Morpeth, Northumberland
Morpeth railway station is on the east coast line and a curve to the south of it has caused several rail crashes.[7] Remains from prehistory are scarce, but the earliest evidence of occupation found is a stone axe thought to be from the Neolithic period.[7] The first written reference is from 1080 when William de Merlay was rewarded for his part in suppressing a rebellion in Northumbria with "the Barony of Morthpeth stretching from the Tyne to the Coquet".[26][27] In 1540, Morpeth was described by the royal antiquary John Leland as "long and metely well-builded, with low houses" and "a far fairer town than Alnwick".During the 1543–51 war of the Rough Wooing, Morpeth was occupied by a garrison of Italian mercenaries, who "pestered such a little street standing in the highway" by killing deer and withholding payment for food.In the letters patent, Hervey noted that he had included the arms of the "noble and valyaunt knyght ... for a p'petuall memory of his good will and benevolence towardes the said towne".The corporation it created was controlled by seven companies: the Merchant Tailors, the Tanners, the Fullers and Dyers, the Smiths, the Cordwainers, the Weavers and the Butchers.In May 2021, the political make up of the Town Council was ten Conservatives, two Liberal Democrats, two Green and one Labour member.[53][54] Cockle Park, located slightly north of Morpeth, contains a Met Office weather station, founded in 1897.[55][56] On 6 September 2008, Morpeth suffered a severe flood,[59][60] causing damage to 1,000 properties and leading 400 residents to be evacuated.[96][97] Benjamin Ferrey designed the church in a "Neo-Norman" style,[97][95] based on the 12th century Monreale Cathedral, Sicily.Their first service was held in a tannery loft in the town in February 1693 and in 1721 a chapel was built in Cottingwood Lane,[107] which still exists as a private home.[108] The Church stands immediately to the north of the Telford Bridge[109] and is in the style of the early English era, containing a stained glass rose window and an octagonal spirelet.[116] The Morpeth Olympic Games, a professional event consisting mainly of athletics and wrestling, were staged from 1873 until 1958, barring interruptions during the two world wars.This road running race was held annually on New Year's Day from 1902 to 2004, when insurance and policing costs became prohibitively high, and winners included Commonwealth champion Jack Holden and Olympic medallist Mike McLeod.[132][133] Local news and television programmes are provided by BBC North East and Cumbria and ITV Tyne Tees.Traces of this layout remain: Old Bakehouse Yard off Newgate Street is a former burgage plot, as is Pretoria Avenue, off Oldgate.[140] The park has the William Turner Garden,[141][142] one of the only four floral clocks in England,[143] a statue of Emily Wilding Davison,[144][145] as well as other facilities and attractions.
River WansbeckCarlisle ParkMorpeth CastleMorpeth Clock TowerMorpeth stationMorpeth ChantryNorthumberlandLanguageOS grid referenceEdinburghLondonCivil parishUnitary authorityCeremonial countyRegionNorth EastCountryEnglandSovereign statePost townPostcode districtDialling codePoliceNorthumbriaAmbulanceUK ParliamentNorth Northumberlandmarket townAshingtonBedlington2011 census2001 censusNeolithicNorthumbrian GatheringNorthumberland County CouncilMorpeth railway stationseveral rail crashesMorpeth Town A.F.C.FA Vasehigh schoolfloral clocksNeolithic periodRoman occupation of BritainOld Englishantiquarianmotte-and-baileyNewminster AbbeyGospatric II, Earl of LothianFountains AbbeyKing JohnNorthern EnglandbaronsFirst Barons' WarHaw HillMargaret TudorHenry VIII'sJames IV'sHarbottle CastleantiquaryJohn LelandAlnwickRough WooingNorroy King of Armscoat of armsletters patentboroughby prescriptionCharles IIMunicipal Corporations Act 1835Second World WarRAF Morpethan air-gunnery training schoolTranwellCounty HallApril 2009unitary authoritynon-metropolitan districtCastle MorpethprecipitationRoyal Dutch Meteorological InstituteSeptember 2008 floods2008 Morpeth floodPegswoodNewbigginMorpeth's railway stationEast Coast Main Lineseveral train crashesScots GapRothburyRedesmouthHexhamArriva North EastGuide PostNewcastleBerwickWiddringtonKing Edward VI SchoolchantrySt Robert of Newminster Roman Catholic ChurchChurch of EnglandSt Mary'sAnglicanEmily Wilding DavisonSt James the GreatBenjamin FerreyMonreale CathedralSicilyRoman Catholic ChurchSt Robert of Newminster ChurchAdmiral Lord Collingwood'sRight Reverend William HogarthUnited Reformed ChurchPrimitive MethodistWesleyan ChurchMethodist Church of Great BritainExplorer ScoutMorpeth RFCworld warsFirst World WarMorpeth To Newcastle Road RaceJack HoldenMike McLeodBBC North East and CumbriaITV Tyne TeesPontop PikeBBC Radio Newcastle