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'Wylam' (IPA pronunciation: ) is a small village approximately 10 miles (16 kilometers) west of Newcastle upon Tyne. It is part of the district of Tynedale in the county of Northumberland.
It is famous for the being the birthplace of George Stephenson, one of the early rail pioneers. His cottage can be found on the north bank of the Tyne three quarters of a mile east of the village centre. It is owned by the National Trust and is open to the public. Wylam has further connections with the early rail pioneers. The steam locomotive engineer Timothy Hackworth, who worked with Stephenson, was also born here. William Hedley who was born in the nearby village of Newburn attended the village school. He later went on to design and manufacture Puffing Billy in 1813, two years before George Stephenson produced his first locomotive Blücher.

Once an industrial workplace with collieries and an ironworks, it is now a commuting village for Newcastle upon Tyne and Hexham, served by the Newcastle and Carlisle Railway. Points Bridge (or Half-moon Bridge), an 80 metre wrought iron arch with suspended decking, once carried the Scotswood, Newburn and Wylam railway over the Tyne. It is now a footbridge. Opened in 1876 at a then cost of £16,000, it is said to be the model for the later Tyne Bridge in Newcastle.
Wylam now has approximately 800 households, with a population of 2100.[1] Wylam's parish church was built in 1886 and is dedicated to St. Oswin, a Northumberland saint.
Wylam has transport links in the form of a popular train service along a main line from Carlisle to Newcastle Central Station. In contrast, the bus service to and from Wylam is poor and many services have been discontinued over recent years.

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External links

External links

★ Map of Wylam, Northumberland

★ Wylam Homepage

★ Photographs of Wylam