Haydon Bridge

Haydon Bridge, the birthplace of the 19th century painter John Martin, is a small town in west Northumberland on the A69 main Newcastle to Carlisle road, 7½ miles west of Hexham. There has been a settlement there since Saxon times and it is said that the name Haydon means enclosure.

The 12th century church building still survives, the chancel dates from this period and the font is a Roman altar. The present church, dedicated to St Cuthbert was built in 1796.

The bridge over the Tyne was erected in 1773 to replace the one destroyed by the major flood of 1771. The bridge has always been an important crossing point on the Tyne and during the period of border raids was often chained against the reivers.

Haydon Bridge also has connections with the Jacobite risings of 1715 and 1745 for James and Charles, Viscounts Langley and Earls of Derwentwater who lived at Langley Castle, took part in the uprising and were beheaded for treason on Tower Hill in London. Langley Castle is a couple of miles south of the town.

The railway came to Haydon Bridge in the 1830s with the building of the Newcastle to Carlisle railway. This replaced a scheme to build a canal between the two towns.

In 1801 the population was 1084 and by 1851 this had risen to 2085 because of the coming of the railway although the main industry in the area still remained agricultural and never expanded as happened in Haltwhistle further along the river. Today the town is visited by tourists exploring Hadrian's Wall.

The Reading Rooms in Haydon Bridge offers four star bed and breakfast accommodation with easy parking and catering for walkers and cyclists and fishermen. Gill Valentine, Hadrian's Wall Network member, offers special packages for Weddings, The Race Course and Fishing. You can find out more on their website. This section of the wall is near to, Grindon Farm which offers a stylish and very comfortable place to stay that is four miles north of Haydon Bridge. Dave and Jackie Armstrong host the Grindon Cartshed B & B and are members of the Hadrian's Wall Network, dedicated to enabling others to enjoy the Northumberland that they so love. Visit their website and brouse their picture gallery and you will see why.

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