Acomb, Northumberland

For the suburb within the City of York, see Acomb, North Yorkshire.
Acomb
Acomb
 Acomb shown within Northumberland
Population 1,184 (2001 census)[1]
OS grid referenceNY931664
Unitary authorityNorthumberland
Ceremonial countyNorthumberland
RegionNorth East
CountryEngland
Sovereign stateUnited Kingdom
Post town HEXHAM
Postcode district NE46
Dialling code 01434
Police Northumbria
Fire Northumberland
Ambulance North East
EU Parliament North East England
UK ParliamentHexham
List of places
UK
England
Northumberland

Coordinates: 54°59′31″N 2°06′32″W / 54.992°N 2.109°W

Acomb is a village in the south of Northumberland, England.[2] It is situated to the north of Hexham,[3] not far from the junction of the A69 road and A6079 road. The name is Anglo-Saxon Old English acum, 'at the oak trees'.

History

Some Bronze Age cists have been discovered in this vicinity.[3] Hadrian's Wall runs about 1 mile (1.5 km) to the NE of Acomb, where the site of Chesters Roman fort is located.

Governance

Acomb is in the parliamentary constituency of Hexham.

Economy

In this area there was much mining and quarrying. The coal mine at Acomb in 1886 employed 200 workers and 51,000 tons of coal per annum were raised. It was good coking coal and 41 coke ovens were in use. At Fallowfield then still working was another lead mine, where the Romans had mined and quarried. In 1886 the mine employed 120 men, mining lead and barites.[4]

Religious sites

The pleasing church of St John Lee on the hillside amid the trees is dedicated to St John of Beverley, a local hermit and supposedly worker of miracles. There was a medieval church, but it was rebuilt in 1818 by Dobson and in 1885 enlarged by Hicks, so that it has a tower with spire — a landmark that can be seen from Warden, Hexham and all around. In 1765 at St John Lee Church a most remarkable marriage was celebrated. The bridegroom was Robert Scott, a well-known Northumbrian piper. He was 90 years old and for 26 years he had moved about on crutches. His bride, Jean Middlemas, was only 25 years old and might be regarded as destined to be a nurse to an antique husband. But on his wedding day, he threw his crutches away and walked from the village of Wall, where he lived, to the church. He walked back again among a group of fellow pipers. At the conclusion of the marriage, they were regaled with cakes and ale. Was this a miracle by St John of Beverley?[4]

References

  1. ↑ Office for National Statistics: Neighbourhood Statistics
  2. ↑ United Kingdom Ordnance Survey Map, NY, Landranger (2004)
  3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 Acomb, Northumberland Local History
  4. ↑ 4.0 4.1 Rowland, T. H. (1994). Waters of Tyne (Reprint ed.). Warkworth, Northumberland, England: Sandhill Press Ltd. ISBN 0-946098-36-0.

External links

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