Rothbury

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For the town of the same name in New South Wales, Australia see Rothbury, New South Wales
For the town of the same name in Michigan, USA see Rothbury, Michigan
Rothbury
Rothbury (Northumberland)
Rothbury

Rothbury shown within Northumberland
Population 2,500
OS grid reference NU056017
District Alnwick
Shire county Northumberland
Region North East
Constituent country England
Sovereign state United Kingdom
Post town MORPETH
Postcode district NE65
Dialling code 01669
Police Northumbria
Fire Northumberland
Ambulance North East
European Parliament North East England
UK Parliament Berwick-upon-Tweed
List of places: UK • England • Northumberland

Coordinates: 55°18′35″N 1°54′39″W / 55.3097, -1.9109

River Coquet
Settlements
River Coquet at Rothbury
River Coquet at Rothbury

Rothbury is a town in Northumberland, England, located on the River Coquet near the Simonside Hills and the Northumberland National Park. The town is popular with walkers, and is known for the Victorian mansion Cragside, located nearby.

Contents

[edit] Development as a market town

The first mention of Rothbury, according to a local history,[1] was in around 1100 AD, as Routhebiria, or "Routha's town" ("Hrotha", according to Beckensall).[2] An Anglican cross in the town's church is the only surviving pre-conquest remains. The town was retained as a crown possession after the conquest, being made over to the lords of Warkworth in 1204. Rothbury was a relatively important town in Coquetdale, being a crossroads situated on a ford of the river Coquet, with turnpike roads leading to Newcastle upon Tyne, Alnwick, Hexham and Morpeth. It was chartered as a market town in 1291, and became a centre for dealing in cattle and wool for the surrounding villages. A market cross was erected in 1722, but demolished in 1827. In the 1760s, according to Bishop Pococke, the town also had a small craft industry, including hatters. At that time, the town's vicarage and living was in the gift of the Bishop of Carlisle, and worth £500 per year.

View of the village centre

Village centre

Village centre

A golf course on one side of the river

Where most of the shops are - the main road is just yards away

View from other end of the 'shop street'

[edit] Parish church

The current parish church is from circa 1850, largely replacing but in parts incorporating the fabric of a former Saxon edifice, including the chancel, the east wall of the south transept, and the chancel arch. The church has a font with pre-Saxon stem or pedestal, and what is reputed to be the earliest carved representation in Great Britain of the Ascension of Christ.

[edit] Railway

The town was the terminus of a branch line from Scots Gap on the North British Railway line from Morpeth to Reedsmouth. It was closed to passenger trains on 15 September 1952, and is now closed completely. The town is now served by a bus service which runs via Longframlington, Longhorsley, Morpeth and continues to Newcastle, the nearest city.

[edit] Racecourse

Until 1965, Rothbury was the location of a racecourse, which staged only one meeting per year, in April.

[edit] References

  1. ^ Frank Graham (1975) Rothbury and Coquetdale. Northern History Booklet No. 65. ISBN 0-85983-092-6
  2. ^ Stan Beckensall (2001) Northumberland The Power of Place. Tempus Publishing Ltd ISBN 0-7524-1907-2

[edit] See also

[edit] External links

Major settlements in Northumberland
Alnwick | Ashington | Bamburgh | Bedlington | Berwick-upon-Tweed | Blyth | Cramlington | Haltwhistle | Hexham | Morpeth | Newbiggin-by-the-Sea | Ponteland | Prudhoe | Rothbury | Seahouses | Wooler