Whickham
| Whickham | |
 Whickham Metro Centre |
|
  Whickham Whickham shown within Tyne and Wear | |
| Population | 16,263 (2001) |
|---|---|
| OS grid reference | NZ205605 |
| Metropolitan borough | Gateshead |
| Metropolitan county | Tyne and Wear |
| Region | North East |
| Country | England |
| Sovereign state | United Kingdom |
| Post town | NEWCASTLE UPON TYNE |
| Postcode district | NE16 |
| Dialling code | 0191 |
| Police | Northumbria |
| Fire | Tyne and Wear |
| Ambulance | North East |
| EU Parliament | North East England |
| UK Parliament | Blaydon |
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Whickham is a village in North East England, 5 miles (8.0 km) south west of Newcastle upon Tyne, and is situated on high ground overlooking the River Tyne. It has a population of 16,263.[1] Its postal address is Whickham, Newcastle upon Tyne, NE16.
Whickham is a middle class village, with the large suburban housing estates being home to many of the region's professionals, and with many social, cultural and business activities, it is one of the most sought after addresses in the area. Whickham has been a national finalist in the RHS 'Britain In Bloom' competition, and, as of 2012, has twice been awarded 'outright national winner' in its category.
From the Romans to the early English settlement to the Norman Conquest, agriculture, the Anglo-Scottish wars, the Reformation, the dawn of railway transportation, electoral reform, twentieth century war to suburbia, all of these great historical themes have influenced life in Whickham. The 19th century inventor and plutocrat industrialist Lord W.G. Armstrong was schooled in the village.
The parish, which contains the ancient townships of Swalwell and Whickham, and part of Fellside, is bounded on the north by the Tyne, on the west by the parish of Stella, and on the south-west and south by Lamesley and Marley Hill. The ancient parish also included Lowside or Dunston, which was formed into its own distinct parish in 1872. The part of Fellside which included the villages of Marley Hill and Sunniside, now form part of the township of Marley Hill. The parish priest is Revd. Barry Joseph Abbott.
To the south-west, above the River Derwent, are the ruins of Old Hollinside, a fortified manor house once owned by the Bowes-Lyon family.
The village underwent some expansion in the 1950s when the so-called Lakes Estate was built just off Whickham Highway. Then later in the decade the Oakfield Estate just off Whaggs Lane was built. However house building in the early 1960s truly transformed the village into a small town. Grange Lane Estate began the seemingly unending development by J. T. Bell, (Bellway), the builder, who went on into Clavering Park, Clavering Grange, the Cedars and then Fellside Park. There is some debate however, that the real spirit of the village was lost when the main street of Whickham was redeveloped.
References
- Whickham Web Wanderers
- Whickham Football Club
- Whickham U21's and Junior Teams
- Whickham Businesses, Services, News and Events Guide
See also
External links
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Wikisource has the text of the 1911 Encyclopædia Britannica article Whickham. |