'Newburn' is a semi rural village in
Newcastle upon Tyne,
England, in the
metropolitan county of
Tyne and Wear.
As of 2001, the area had a population of 41,294. It is situated on the north bank of the
Tyne, opposite to the
Gateshead area of
Blaydon. Newburn is of considerable antiquity.
Roman remains have been discovered in proximity to
Hadrian's Wall. A
church here was destroyed by
fire in
1072 in the course of a dispute between two claimants of the
earldom of
Northumberland. Here in
1640, the
Battle of Newburn took place. The
Scottish Covenanters planted
guns to protect them while fording the
river, after which they defeated the
English on the
County Durham (now Gateshead) side at Stellaheugh, and subsequently occupied Newcastle upon Tyne. The name of Scotswood, one of the
manufacturing villages between Newburn and the city, commemorates one of their positions. The district has many associations with the famous engineer
George Stephenson, who was married in Newburn Parish Church. The village is also the birthplace for an earlier steam pioneer
William Hedley, whose first locomotive
Puffing Billy was built in 1812, two years prior to his rivals first locomotive.
More recently, Newburn is renowned for the independent
micro brewery "The Big Lamp" and attached
pub, "The Keelman" which serves meals and the brewery's own
cask ale. The Keelman pub stands at the entrance to the Tyne Riverside Country Park, approximately 6 miles from the neighbouring village of
Wylam.
From 1894 to 1974 Newburn along with other suburbs to the west of Newcastle were governed by Newburn
Urban District Council. Under the
Local Government Act 1972 it became part of the metropolitan borough of
Newcastle-upon-Tyne in the metropolitan county of
Tyne and Wear.
Notable people from Newburn
Three professional
footballers,
Jimmy Jones,
Ralph Allen, and
Tommy Hall, were born in Newburn.
References
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