﻿MORTHDMBERLAKD. 



NORTHUMBERLAND. 



MM 



■bore Hcxiiun. The Soutk Tyie riae* unid the hill* south of Alrton 

 Moor in Cumberland, and after 0owiDg 17 milM northward to Halt- 

 wbutle, tunu eaat, and flows 16 milei to tta junction with the North 

 Tync, rfceiving on it* right bank above Haydon Hridge the Allen 

 Ri»er. ITie JJmeent, another feeder of the Tj-nc, i» noticed under 

 PuRUAic. The 7>)ir, thus formed by ttie junction of tlie North Tyne 

 and the South Tyne, flows eaatward SO miln, past Newcastle, into 

 the sea between North and South Shields. Its whole length from the 

 bead of the North Tyne is abont 70 miles. It is navigable for sea- 

 borne Teniels up to Newcastle, and fur river cmft a few miles higher. 

 The spring-tides rise about 18 feet at the moutli of the river and about 

 m feet at Newcaatta. From Newcastle to the Bea the Tyne may be 

 ■ud to be one continued harbour, the river and the numerous docks 

 adjacent to it being occupied witli shipping, mostly colliers, and ench 

 bank being lined with wliarfa, quayii, staiths, and factories. TheRenl 

 riaes on tlie northern slope of the Kiclder Moors, and flows along the 

 base of the Qirdle Fell in a Bouthcastem direction past Ottcrbum, 

 below which it runs nearly due south to its junction with the North 

 Tyne. Its length is about 24 miles. 



The Vale of the Cwjuet is noted for the excellence of its agricul- 

 ture ; the Vale of the Tyne exhibits great variety of scenery; above 

 Newcastle it is rich and beautifiU. There are medicinal springs at 

 Eglingham, Snowhope, and Thurston, but none of them is much 

 Irequented. 



The county is traversed by two important lines of railway con- 

 necting Newcastle with Berwick and Carlisle. The Newcoetle and 

 Cariisle railway runs westward up the valley of the Tyne, and posses 

 Hexham and Ilnltwbistle. Ita whole length in this county is 41 

 miles. The Newcastle and Berwick railway, forming part of the 

 Great Northern railway from London to Edinburgh, runs northward 

 at a little distance from the coast past Morjieth and BelfonI, Bending 

 out short branches to Alnwick and Warkworth. A railway, 7 miles 

 in length, joins Newcastle to North Shields, wheuce there are short 

 lines to Tynemouth and Hlytli. On the south, Newcastle is connected 

 by railway with Gateshead, South Shields, Durham, Hnrtlcpool, and 

 the numerous lines in connection with the Great Northern railway. 

 The Berwick and Kelso railway, which runs up the right bank of the 

 Tweed, is partly in the north-western angle of this county. The 

 railway! which converge on Newcastle meet at a central station within 

 that town. 



The Edinburgh conch-road enter<) the county at Newcastle, and runs 

 northward through Morpeth, Alnwick, and IWlfonI, to Berwick-upon- 

 Tweed. Another rond to Edinburgh branches off from this beyond 

 Morpeth, and runs by Wooler to Coldstream. A third road to Edin- 

 burgh runs from Newcastle by the valley of the Reed to Jedburgh. 

 The coach road from Newcastle to Carlisle runs by Hexham and 

 Haltwhiatle. 



CUmalt, Soil, and Agricvllure. — The climate is considerably colder 

 and the harvest later than in the southern and mi<l1nnd counties. In 

 that part of the Cfninty which skirts the aea-shore, although it is ex- 

 posed to cold easterly winds, the air is much milder and more genial 

 than in the weatcm and mountainous part, which, although too high 

 and bleak for cultivation beyond a certain elevation, produces snflicicnt 

 herbage to maintain large flocks of hardy sheep, known by the 

 appellation of the Cheviot breed. 



Along the coast, and for some miles inland, the soil consists of a 

 •trong fertile clayey loam, well adapted to the growth of wheat, beans, 

 and dfover, and there are some excellent natural meadows and postures. 

 Along the banka of the Tyne and the Coquet, and along the AIn from 

 Alnwick to the sea, the soil is chiefly a light gravel, sand; or dry 

 loam, which is likewise the caae to a great degree in the vales of the 

 Breamish, Till, and Beaumont In the middle and south-eastern parts 

 of the county the soil is a moist loam on a cold impervious clay 

 bottom. On the billa there is a mixture of peat-bogs, stony and 

 gravelly heatha, and some good dry green pasture. 



Noruumberiand has been one of the foremost of the English 

 counties in adopting improved methods of agriculture. Wheat and 

 bariey are generally raised, and it is common for clover and grass-seeds 

 to be sown amongst the grain. Turnips are extensively raised. On 

 light gravelly soils, where the clover and graiset soon fall ofi', the 

 tnmipa are fed off with sheep. There are some very heavy and 

 wrt aoila in the county, which are fallowed once in six or seven years. 

 In other reapects they are cultivated in a similar manner with the 

 «ood loama. The practice of thorough draining is spreading rapidly. 

 Potatoe* are grown in large quantities. The instruments of tillage 

 are mostly of Improved make. Threahing-maobinea, moved by water, 

 wind, or horses, and seed-drilla, are general on the larger farms. 



The cattls in Northumberland are generally of good breeds, mostly 

 ahort-bomad. Those bought to fatteo are chiefly Scotch. The cows 

 kept for the dairy are almost invariably of the short-homed Durham 

 bread ; and many remarkably fine heifera are reared in the county. 

 Great attention is paid to the breeding of bulla. Excellent farm- 

 horses are bred. The sheep are chiefly of the native Cheviot brec<l, a 

 naefol hardy abeep with a small fleece. On highly-improved farms 

 the Leioastcr and South-down breeds, and almost every other, may 

 be found. The principal (u,xn» iu Northumberland are let on lease 

 ibr 21 years. 



There are no vei/ f«t«n»ivo ^14 irooda in the county, but many 



thriving plantations ; there is a constant demand for small timber tor 

 the use of the coal-mines, which makes it profitable to cut youog 

 saplings, and the trees are not often permitted to acquire the mae of 

 large timber. The larch is a profitable and favourite tree in all young 

 pUintations, and thrives well m most situations, from the sidea of tha 

 rivers to near the tops of the highest hills. 



The principal manufsctnraa of Northumberland are those that 

 depend chiefly on the collieriea — ^namely, glaaa, pottery, aud iron. Large 

 quantities of dried and pickled salmon are exported. 



JMvitiont, Towns, ic. — Northumberland is in the diooese of Durham, 

 and constitutes the archdeaconry of Northumberland. It ia in tba 

 northern circuit. The aaaiies are held at Neweaatle ; quarter^aaaions 

 at Newcastle, Morpeth, Hexham, and Alnwick alternately. County- 

 courts arc held in Alnwick, Belford, Bcllingham, llaltwhistie, Hexliam, 

 Morpeth, Newcastle, North Shields, Kothbury, and Wooler. The 

 county jail and house of correction is at Murpclb ; there are houses 

 of correction also at Tynemouth, Hexham, aud Alnwick. Northum- 

 berland is divided into six wards — Bamborough, north-east; Castle, 

 south-east ; Coquctdale, central ; Glondale, north-west ; Morpeth, 

 central ; and Tindale, south-west. Besides these there is the county 

 of the town of Newcastle. Before the Reform Act Northumberland 

 returned six members to Parliament, two for the county, aud two for 

 each of the boroughs of Newcastle and Morpeth. By the Reform Act 

 the county was formed into two divisions, each returning two members ; 

 Morpeth was reduced to one member, but the new borough of Tyne- 

 mouth was created, returning one member, so that the number of 

 borough members remained as before. 



Northumberland contains the parliamentary borough and assize 

 town of Newcastle, the i>arliament»ry boroughs of Morpetb, Ttnb- 

 MOUTB, and North Sbields, and the market-towns of Allenoalk, 



Al.NWICK, BeLPOKD, BeLUNOUAM, HaLTWHISTLB, HtaUiM, RoTUBUIlY, 

 and Wooler. To these may be added, as places of some importance, 

 though without markets, Alumouth, BA.MjtOKOOan, Blttu, Hartley, 

 Seaton, and Warkworth. 



Wooler is nu ancient market-town, in the east division of Glendnle 

 ward, 45 miles N.N.W. from Newcastle : population of the parish 

 1911 in 1851. The streets are lighted with gas and paved, aud tho 

 bouses are i^upplied with water. The {larish church is a neat building, 

 erected in 1765, and enlarged iu 1835. The Baptists, English Presby- 

 terians, United Presbyterians, and Roman Catholics have places of 

 worship. A National school, a subscription library, and a dispensary 

 are in the town. Tho market is on Thursday ; there are two yearly 

 fairs. There are several entrenchments near Wooler, the moat remark- 

 able of which is a circular entrenchment on a hill called Humbleton 

 Hugh, about a mile from the town. In the plain beneath this hill is 

 a stone pillar, commemorative of the victory gained here in 1402 by 

 Percy, earl of Northumberland, over a Scotch army of 1 0,000 men 

 under Earl Douglas. Another remarkable monument of liritish times 

 exists neai- Wooler, on the flat top of a mountain called the Yevcriug 

 Itell, which is 2000 feet above tho plain at ita base. It consists of a 

 stone wall 8 feet thick, with an 'entrance on the south side, and in- 

 closing a large cairn : on .the sides of the hill are remains of circular 

 buildings ; there are also traces of a grove of oaks. AlnmoHlh, 6 miles 

 E. from Alnwick, at the mouth of the Aln : population of the town- 

 ship 488 iu 1S51. It may be considered aa tho |>ort of Alnwick : there 

 is a considerable export of com and wool here ; the fisheries too are 

 valuable, and ship-building is carried on. The hill at the mouth of 

 the Aln, on which the parish church of Alnmouth stood, has for some 

 time been completely insulated by the floods and tides; a portion of 

 the ancient structure still remains on the hill. Alumouth is much 

 resorted* to for sea-bathing. Hartley, in Castle ward, 10 miles N.K. 

 from Newcastle, population of the township 1627 in 16S1, consists of 

 one long street of mean houses, extending to the xbore, where there is 

 a small fishing harbour. Half a mile north from Hartley is Staton 

 Sluice, or SecUon Ddavat, a harbour formed by Sir Ralph Dolaval iu 

 the time of Charles XL, at the mouth of the Seaton Bum. In order 

 to prevent the harbour being fille<l up with mud and sand, he formed 

 a fduice, with floo<l-gate8, to scour the haven. This haven was im- 

 proved by the late Lord Dclaval, who made a new outrauoe from the 

 North Sea by a cut through the solid rock, which is guarded by im- 

 mense locks. This improvement has reuderod the harbour accessible 

 at all times, and in every state of the wind : 12 or 15 vessels of 800 

 tons can hero ride in safety, and enter or leave the harbour fully laden. 

 The principal trade of the place is in coals; there are besides exten- 

 sive bottle-works. The English Presbyterians and Methodists have 

 ohapela. Warkworth, fumiorly a market-town, now a vilhtge, 1 4 miles 

 N.N.E. from Morpetb, population of the township HZi, a situated on 

 the right bank of the Coquet, at a short distance from ita mouth. 

 The town contains several good modem houses, leading from the castle 

 down a steep hill to the ancient cross, where the market was formerly 

 held. A cattle fair is held on November 23rd. The parish church is 

 a handsome building, with a tower and spire, above 100 feet high. 

 There are placea of worship for Metbodista and Presbyterians. The 

 town ia governed by a borough-reeve and constables. On an eminence 

 close to the town are the noble ruins of Warkworth Castle, one of the 

 strongholds of the Peroya The keep is an octagon, surmounted with 

 a tower. Tho building is very large, and comprehends many apart- 

 ments. The great baronial hall ia nearly 40 feet long by 24 feet wide, 



