A look through 150 years of headline news in and around Hexham and Tynedale has brought together stories of jobs, tourism, farming, transport, sport, tragedy and archaeological discovery.
The archive review by the Hexham Courant spans events recorded from 10 years ago to 150 years ago, showing how the concerns of local residents have changed while some themes—including work, travel and the region’s heritage—have remained familiar.
Jobs, tourism and changing services
One of the more recent stories recalled a major employment event at Hexham Auction Mart in 2016. More than 500 people visited the Tynedale Jobs Fair, where 40 businesses took part in what was described as a record employment showcase.
The fair was organised by Hexham MP Guy Opperman, with support from local employer Egger and pub operator Punch. Representatives from the Co-op and Intu shopping centres joined careers advice staff and charitable organisations to provide information and guidance for people seeking work.
The archive also records a strong tourism performance for Northumberland in 2015. Figures from Northumberland Tourism showed that visitors were staying longer and spending more, contributing £816 million to the county’s economy.
That growth came as local visitor services were being reshaped. In 2016, Hexham’s Tourist Information Centre moved from Wentworth car park to the library at Queen’s Hall, around half a mile away. Corbridge’s centre also experienced a 75 per cent reduction in the stock of items it sold.
Farming, racing and community life
Twenty-five years ago, the effects of the foot-and-mouth epidemic were still being felt across the area. Although the national outbreak had been brought mainly under control by October, restrictions on livestock movement and severe financial losses continued to affect farmers.
The Royal Society was seeking evidence for an inquiry into infectious diseases in livestock. The archive describes that inquiry as an important point in the rebuilding of agricultural strategy in the United Kingdom.
The outbreak also affected the local racing calendar. A scheduled meeting at Hexham Racecourse was cancelled, and, after the abandonment of the October 5 fixture, officials from the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs asked for the following Saturday’s October 13 meeting to be abandoned in the interests of effective foot-and-mouth control.
Other entries from the same period reflect local connections beyond Northumberland. Twenty-five visitors from Hexham travelled to Metzingen in Germany for the Weinfest, as part of the continuing Hexham–Metzingen town-twinning programme.
The archive includes a tribute to Haydon Bridge resident John Brown, who died aged 75 at the end of September. Brown had been a prolific goalscorer for Haydon Bridge’s junior football team, winning a league and cup double in the late 1950s, and was perhaps best known locally for his work as a bus driver. Born in the village, he was one of seven children raised at Martins Close and attended Shaftoe Trust School.
Older stories of danger, development and discovery
Fifty years ago, residents in Bardon Mill were being asked to help choose the route for a new bypass, which was due to begin in 1980. Elsewhere, the Tyne and Wear Metro was under construction, while the opening of Eldon Square Shopping Mall in Newcastle was seen as a sign of changing regional transport and retail patterns.
In Bellingham, an historic exhibition was looking back at the area’s past, including a picture of Roddy Thompson, described as the village’s oldest resident. At Hexham Auction Mart, farmers displayed 433 Bluefaced Leicester sheep for a prize sale in October 1976.
A serious incident was reported 75 years ago when a tanker carrying 400 gallons of methylated spirits went out of control down Greenhead Bank. It came to rest in the sitting room of a house, while three women and two children narrowly avoided being killed.
The archive also reaches back to one of Tynedale’s most notorious murder cases. One hundred years ago, Scotsman Alexander Cairns was arrested at Cupola Bridge, Whitfield, and later charged with murdering Stanley Dalton, whose body had been found in the Vallum of the Roman Wall at Limestone Bank.
At the same time, local coal pits were resuming operations after the long industrial dispute associated with the General Strike.
Travel figures from 125 years ago underline Hexham’s importance as a destination. Northumberland records stated that 17,000 people visited the town by excursion train during 1901. More than 259,000 people detrained at Hexham station that year, excluding season-ticket holders.
The oldest entries in the review focus on infrastructure, heritage and archaeology. Fords over the North Tyne and Tarset Burn were replaced with bridges at a cost of £3,300, while Halton Church—which had stood as a ruin—reopened after complete restoration. The church could seat 150 people, but more than 200 gathered inside, with many more outside to hear the Archdeacon of Durham preach.
Several thousand Roman coins were also found at Teppermoor near the Roman Wall, alongside a number of Roman altars. Together, the stories offer a long view of how Hexham and the surrounding communities have been shaped by work, movement, public services, emergencies and the remains of earlier civilisations.