Local History
Widdrington Station and Stobswood (Northumberland)
Widdrington Station and Stobswood is a small parish on the coastal plain of south-east Northumberland. Much of the parish has been subject to large-scale modern opencast coal extraction.
The earliest remains are two Bronze Age axes, although they could have come in material brought to the area after opencast coal extraction. They would have been used for felling trees.
The post-medieval period saw an increase in investment towards agriculture and industry. Typical of the Agricultural Revolution was East Stobswood Farm ' a complex of specialised buildings. Industrial developments were made around the presence of large coal seams. Initially, coal was mined by a colliery and a shaft is known in the area of opencast coal extraction. Since the 1980s, the opencast coal mine now uses a massive excavator called the Ace of Spades. The parish name comes from the arrival of the railway in the 19th century and the building of Widdrington Station. The railway is still in use as the main East Coast line from Newcastle to Edinburgh.
The earliest remains are two Bronze Age axes, although they could have come in material brought to the area after opencast coal extraction. They would have been used for felling trees.
The post-medieval period saw an increase in investment towards agriculture and industry. Typical of the Agricultural Revolution was East Stobswood Farm ' a complex of specialised buildings. Industrial developments were made around the presence of large coal seams. Initially, coal was mined by a colliery and a shaft is known in the area of opencast coal extraction. Since the 1980s, the opencast coal mine now uses a massive excavator called the Ace of Spades. The parish name comes from the arrival of the railway in the 19th century and the building of Widdrington Station. The railway is still in use as the main East Coast line from Newcastle to Edinburgh.
N13821
UNCERTAIN
Disclaimer -
Please note that this information has been compiled from a number of different sources. Durham County Council and Northumberland County Council can accept no responsibility for any inaccuracy contained therein. If you wish to use/copy any of the images, please ensure that you read the Copyright information provided.