We have been looking into the origins of Garden House, a stone-built, two-storey house occupying a prominent position in the centre of the village between the Church and the former Town Farm. It has a large enclosed garden on the south side which fronts onto Towne Gate. The plot is approximately 70m long by 25m wide and is shown as a garden or orchard on the 1st Edition OS Map published in 1859.

The 1:2,500 OS Map published in 1897 shows the property divided into two and a long access drive through the garden from Towne Gate. The terraced houses of Mushroom Row lie to the west as does the (then new) Methodist Chapel.

The property and its enclosed garden are clearly shown on the Tithe Award map of 1848 (numbered 9). Another plan of the village dated 1856 shows the property in the ownership of Nathaniel & John Clayton. Many parts of the village were owned by the Clayton family, including Bays Leap Farm and Heddon Mill, north of the village.

Small parcels of land in the village have other owners at that time, e.g. Messrs. Orde, Collinwood & Dutton immediately west, east (Town Farm) and north of Garden House; ‘heirs of the late J.M. Bates' (the areas occupied by Heddon Square east of the Swan Inn, and Mushroom Row (NE of the church).

Cadwallader J Bates (XXII. Heddon-on-the-Wall: The Church and Parish, Archaeologia aeliana v11 p240-294, 1886) provides useful early history.

He cites three leading families who appear to have settled in Heddon village in the 1500s/1600s: the Fenwicks, the Cresswells and the Barkases:

George Clark in his Story of Heddon on the Wall, written in the 1960s, repeats the passage about the Cresswell’s house to the east of the churchyard and identifies this as ‘probably Garden House’.

This website has several other references to Garden House including these below:

Occupations in Heddon from 1800
The people who lived in Garden House used to sell some of their spare produce to villagers. It was possible to buy 2d of 'potstuff' from them and also a bag of apples or pears for 1d.

Monuments of Heddon churchyard
152) In loving memory of my dear mother Jane Edwards who died at Garden House Heddon on the Wall Dec 25th 1894 aged 82 years.

Heddon in 1901
Garden House, to the east, was divided into two properties: one of four rooms, and one of two. The larger house was occupied by Bartholomew Watson (67) described as Market Gardener, born in High Callerton. Two elderly sisters lived next door: Isabella Curley (88) and Dorothy ?Watkin (85).

Sir James Knott
In 1918, Sir James bought property in Heddon village from the trustees of the Clayton family.

His plan had been to develop Heddon on the Wall as a model village.

In 1924 Sir James Knott decided to live abroad and went to the island of Jersey. Sir James’ sale of property in Heddon comprising 32 lots, including East Town Farm, Clayton Terrace, Blue Row, Garden House (in village), W.A. Waugh’s house and shop, and adjoining houses, Blacksmith’s shop (now Co-op store), and the Three Tuns Inn, of which Mr R Thompson (‘Spitty Dick’) was landlord, took place on 11th March 1924 under Mr Robert Donkin.
 
Memory of Mrs Elizabeth Elenora ('Nora') Eames (nee Tulip)
Mrs Jordan was the first Secretary [WI]. She lived at Garden House and was a retired schoolmistress.

Conversation with William (Alec) AND Winnie Watson, March 2001
When old Willie Jordan died George Charlton bought Garden House. He retired and he and his Mother lived there.
 
N.B. Can’t always be sure if these refer to the same Garden House (the one in Heddon village shown above) or the property of the same name situated just north of Close House below Close Lea.

There are two modern red-brick semi-detached houses just east of Garden House. The closest is called Romanby House & the eastern one is called Cresswell House. Whether this is purely coincidental or a memory of the original builders of Garden House I do not know.

In 2010, a planning application (CM/20090647) to build a dormer bungalow in the front garden of Garden House was refused on the following grounds:

• The proposed dwelling house, due to being sited upon green field land, would not be an effective / efficient use of land.
  
• The proposed dwelling house would harm the setting of the Garden House heritage asset, would not be compatible with the distinctive vernacular present in the locality, and would undermine any future attempt to secure Conservation Area status forHeddon.
  

Wikitree
https://www.wikitree.com/wiki/Cresswell-295
John (Johannes) Cresswell was born at Heddon on the Wall, Northumberland in 1667 (christened 27 October 1667), the son of George and Isabella Cresswell. He married Elizabeth Robson on 3rd January 1697 in Hexham. Their son William Cresswell was born in 1698.
Sources:
England, Select Births and Christenings, 1538-1975: 27 Oct 1667, Heddon on the Wall, Northumberland, christening, Johannes CRESSWELL, son of George and Isabella Cresswell. Film no. 0252500-0252502.
England, Select Marriages, 1538-1973: 3 Jan 1697, Hexham, Northumberland, John CRASSWELL and Elizabeth ROBSON. Film no. 991802.
 
Pedigree of Cresswell family in Hodgson’s History of Northumberland (Part 2, Volume 2)
https://books.google.co.uk/books?id=AxYMAQAAMAAJ&pg=PA202

Cresswells in John Burke (1835)

35 Cresswells are listed at Heddon on the Wall between 1666 and 1771 by a family diarist on rootsweb.

The 'Jubilee Tree' was planted for Queen Victoria's Diamond Jubilee in 1897.

In an old photo, the newly planted tree can be seen encased by metal railings set into a curving stone base. Part of the stone base is still visible below the tree, on the grass below the new Library, the railings probably removed during the Second World War. The tree appears to stand nearer to the Methodist Church in the old photo but is today just outside the modern boundary wall that now incorporates the old Hearse House within the garden of Church House.

The old photo is paired with a recent one taken from the same location on the Past & Present page.

The 'Jubilee Tree' at its best in spring. Although we locally know it as a 'Golden Maple', it is probably more likely to be the robust cultivar of the Common Sycamore, Acer pseudoplatanus 'Worleei', also spelt 'Worleii' or even 'Worley', the Golden-Leaved Sycamore Tree.

Compared to the surrounding trees, its early spring leaf colour is a bright yellow-green and the pale green colour is maintained in summer although much less distinctive. The variety is said to have been developed in Germany around 1879, but is now usurped by variagated and more colourful forms.

I noticed this inscription today on the north facing side of the memorial to John Chicken and Ann Chicken of Lemington [47]. It had not previously been recorded.

The main (east) face reads:
John Chicken of Lemington who died Oct 26th 1913 aged 63 years. Also of Ann Chicken wife of the above who died January 19th 1926 aged 73 years. "In God we trust".

The north side (adjacent to the path and shown in the above photograph) reads:
Thomas Kirkup
Chief Engineer
Lost at sea on the S.S. Cavalier
Dec. 13th 1891
Aged 44 years.

The Wrecksite website gives more information about the disaster.

On December 13th, 1891, the British cargo ship CAVALIER, built in 1878 by Doxford W. & Sons and owned at the time of her loss by Forster William, on voyage from Odessa to Falmouth with a cargo of grain, was last seen in heavy weather by the SS INDIAN PRINCE, abandoned and about 16 miles WSW from Bishop Rock. Since then, nothing was ever heard of her.

The "S.S. Cavalier" was a British iron screw steamship, official number 76,231, built in 1878 by William Doxford & Sons, at Sunderland. Her length was 279.1 ft., breadth 34.7 ft., and depth of hold 24.05 ft.

In October 1891 the "Cavalier" loaded in the Tyne a cargo of 2,538 tons of coal including bunkers for Savona, and before sailing, Captain Jennison finding the vessel with a list to port, ordered some of the crew to fill the two starboard boats with water to get her upright. One of these men, H. S. Broadbent, stated in evidence that as fast as they put water into these boats it ran out again through the seams which were leaking. The steam-steering gear which had been landed for repairs was not re-shipped; and the vessel sailed from the Tyne with a crew of 20 hands, under the command of Captain Jennison. She arrived safely at Savona, where the cargo was discharged, and she proceeded in water ballast to Odessa, where she arrived on the 15th November, and proceeded to load a cargo of wheat.

On the 21st November 1891, the "Cavalier" left Odessa with her crew of 21 hands. After taking on board 135 tons of bunker coals, she sailed from Gibraltar on 7th December, apparently in good condition, being upright and with the centre of the disc above the water.

Nothing more is known of the "Cavalier" until about 4 p.m. of the 13th December, when she was sighted by the s.s. "Indian Prince," about 16 miles W.S.W. of the Bishop's Rock, Scilly, apparently abandoned. The "Indian Prince" steamed round her, and remained near for about an hour, but as the sea was rough, and there was no sign of any life on board, she left the "Cavalier" and proceeded on her voyage. Since then nothing more has been seen of that vessel.

On the 4th January 1892, a body was washed on shore at St. Ives Bay, and on the following day two more bodies were found. One of the bodies was identified as that of the second mate of the "Cavalier." Some wreckage, apparently portions of a boat, were also found near the same place on the 4th, and on the 13th a bucket marked "Cavalier" was also found.

Newburn and District Boy Scouts Association
presents
SHOWTIME 1964
An all Scout entertainment in the
West School Hall, Walbottle Campus
25th to 28th November 1964

Newspaper cuttings kindly provided by Edward Eames (2017).

Church service on Sunday 2nd April 2017 in memory of William Brown, local mining engineer (1717-1782).

Talking of local history I am not sure if you were aware that I originally setup the online petition for the recent announcement made by the National Trust that George Stephensons Cottage is to temporary close without any consultation made to the local community and local authorities. I am delighted to say that so far 2,422 supporters have signed my petition with comments regarding the decision made by the National Trust. After contacting both the CEO and General Manager, Hadrian’s Wall & Tyne Valley (National Trust) they both agree that my petition has clearly demonstrated the strength of feeling about the birthplace and in itself adds an important ingredient to the audience research.

For the last two years the National Trust have invested in additional marketing, new signage and tea room refresh. Despite this they have continued to experience a significant drop in visitor numbers (-26% in 2016) and increasingly negative visitor feedback which provides evidence that the Stephenson story is no longer working for thier members and visitors and they are voting with their feet and now is the opportunity for a different approach to reflect on its future which will take time and potentially investment.  With limited charitable resources and to prevent any further loss in the short term and they aim to direct thier resources into finding a way forward for the birthplace. In so doing they are talking to the National Railway Museum amongst others about the Great North Exhibition in 2018 and the role Wylam can play in this to celebrate its role in the North East’s history of discovery and innovation and can see this as an opportunity to relaunch the site, demonstrating the influence it had on the young pioneer and placing him in the context of the wider region and beyond.

During this time the National Trust are arranging a programme of walks around Wylam, including a visit to the cottage, with thier volunteer walks leaders to offer a different take on how it influenced young George to then go on to achieve as much as he did whereby they will monitor how successful these are and also use them as an engagement opportunity. In doing wider audience research they have also partnered with the University of Northumbria to help both add capacity and expertise and fantastic learning experience, which I’m sure George would have approved of as it was the first thing he ensured was provided for his own son.

I would encourage as many people to continue to sign the online petition as the National Trust are completely open minded about how the cottage could be presented to better reflect its importance and welcomes all feedback and suggestions to make this site the success it should be.

Please sign the petition at change.com

John Stewart

Compared to some of the others below that show the Square Yard and Jubilee Houses in a state of dereliction, just before demolition, Mushroom Row is still full of life. Ladies stand proudly at all four front doors and their men-folk walk the dirt road in front.

These are the first photos I have seen of the Square Yard, although I knew it was there from the old maps, memories and the census. There were 16 houses in the two terraces of the Square Yard and a lot of people in the village lived there over many years.

Ad Murum

We really don't know when Heddon's St Andrew's Church was founded, but around 680 AD is the general consensus.

H.M. & J. Taylor in their monumental work 'Anglo-Saxon Architecture' put it in the period 600-800 AD).This fits with its dedication to St Andrew, which suggests that it may be contemporary with Hexham Abbey (674), Corbridge (676), Bywell St Andrew, and Newcastle St Andrew.

Bede, the Father of English History, has a couple of intriguing references in his 'History of the English Church and People', completed in 731.

In Bk.III, chapter 21, he records the baptism of one King Peada "by Bishop Finan .... at a well-known village belonging to the king (i.e. Oswy, king of Northumbria) known as 'Ad-murum', and, a little later King Sigbert was baptised "by Bishop Finan in the king's village of Ad-murum, so named because it stands close to the wall which the Roman's built to protect Britain, about twelve miles from the eastern coast". These incidents are both dated by scholars as 653 AD.

There can be little doubt that "the wall which the Roman's built ..." is Hadrian's Wall built about 122 AD, beside which Heddon village stands. Bede does not mention the name Heddon, but there is no record of this name (Hedun) in use earlier than 1175. 'Ad-murum' is translated 'At-Wall', not so different from 'On the Wall' (though in Latin our name is usually 'Hedon super murum').

Did Bede think that Hadrian's Wall began right on the coast (he twice tells of it running from sea to sea), and therefore assumed that the twelfth milecastle (at Heddon) was twelve miles from the coast?

On high ground, a splendid defensive position, Heddon as we know it would be an excellent site for 'the king's village'.

The site of Ad-murum has been located at various points from Newcastle in the east, to Walbottle and Heddon in the west. But the actual site of the King's village has never been found. The local historian, Cadwallader J. Bates, writing in 1885, argued strongly that Ad-murum with its royal villa was at Heddon.

If this is true, Heddon existed (probably under another name) in 653, and there the second Bishop of Lindisfarne, Finan, baptised the future kings of the Middle Angles and the East Saxons.

We usually date our church at 680, just after Hexham. If Ad-murum were identified with Heddon (and there is no evidence of it elsewhere) then almost certainly we could claim that we had a church here before 653.

One of the best things about Heddon on the Wall is the amazing view you get from many parts of the village.

Just how far can you see from Heddon, in what directions, and can you see the sea?

A recent post in the discussions of my favourite photo site, Geograph, asked the question about how to identify hill tops visible in photos. One of the answers was the panorama mapping tool website, heywhatsthat.

If St Andrew's Church had a steeple that would be the ideal viewing platform as the church stands on a prominent hill in the heart of the village. From ground level, though, it is surrounded by trees and other buildings, and views are limited.

The map above was generated from a panorama created from the highest part of Heddon, the seat above the old quarry on the west side of the village, behind the houses on Trajan Walk. The panorama can be explored in full detail using the following link: Heddon panorama.