| Ovingham | |
|---|---|
 Ovingham Bridge | |
  Ovingham Location withinNorthumberland | |
| Population | 1,222 (2011)[1] |
| OS grid reference | NZ087634 |
| Unitary authority | |
| Ceremonial county | |
| Region | |
| Country | England |
| Sovereign state | United Kingdom |
| Post town | PRUDHOE |
| Postcode district | NE42 |
| Dialling code | 01661 |
| Police | Northumbria |
| Fire | Northumberland |
| Ambulance | North East |
| UK Parliament | |
| |
Ovingham/ˈɒvɪŋdʒəm/ is a village andcivil parish in theTyne Valley of southNorthumberland, England. It lies on theRiver Tyne 10 miles (16 km) east ofHexham with neighboursPrudhoe,Ovington,Wylam andStocksfield.
TheRiver Tyne provided an obstacle between Ovingham and Prudhoe until 20 December 1883, when a toll bridge (Ovingham Bridge) was finally opened, taking the place of the ferry.[2][3] The steel tubes are markedDorman LongMiddlesbrough, the firm which designed and built theSydney Harbour Bridge and theTyne Bridge.
Ovingham is in theparliamentary constituency ofHexham and forms part of the Bywell electoral ward for Northumberland County Council.
There was a dyehouse at Ovingham, and in 1828 William Bullock was the foreman. BothThomas Bewick from nearbyCherryburn andGeorge Stephenson from nearbyWylam had relatives who were dyers. One of Bewick's woodcuts is entitled theDyers of Ovingham, showing two men who are carrying a large tub on a pole. Mabel Stephenson, George's mother, was a daughter of an Ovingham dyer named Richard Carr. There were weavers in Ovingham, as well as a localtidewaiter, or customs inspector.[2]
The vicarage was, in medieval times, a cell for threeAugustinian canons ofHexham, and was rebuilt in the seventeenth century. It was formerly the residence of the lateFrank Atkinson, who did so much to establish theBeamish Museum inCounty Durham, and also the Bewick Trust atCherryburn.Bewick received his education in the vicarage and the church.[2]
The Ovingham 'pack-horse' bridge over the Whittle Burn consists of two segmental arches with a width of five feet between the parapets, so that it could not be used for wheeled traffic. It is likely that the Ovingham mill dam on the Tyne raised the level of the water. The bridge is grade 2 listed and required repairs to the mortar after the severe flood of 2015. The adjacent ford was replaced by a concrete road bridge in the 1960s, although this is low lying and is overtopped by the Whittle Burn during times of flood.
Whittle dean is a deep woody dell which stretches southwards & joins the Tyne east ofOvington. The waters of this dean (peculiarly soft & clear) are the most celebrated in the north of England for whitening linen cloth. Mr. William Newton's bleach green, situated on this stream at the confluence of the Tyne is known and famed throughout all these northern parts. (Mackenzie 1825).[2] The Whittle Burn can be traced back to the present day Whittledean Water Works on either side of the line ofHadrian's Wall near Welton Hall.[2]
The first three trees of the Ovingham Community Orchard were planted in the old grazing field next to the allotments by children from Ovingham First School on Friday 23 November 2018. The following morning about 40 villagers turned out to plant the remaining 21 trees. Each tree will produce a different variety of apple.
The village is served byPrudhoe railway station on theTyne Valley Line. The line was opened in 1838, and links the city ofNewcastle upon Tyne in Tyne and Wear withCarlisle in Cumbria. The line follows the course of theRiver Tyne throughNorthumberland.
Passenger services on the Tyne Valley Line are operated byNorthern. The line is also heavily used forfreight. The railway station is across theRiver Tyne on the south bank of the river technically not in Ovingham but in the neighbouring small town Prudhoe.
Bus
There are multiple bus stops in Ovingham.
The village lies about 1 mile (1.6 km) south of theA69 road giving good links withNewcastle upon Tyne,Hexham, andCarlisle. TheA695 road is accessible acrossOvingham Bridge giving access to places on the south side of theRiver Tyne includingGateshead.
Ovingham has two schools, Ovingham Middle School and Ovingham CE First School. Ovingham Middle School educates 358 children, aged 9–13.
TheChurch of England parish church ofSaint Mary has a tall slenderAnglo-Saxon tower. There are fragments of an Anglo-Saxon cross in the church, which was much enlarged in the 13th century – wider, loftier and with longlancet windows. Thenave withaisles is only twobays long, as the north and southtransepts, each with a west aisle, take up the space of two more bays. There is a longchancel with very little ornament. The churchyard has a number of gravestones in memory of prominent villagers.[2] In the porch is a stone slab commemoratingThomas Bewick who is buried in the churchyard, next to the tower.
Ovingham had a charter for a market and two annual fairs on 26 October and 26 April. There was also a monthly tryst for cattle and sheep, which was discontinued in 1823. The ceremony for the Fair was similar to that for the Stagshaw Bank Fair atCorbridge nearby. A procession moved to the principal alehouse for the 'riding of the fair', led by theDuke of Northumberland's pipers, dressed in light blue and adorned with the Duke's sign of a crescent moon.[4] The procession included the Duke's agent, bailiff, constable with many farmers and tenants. The fair was proclaimed and then they beat the bounds, returning to the tavern to drink the Duke's health from punch provided by him. After this men, women and children alike went to enjoy the amusements – stalls,Punch and Judy and performers such as fire-breathers. The custom was discontinued in time, but revived in 1969 as the 'Goose Fair', since in the days of the old Fair geese would play an important part in the sale.[5] Quill pens were made in Ovingham from goose feathers.[2]
Authority control databases: Geographic |
|---|