Everything about Corbridge totally explained
Corbridge is a small town in
Northumberland,
England, situated 16 miles (25 km) west of
Newcastle and 4 miles (6 km) east of
Hexham. Villages in the vicinity include
Halton,
Acomb,
Aydon and
Sandhoe.
History
Roman fort and town
Known to the
Romans as something like
Corstopitum or
Coriosopitum, wooden writing tablets found at
Vindolanda suggest it was probably locally called
Coria (meaning a tribal centre), it was the most northerly town in the
Roman Empire, lying at the junction of
Stanegate and
Dere Street.
The first
fort was established
c. AD
85, although there was a slightly earlier base nearby at
Beaufront Red House. By the middle of the
2nd century AD, the fort was replaced by a town with two walled military compounds, which were garrisoned until the end of the Roman occupation of the site. The best-known finds from the site include the stone
Corbridge Lion and the
Corbridge Hoard of armour and sundry other items. It is served by
Corbridge railway station.
In
Rudyard Kipling's
Puck of Pook's Hill, the town of Hunno on the Wall, is probably based on Corstopitum.
Church and fortified vicarage
The
Church of England parish church of
St Andrew is thought to have been consecrated in
676.
St Wilfrid is supposed to have built the church at the same time as
Hexham Abbey was constructed. It has changed several times throughout the centuries, with a
Norman doorway still in evidence, as well as a lych gate constructed in memory of the soldiers killed in the
First World War. There are only three fortified vicarages in the county, and one of these is in Corbridge. Built in the
14th century, the
Vicar's Pele is to be found in the southeast corner of the churchyard, and has walls 1.3 m (4 feet) in thickness. The register for St Andrews dates from
1657. Later on in the town's ecclesiastical history, Wesleyan, Primitive and Free
Methodist chapels were all built too.
Border warfare
Corbridge suffered, as did many other settlements in the county, from the border warfare which was particularly prevalent between
1300 and
1700. Raids were commonplace, and it wasn't unusual for the
livestock to be brought into the town at night and a watch placed to guard either end of the street for marauders. A
bridge over the Tyne was built in the
13th century, but this original hasn't survived. The present bridge, an impressive stone structure with seven arches, was erected in
1674.
Fairs and shows
Stagshaw Bank Fair, traditionally held on
4 July, was one of the most famous of the country fairs. It included a huge sale of stock, and was proclaimed each year by the
bailiff to the
Duke of Northumberland. Today the Northumberland County Show, an agricultural event, is held in the fields outside Corbridge each year, a very popular rural event, drawing people from all over Northumberland as well as further afield.
Famous residents
Further Information
Get more info on 'Corbridge'.
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