SOME PLACES OF INTEREST AROUND WYLAM

One of Wylam's most famous sons is George Stephenson "The Father of the Railways" he was born in 1781 and His birth place, a small stone cottage built around 1750, is a major tourist attraction especially with railway enthusiasts. There is also The Wylam Railway Museum an attractive small museum showing the importance of Wylam in the history of railways and the work of George Stephenson and other famous local railway pioneers who developed the Wylam History which was used along the Tyne river between Scotswood and Wylam via Newburn.

It is still possible to walk The Wylam Waggonway a pleasant walk highlighting the nice things the countryside has to offer.

(You may think there is a spelling error in the title but the correct spelling of "waggonway" has two "g"'s. A Waggon was the term used for a truck for carrying coal. The size of these waggons was measured in "bols". (1 boll = 2.35 cwts - approx. 110 Kg) - the waggons used at Wylam were the largest at 24 bols.

Beyond Wylam

Within walking distance is Prudhoe which has its own castle. There still remains a considerable amount of Prudhoe Castle left. It dates back to the 12th Century and still has a gatehouse, curtain wall and keep. An exhibition and a video on the castles of Northumbria can be seen in the Georgian Manor House. Hexham Abbey was founded by St. Wilfrid, Bishop of York c.674. It was a Benedictine Abbey and a Saxon apse, frith stool and chalice still remain and is well worth a visit. It has been Hexham's parish church since 1537. For more information visit Northumberland County Council

The Romans

One of the most famous structures ever to be built in the history of the world is Hadrian's Wall stretching from the NorthEast coastline to Carlisle. Wylam offers a fantastic starting point to explore what the Romans were doing some 2000 years ago from Once Brewed to Vindolanda a fort and civilian settlement with full size reconstruction of Hadrian's Wall. Recent excavations have uncovered rare Roman documents and other objects, which form an outstanding exhibition. It also has a superb museum set in charming gardens. There is also a new open-air museum featuring reconstructed temple, shop and house. Housesteads is perched high on a ridge offers breathtaking views of open moorland, adjoining one of the best sections of Hadrian's Wall. The fort covers 5 acres and contains the remains of many buildings including the latrines, as well as a small museum. For more information visit The Roman Army Museum Hadrian's wall offers sightseers, tourists and walkers a real good insight into history in a beautiful part of England.

Links to business in the area - www.near.co.uk

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