A set of dog-eared and characterful handwritten books record over fifteen thousand place-names from Abberwick to Youly Sike, with brief descriptions of the places, giving a fascinating overview of Northumberland (including Tyneside) around 1860, a time of great change, and they are now accessible on the Northumberland Name Books website which goes live on 1 September 2021.
The 104 Ordnance Survey Name Books for Northumberland (most housed in The National Archives, Kew) record the immense fieldwork project that lies behind the First Edition Six Inch-scale maps of the county, and all subsequent maps. The surveyors visited every corner of the county, consulting locals, describing the landscape and archaeological sites and recording gentlemen's residences, colliers' cottages, churches, chapels and now long-gone farms, ferries, wells, spas, pubs, mines and 'manufactories'.
The 104 Ordnance Survey Name Books for Northumberland (most housed in The National Archives, Kew) record the immense fieldwork project that lies behind the First Edition Six Inch-scale maps of the county, and all subsequent maps. The surveyors visited every corner of the county, consulting locals, describing the landscape and archaeological sites and recording gentlemen's residences, colliers' cottages, churches, chapels and now long-gone farms, ferries, wells, spas, pubs, mines and 'manufactories'.
Newton Seahouses (now Low Newton by the Sea) as described in the Name Books for Embleton parish
Thanks to the dedicated work of over thirty volunteers led by retired professor Diana Whaley, a full set of transcriptions and images, together with introductory sections, can now be freely searched and browsed on the website. For anyone interested in town and country, past and present, in names,
or in the story behind our mapping, this is a treasure trove well worth exploring.
Particular thanks to Irwin Thompson, Cornwell Internet, Explore, principal funders the English Place-Name Society (Jim and Mary Ann Wilkes Fund), the Society of Antiquaries of Newcastle upon Tyne and Catherine Cookson Charitable Trust.
or in the story behind our mapping, this is a treasure trove well worth exploring.
Particular thanks to Irwin Thompson, Cornwell Internet, Explore, principal funders the English Place-Name Society (Jim and Mary Ann Wilkes Fund), the Society of Antiquaries of Newcastle upon Tyne and Catherine Cookson Charitable Trust.
There are a few interactive maps of some of the areas covered by the Northumberland OS Name Books - Allendale, Redesdale and the Cheviot Hills - on this website (live and/or for download) which can be found under the navigation tag, Place Name Studies. Maps of several other Northumberland parishes are currently under construction.
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