked as an engineer on dynamo and turbine design, and power generation, with great influence on the naval and electrical engineering fields...
is buried here with his wife Katherine (there is a memorial to them in the church). - John Stevens, Baron Stevens of KirkwhelpingtonJohn Stevens, Baron Stevens of KirkwhelpingtonJohn Arthur Stevens, Baron Stevens of Kirkwhelpington KStJ QPM DL FRSA was Commissioner of Police of the Metropolis from 2000 until 2005. From 1991 to 1996, he was Chief Constable of Northumbria Police before being appointed one of HM Inspectors of Constabulary in September 1996...
, whose career included head of the Metropolitan Police Service, and Chancellor of Northumbria University.
External links
- GENUKI (accessed: 13 November 2008)
- Photographs of St Bartholomew (accessed: 20 November 2008)