Branxton, Northumberland
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Branxton is a village in northern Northumberland, United Kingdom.
It is very close to the site of the Battle of Flodden, fought September 9, 1513, between Scotland and England, the latter prevailing. A granite cross on the nearby Piper Hill (UK map reference NT890373) commemorates the battle.
The parish church, dedicated to Saint Paul, occupies the site of an ancient church which was taken down and replaced by the present structure in 1849.
A painted-concrete menagerie is to be found in the garden of one of the houses in the village: a fascinating piece of popular art, now somewhat faded. The sculptures were made, starting in 1962, by James Beveridge to designs by retired joiner John Fairnington (d. 1981) to amuse his disabled son, Edwin. As well as animals, there are statues of Winston Churchill and Robert Burns, and many texts set into the plinths and pathways. It has been a popular tourist attraction, with its own tea room, and may still be accessible by the public for free (although with a coin box for voluntary donations).
Location: 55:37:54N 2:10:09W, UK map reference NT895376, 4km from the England-Scotland border and 5.5km from the Scottish border town of Coldstream, just off the A697 Newcastle-Edinburgh road.
