Heddon's history timeline 1900 to 1999
The Heddon history time-line is based on work by Pat Farnaby for his previous village web site.
1900 - 1910
1901 Marconi invented radio
1901 A series of child deaths from Diphtheria forced the village school to close for a period
1902 The government relieved voluntary schools of all running expenses. Control passed to Local Authorities
1902 The Margaret Pit, situated at the foot of Heddon Bank, and the last deep mine to be worked in the village, was bought by the Throckley Coal Co and was worked until the early 1930's. After that it's reserves were accessed from the Isabella Pit at Throckley
1902 On 26th June 1902 an oak tree was planted by Fenwick Charlton Esq. on the green at the top of Station Road for the coronation of Edward VII
1903 Wright brothers flew the first power driven aircraft
1905-1932 The Rev Wm. G. Pringle ran a private school, at the vicarage, offering a higher education to local children
1907 The sundial on the cottages at Heddon Square (Frenchman's Row), was restored.
1907 Viscount Ridley of Blagdon conveyed the property at East Heddon to Northumberland County Council to be employed as small holdings
1908 Old Age Pension was introduced
1908 The original entrance porch of the Methodist Chapel was moved from the south wall and rebuilt on to the west end and a schoolroom was built on to the south wall
1908 A forge was set up in the "Swan Inn"
1910 - 1920
1910 Mains gas was laid into the village
1913 A large fire broke out at Town House Farm destroying buildings and livestock. It was fought by local people until the fire brigade from Newburn arrived, having been alerted by a youth on a bicycle.
"A fire took place early yesterday morning at Heddon Town Farm, Heddon-on-the-Wall, seven miles west Newcastle. Most the stable consumed, four horses being suffocated." 11 November 1913 - Yorkshire Post and Leeds Intelligencer
1914 Start of the "First World War"
1914 -18 Sir James Knott took the tenancy of 'Merci Beaucoup' cottage, for the use of wives and mothers visiting wounded soldiers, convalescing at Holyn Hall. Sir James ran a competition to name the cottage, the winner receiving a prize of £1.00. The winning name was inscribed on a lintel above the door
1915 Quarries on the west side of the village were closed
1916 Sir James Knott sold the Prince Line
1917 The first Women's Institute in Northumberland was founded in Heddon
1918 The Clayton family sold Bays Leap, Heddon Mill and Town House to Adam and James Hedley of Newcastle and East Town Farm and several other pieces of land to Sir James Knott
1920 - 1930
1920 Houses erected along the Military road. Two cottages close to The Three Tun's were erected by Sir James Knott, for the Thompson family, and were to be the start of a model village. The soil from the excavation of these two cottages was used to fill in the village pond. These cottages were later extended to the east to fill in the gap betwen them and the cottages in Haddock's Hole
1920's The introduction of a Bus services removed the need to walk up and down Heddon Banks to the Railway Station
1921 Halls of Heddon started in business
1921 Sir James Knott gifted 13 stained glass windows to St Andrew's church
1922 WI Hall built by Mr. Tulip, the local village joiner and undertaker, on a piece of land donated by Sir James Knott. It was officially opened by Mrs Hugh Middleton of Belsay Hall, on 14th October.
1922 The unveiling ceremony took place for the memorial, erected in honour of those men from the village, who lost their lives in the 1914-18 war. The memorial was situated on the drained site of the village pond
1923 Haulage Contracting business (Tulips) was established in the village
1924 Sir James Knott held an auction of property that he owned in the village
1924 The Welfare Field was purchased by the Miner's Welfare Scheme Association from Sir James Knott
1924 The blacksmith's shop, adjoining the Three Tuns Inn, was bought by the Throckley District Co op and converted into a shop, which opened on the 5th of October
1925 The site of the war memorial was enhanced by the creation of the Memorial Park, funded by Sir James Knott. It was officially opened on the 11th of November
1926 The General Strike in support of the miners failed
1926 John Logie Baird demonstrated the first television
1926 The road between Heddon and Throckley was improved including lowering the section of the road that passes through Gorse(Great) Hill. These works exposed part of Hadrian's Wall, some sixty yards of which had to be removed.
1926 Newcastle Breweries acquired the Three Tuns Inn
1929 Houses were erected along Station Road
1929 Lady Margaret Annie Knott died on board the family yacht (8th of March)
1930 - 1940
c1930 Houses were erected along the Hexham Road
1930 Library service started in Heddon. A weekly delivery of books was made to the school
1931 Brickworks associated with the Margaret Pit closed
1931 Margaret Coal Pit closed
1931 A service station was established in the village, the site had previously contained a large wooden garage.
1932 Mains electricity was brought into the village
1932 Street lights were erected in the village
1933 The village hearse was dismantled
1934 The vestry floor in St. Andrew's church was renewed as a result of dry rot.
1934 Sir James Knott died
1934 The Rural District Council, obtained a loan from the Ministry of Health,which was used to improve the water supply to the village
1934 The churchyard extension to the lower church banks was consecrated
1935 Blaney Row and Moor Court cottages, which had been a part of the parish of Heddon, were ceded to the parish of Newburn
1936 Houses were erected on Heddon Banks
1936 Electric lighting was installed in St Andrew's church to replace the existing gas lights
1936 Knott Memorial Hall built
1937 During renovation work, to replace the floor in St. Andrew's church, part of the old boundary cross was found under the church floor. it is now preserved on the Norman window sill in the sanctuary
1937 Lady Elizabeth Knott gifted pews, from Newcastle cathederal, to St Andrew's church
1937 The Welfare Field and the responsibility for it's maintenance was transferred to the Parish Council
1939 Start of the "Second World War"
1939 - 1945 The Knott Memorial Hall was commandeered by the War Office and used as billets for troops
1939 - 1945 The old workshops at Heddon colliery yard were taken over as an emergency printing works for the Journals and Evening Chronicles
1939 - 1945 The Men's Institute served as the headquarters of the ARP service
1939 - The tileworks opened on the site of the Margaret Pit closed
1940 - 1950
1941 Four bombs dropped in fields at Ash Tree Farm, East Heddon on 21 July 1941 causing slight damage to farm buildings. One bomb fell 50 yards from East Heddon Searchlight Station.
1942 A Spitfire VB (AA852) from 243Sqn (Ouston) flew into the ground at Heddon Colliery on 20 July 1942
1945 The Methodist Chapel was licenced for marriages
1945 The Knott Memorial Hall was requisitioned by Northumberland County Council, and after fitting out with boilers and ovens was used as a central kitchen for the preparation of school meals, for schools in the district
1948 Street House, the birthplace of George Stephenson, was placed in the care of the National Trust
1948 The first village Flower Show was held in Crag Field on the 28th of August
1949 The village Show was moved to the first Saturday in September and a gymkhana was added
1950 - 1960
1950-57 The village show included a sheepdog trial
1952 The Church gave up it's financial responsibility for Heddon School which then became a "controlled" school
1953 Drainage scheme installed in the village by Messrs Bailey & Co of South Shields
1953 The Hearse House was handed to the vicar by the Hearse House Committe
1954 The Men's Institute closed
1954 Work commenced on constructing the 54 houses on the council estate
1954 The Knott Memorial Hall was returned for the use of village activities
1956 Suez Crisis
1956 The present Garage and Filling station was established in the village
1957 National Coal Board bought Bays Leap Farm, Town House and Heddon Mill to commence open cast mining. 70 acres of land was excavated to a depth of 200 feet to extract 2.5 million tons of coal.(site before mining)
1957 Ownership of the Men's Institute was transferred to the Parish Council and after some refurbishment was opened as the village library
1957 The marquee and exhibits for the village show was destroyed by gale force winds
1957 It was decided that rather then build a new vicarage in the grounds of the existing property, the existing building should be renovated, with the exception of the west wing that sealed off and subsequently sold
1957 Work started on building the George Bainbridge housing estate to the west of the village
1958 Heddon Railway Station was closed on the 15th of September
1958 Renovation of Heddon Vicarage completed in May.
1959 Library moved to a room in the Knott Memorial Hall
1959 The first burial in the extended lower churchyard area took place
1959 Heddon Railway Station was demolished in October
1959 A parcel of land was given over to the Ministry of Works for the preservation of the Roman Wall, as an ancient monument. Another parcel of land was sold by James Hedley for the construction of the Vallum Housing Estate
1960 - 1970
1960 A public convenience was erected in the Memorial Park
1960 A new organ was installed in the Methodist Chapel
1960 The Vallum housing estate, to the east of the village, was built by Craigie & Son
1960 The three cottages adjoining the Three Tuns Inn, known as Haddock's Hole, were demolished (Haddock's Hole was derived from Haddock Hall, the original name for the Three Tuns and the adjoining cottages)
1960 The original cottages known as Frenchman's Row were demolished and rebuilt in two sections
1962 Library moved to a room in the Men's Institute
1962 Taberna Close shopping centre opened on 17 December.
1962 Detached store built, next to the shopping centre, to house Throckley District Co operative Society. Opened December 1924
1962 A new village school was built
1963 New school completed and officially opened on 9th September.
1964 The first edition of the Vision magazine was published in September (Copies of the Vision, from this date up to 1989, are available in the local section of Newcastle City library)
1965 On completion of the Open cast mining Bays Leap farm was sold by the Coal Board to Mr. John Moffitt
1965 The Commons Registration Act required all Common Land to be registered before July 1968.
1970 - 1980
1971 A69 Bypass of Heddon was built
1971 Blacksmith shop moved to new premises and the original smithy is taken over by the Swan Inn and converted to a dining room
1974 Heddon Library was built
1974 Perfume factory established in the village
1975 Newcastle to Carlisle trunk road is opened, bypassing the village
1975 Killiebrigs housing estate was built by Barratts
1977 Heddon Methodist Church celebrates its Centenary
1977 Heddon Art Group produced an illustrated map of the village in celebration of the Queen's Silver Jubilee
1978 Perfume factory moved into premises beside shopping centre originally occupied by the Throckley District Co-operative Society
1980 - 1990
1981 Diamond Jubillee of Halls of Heddon
1981 Wedding of Charles, Prince of Wales, and Lady Diana Spencer 29th July 1981
1984 Boundary Commission Report No. 491 suggests the transfer of two parcels of land, containing four properties (three at Street Houses, the fourth at Oakwood Lodge) from the parish of Heddon-on-the-Wall to Wylam parish and, as part of the tidying up on the boundary in the Street Houses area, the transfer of two small undeveloped parcels of land from the parish of Wylam to the parish of Heddon-on-the-Wall.
1987 Hadrian's Wall was inscribed as a World Heritage Site, meeting three of the UNESCO criteria as:
bearing an outstanding testimony to a past civilisation; being an outstanding example of a building and technology which illustrates a significant stage in human history; and being an outstanding example of landuse which is representative of a culture.
1987 'Ad Murum Singers' mixed voice choir founded by Miss Freda Philipson.
1989 The Peace Garden was created behind the Methodist Chapel
1990 - 2000
1990 Heddon in Bloom voluntary organisation formed in February 1990 (founded by Gordon Stewart, Alison Laker and others).
1990-1 Gulf War - a war waged by a U.N.-authorized coalition force from thirty-four nations led by Britain and the United States, against Iraq.
1991 The Knott Memorial Hall was purchased by the Parish Council for a nominal sum
1991 Heddon village was runner up in best large village in the Northumbria in Bloom competition
1992 Heddon village was awarded best village in the Castle Morpeth in Bloom competition
1992 Heddon village was runner up in best large village in the Northumbria in Bloom competition
1993 Gift Shop opened adjacent to the site of Hadrian's Wall
1994 Close House Mansion was refurbished at a cost of just under one million pounds for use by Newcastle University as a conference centre, with classrooms and offices
1995 Heddon village was best large village in the Northumberland Village of the Year competition
1995 Heddon village was first runner up in best large village in the Northumbria in Bloom competition
1996 Heddon village was best large village in the Northumbria in Bloom competition
1996 Heddon St Andrews Football Club founded
1997 Heddon village was best large village in the Northumbria in Bloom competition
1997 Heddon Common officially opened as a Nature Reserve
1997 Diana, Princess of Wales, killed in a car crash in Paris, 31 August 1997
1998 Angel of the North sculpture erected in Gateshead
1901 Marconi invented radio
1901 A series of child deaths from Diphtheria forced the village school to close for a period
1902 The government relieved voluntary schools of all running expenses. Control passed to Local Authorities
1902 The Margaret Pit, situated at the foot of Heddon Bank, and the last deep mine to be worked in the village, was bought by the Throckley Coal Co and was worked until the early 1930's. After that it's reserves were accessed from the Isabella Pit at Throckley
1902 On 26th June 1902 an oak tree was planted by Fenwick Charlton Esq. on the green at the top of Station Road for the coronation of Edward VII
1903 Wright brothers flew the first power driven aircraft
1905-1932 The Rev Wm. G. Pringle ran a private school, at the vicarage, offering a higher education to local children
1907 The sundial on the cottages at Heddon Square (Frenchman's Row), was restored.
1907 Viscount Ridley of Blagdon conveyed the property at East Heddon to Northumberland County Council to be employed as small holdings
1908 Old Age Pension was introduced
1908 The original entrance porch of the Methodist Chapel was moved from the south wall and rebuilt on to the west end and a schoolroom was built on to the south wall
1908 A forge was set up in the "Swan Inn"
1910 - 1920
1910 Mains gas was laid into the village
1913 A large fire broke out at Town House Farm destroying buildings and livestock. It was fought by local people until the fire brigade from Newburn arrived, having been alerted by a youth on a bicycle.
"A fire took place early yesterday morning at Heddon Town Farm, Heddon-on-the-Wall, seven miles west Newcastle. Most the stable consumed, four horses being suffocated." 11 November 1913 - Yorkshire Post and Leeds Intelligencer
1914 Start of the "First World War"
1914 -18 Sir James Knott took the tenancy of 'Merci Beaucoup' cottage, for the use of wives and mothers visiting wounded soldiers, convalescing at Holyn Hall. Sir James ran a competition to name the cottage, the winner receiving a prize of £1.00. The winning name was inscribed on a lintel above the door
1915 Quarries on the west side of the village were closed
1916 Sir James Knott sold the Prince Line
1917 The first Women's Institute in Northumberland was founded in Heddon
1918 The Clayton family sold Bays Leap, Heddon Mill and Town House to Adam and James Hedley of Newcastle and East Town Farm and several other pieces of land to Sir James Knott
1920 - 1930
1920 Houses erected along the Military road. Two cottages close to The Three Tun's were erected by Sir James Knott, for the Thompson family, and were to be the start of a model village. The soil from the excavation of these two cottages was used to fill in the village pond. These cottages were later extended to the east to fill in the gap betwen them and the cottages in Haddock's Hole
1920's The introduction of a Bus services removed the need to walk up and down Heddon Banks to the Railway Station
1921 Halls of Heddon started in business
1921 Sir James Knott gifted 13 stained glass windows to St Andrew's church
1922 WI Hall built by Mr. Tulip, the local village joiner and undertaker, on a piece of land donated by Sir James Knott. It was officially opened by Mrs Hugh Middleton of Belsay Hall, on 14th October.
1922 The unveiling ceremony took place for the memorial, erected in honour of those men from the village, who lost their lives in the 1914-18 war. The memorial was situated on the drained site of the village pond
1923 Haulage Contracting business (Tulips) was established in the village
1924 Sir James Knott held an auction of property that he owned in the village
1924 The Welfare Field was purchased by the Miner's Welfare Scheme Association from Sir James Knott
1924 The blacksmith's shop, adjoining the Three Tuns Inn, was bought by the Throckley District Co op and converted into a shop, which opened on the 5th of October
1925 The site of the war memorial was enhanced by the creation of the Memorial Park, funded by Sir James Knott. It was officially opened on the 11th of November
1926 The General Strike in support of the miners failed
1926 John Logie Baird demonstrated the first television
1926 The road between Heddon and Throckley was improved including lowering the section of the road that passes through Gorse(Great) Hill. These works exposed part of Hadrian's Wall, some sixty yards of which had to be removed.
1926 Newcastle Breweries acquired the Three Tuns Inn
1929 Houses were erected along Station Road
1929 Lady Margaret Annie Knott died on board the family yacht (8th of March)
1930 - 1940
c1930 Houses were erected along the Hexham Road
1930 Library service started in Heddon. A weekly delivery of books was made to the school
1931 Brickworks associated with the Margaret Pit closed
1931 Margaret Coal Pit closed
1931 A service station was established in the village, the site had previously contained a large wooden garage.
1932 Mains electricity was brought into the village
1932 Street lights were erected in the village
1933 The village hearse was dismantled
1934 The vestry floor in St. Andrew's church was renewed as a result of dry rot.
1934 Sir James Knott died
1934 The Rural District Council, obtained a loan from the Ministry of Health,which was used to improve the water supply to the village
1934 The churchyard extension to the lower church banks was consecrated
1935 Blaney Row and Moor Court cottages, which had been a part of the parish of Heddon, were ceded to the parish of Newburn
1936 Houses were erected on Heddon Banks
1936 Electric lighting was installed in St Andrew's church to replace the existing gas lights
1936 Knott Memorial Hall built
1937 During renovation work, to replace the floor in St. Andrew's church, part of the old boundary cross was found under the church floor. it is now preserved on the Norman window sill in the sanctuary
1937 Lady Elizabeth Knott gifted pews, from Newcastle cathederal, to St Andrew's church
1937 The Welfare Field and the responsibility for it's maintenance was transferred to the Parish Council
1939 Start of the "Second World War"
1939 - 1945 The Knott Memorial Hall was commandeered by the War Office and used as billets for troops
1939 - 1945 The old workshops at Heddon colliery yard were taken over as an emergency printing works for the Journals and Evening Chronicles
1939 - 1945 The Men's Institute served as the headquarters of the ARP service
1939 - The tileworks opened on the site of the Margaret Pit closed
1940 - 1950
1941 Four bombs dropped in fields at Ash Tree Farm, East Heddon on 21 July 1941 causing slight damage to farm buildings. One bomb fell 50 yards from East Heddon Searchlight Station.
1942 A Spitfire VB (AA852) from 243Sqn (Ouston) flew into the ground at Heddon Colliery on 20 July 1942
1945 The Methodist Chapel was licenced for marriages
1945 The Knott Memorial Hall was requisitioned by Northumberland County Council, and after fitting out with boilers and ovens was used as a central kitchen for the preparation of school meals, for schools in the district
1948 Street House, the birthplace of George Stephenson, was placed in the care of the National Trust
1948 The first village Flower Show was held in Crag Field on the 28th of August
1949 The village Show was moved to the first Saturday in September and a gymkhana was added
1950 - 1960
1950-57 The village show included a sheepdog trial
1952 The Church gave up it's financial responsibility for Heddon School which then became a "controlled" school
1953 Drainage scheme installed in the village by Messrs Bailey & Co of South Shields
1953 The Hearse House was handed to the vicar by the Hearse House Committe
1954 The Men's Institute closed
1954 Work commenced on constructing the 54 houses on the council estate
1954 The Knott Memorial Hall was returned for the use of village activities
1956 Suez Crisis
1956 The present Garage and Filling station was established in the village
1957 National Coal Board bought Bays Leap Farm, Town House and Heddon Mill to commence open cast mining. 70 acres of land was excavated to a depth of 200 feet to extract 2.5 million tons of coal.(site before mining)
1957 Ownership of the Men's Institute was transferred to the Parish Council and after some refurbishment was opened as the village library
1957 The marquee and exhibits for the village show was destroyed by gale force winds
1957 It was decided that rather then build a new vicarage in the grounds of the existing property, the existing building should be renovated, with the exception of the west wing that sealed off and subsequently sold
1957 Work started on building the George Bainbridge housing estate to the west of the village
1958 Heddon Railway Station was closed on the 15th of September
1958 Renovation of Heddon Vicarage completed in May.
1959 Library moved to a room in the Knott Memorial Hall
1959 The first burial in the extended lower churchyard area took place
1959 Heddon Railway Station was demolished in October
1959 A parcel of land was given over to the Ministry of Works for the preservation of the Roman Wall, as an ancient monument. Another parcel of land was sold by James Hedley for the construction of the Vallum Housing Estate
1960 - 1970
1960 A public convenience was erected in the Memorial Park
1960 A new organ was installed in the Methodist Chapel
1960 The Vallum housing estate, to the east of the village, was built by Craigie & Son
1960 The three cottages adjoining the Three Tuns Inn, known as Haddock's Hole, were demolished (Haddock's Hole was derived from Haddock Hall, the original name for the Three Tuns and the adjoining cottages)
1960 The original cottages known as Frenchman's Row were demolished and rebuilt in two sections
1962 Library moved to a room in the Men's Institute
1962 Taberna Close shopping centre opened on 17 December.
1962 Detached store built, next to the shopping centre, to house Throckley District Co operative Society. Opened December 1924
1962 A new village school was built
1963 New school completed and officially opened on 9th September.
1964 The first edition of the Vision magazine was published in September (Copies of the Vision, from this date up to 1989, are available in the local section of Newcastle City library)
1965 On completion of the Open cast mining Bays Leap farm was sold by the Coal Board to Mr. John Moffitt
1965 The Commons Registration Act required all Common Land to be registered before July 1968.
1970 - 1980
1971 A69 Bypass of Heddon was built
1971 Blacksmith shop moved to new premises and the original smithy is taken over by the Swan Inn and converted to a dining room
1974 Heddon Library was built
1974 Perfume factory established in the village
1975 Newcastle to Carlisle trunk road is opened, bypassing the village
1975 Killiebrigs housing estate was built by Barratts
1977 Heddon Methodist Church celebrates its Centenary
1977 Heddon Art Group produced an illustrated map of the village in celebration of the Queen's Silver Jubilee
1978 Perfume factory moved into premises beside shopping centre originally occupied by the Throckley District Co-operative Society
1980 - 1990
1981 Diamond Jubillee of Halls of Heddon
1981 Wedding of Charles, Prince of Wales, and Lady Diana Spencer 29th July 1981
1984 Boundary Commission Report No. 491 suggests the transfer of two parcels of land, containing four properties (three at Street Houses, the fourth at Oakwood Lodge) from the parish of Heddon-on-the-Wall to Wylam parish and, as part of the tidying up on the boundary in the Street Houses area, the transfer of two small undeveloped parcels of land from the parish of Wylam to the parish of Heddon-on-the-Wall.
1987 Hadrian's Wall was inscribed as a World Heritage Site, meeting three of the UNESCO criteria as:
bearing an outstanding testimony to a past civilisation; being an outstanding example of a building and technology which illustrates a significant stage in human history; and being an outstanding example of landuse which is representative of a culture.
1987 'Ad Murum Singers' mixed voice choir founded by Miss Freda Philipson.
1989 The Peace Garden was created behind the Methodist Chapel
1990 - 2000
1990 Heddon in Bloom voluntary organisation formed in February 1990 (founded by Gordon Stewart, Alison Laker and others).
1990-1 Gulf War - a war waged by a U.N.-authorized coalition force from thirty-four nations led by Britain and the United States, against Iraq.
1991 The Knott Memorial Hall was purchased by the Parish Council for a nominal sum
1991 Heddon village was runner up in best large village in the Northumbria in Bloom competition
1992 Heddon village was awarded best village in the Castle Morpeth in Bloom competition
1992 Heddon village was runner up in best large village in the Northumbria in Bloom competition
1993 Gift Shop opened adjacent to the site of Hadrian's Wall
1994 Close House Mansion was refurbished at a cost of just under one million pounds for use by Newcastle University as a conference centre, with classrooms and offices
1995 Heddon village was best large village in the Northumberland Village of the Year competition
1995 Heddon village was first runner up in best large village in the Northumbria in Bloom competition
1996 Heddon village was best large village in the Northumbria in Bloom competition
1996 Heddon St Andrews Football Club founded
1997 Heddon village was best large village in the Northumbria in Bloom competition
1997 Heddon Common officially opened as a Nature Reserve
1997 Diana, Princess of Wales, killed in a car crash in Paris, 31 August 1997
1998 Angel of the North sculpture erected in Gateshead
