Ashington

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Coordinates: 55°10′51″N 1°34′05″W / 55.1809, -1.5681

Ashington
Ashington shown within Northumberland
Population	27,335 (2001 census)
OS grid reference	NZ2787
District	Wansbeck
Shire county	Northumberland
Region	North East
Constituent country	England
Sovereign state	United Kingdom
Post town	ASHINGTON
Postcode district	NE63
Dialling code	01670
Police	Northumbria
Fire	Northumberland
Ambulance	North East
European Parliament	North East England
UK Parliament	Wansbeck
List of places: UK • England • Northumberland

Ashington is a town in the Wansbeck district of Northumberland, England.

Ashington has a population of around 27,000 people and it was a centre of the coal mining industry. The town is located some 15 miles (24 km) north of Newcastle off the A189. The south of the town is bordered by the River Wansbeck. The North Sea coast at Newbiggin-by-the-Sea is about 3 miles (5 km) from the town centre.

The mining workers of Ashington gave a 'Hooky mat' to their friends in Ashington, West Sussex, where it is now displayed in the village hall.^{[clarification needed]}

Contents 1 History 1.1 Early History 1.2 Coal Mining 1.3 Growth of the town 2 Geography 2.1 Climate and soil 3 Environs and villages surrounding Ashington 4 Transport and Road Links 5 Town's facilities 5.1 Shopping 5.2 Museums and libraries 5.3 Sports 5.4 Accommodation 5.5 Food and drink 5.6 Parks walks and green spaces 5.7 Gardening and allotments 6 Education 7 Healthcare 8 Local Media 9 Politics 10 Industry and Employment 11 Arts and culture 12 Sport 13 References 14 See also 15 Further reading 16 External links

[edit] History

[edit] Early History

The name Ashington possibly originates from Essdene which has been referenced since 1170 and this name may have originated from the Aesc, Saxon invader who sailed from Northern Germany to the River Wansbeck and settled in the deep wooded valley near Sheepwash. But it could also have come rom valley of Ash Trees which would have lined the valley and the Saxon word Dene means valley giving the name 'Ash Dene'^[1]. In the 1700s all that existed of Ashington was a small farm with a few dwellings around.

[edit] Coal Mining

The first evidence of mining was from bell shaped pits and mineworkings done by monks. They were discovered in the 20th century during tunnling, some citation is needed. Ashington was built up from being a small hamlet in the 1840s, as the Duke of Portland constructed housing to encourage workers escaping the potato famine to come and work at the local collieries he was founding. As in many other parts of Britain, "deep pit" coal mining in the area declined during the 1980s and 1990s leaving just one colliery, Ellington until January 2005. In 2006 limestone was found in the town and plans for an opencast mine on the outskirts of the town have been put forward, although many people have objected to it. During the peak time of coal-mining, it was considered to be then the "world's largest coal-mining village". There is now a debate about whether Ashington should be referred to as a town or a village—if accepted as a village it would be one of the largest villages in England.

[edit] Growth of the town

As the coal mining industry grew more people were encouraged to leave the countryside and settle in Ashington. This led the Ashington Coal Company to build parallel rows of colliery houses. Some newcomers even came from as far as Cornwall because they had mining skills from working in Tin mines.

With the growing coal industry came the necessity of a railway link. Ashington was linked to the Blyth and Tyne Railway in the 1850s, and also to the East Coast Main Line near Ulgham. The railway was also used by passenger trains until the Beeching Axe in 1964 closed the railway station. The train station which was first called Hirst station when opened in the 1870s. The railway travels south towards the deep sided River Wansbeck valley where it originally crossed on a wooden viaduct, which was replaced by the steel built Black Bridge, seen today.

Due to a need for medical services in 1913 ^[1] the Ashington hospital was built, located about 1/4 mile from the town centre, the hospital was largely expanded in the 1950s and 60s with large new wings. Several Schools opened in Ashington too.

Traditionally the area to the east of the Railway was called Hirst and that to the west was Ashington proper. Although collectively called Ashington both halves had their own park. Hirst Park (opened in 1915) in the east and and The People's Park in the west.

The colliery built houses were built in a grid plan. The streets running north to south were named after British trees, such as Hawthorn Road, Beech Terrace, Pont Street. The east-west running streets were numbered avenues, starting with First Avenue near the town centre, finishing at Seventh Avenue towards the southern end. After the 1920s houses in Ashington were built by the council, and were most often semi-detached such as Garden City villas. These occupied much of the fields in the Hirst area. New estates were built in different areas. The worst example was built in the 1950s of prefab concrete and was soon demolished. The biggest building programme was in the late 1960s ^[2]and saw Ashington extend south from Seventh Avenue opposite the Technical college ^[3]towards North Seaton and south eastwards towards the A189. Some of the houses at the top end of Alexandra Road were private homes. New streets appered between 1965 and 1975, Highfield Drive, Norwich Close, Debdon Road. During this building programme several new schools were built for example Coulson Park, Seaton Hirst Middle. Community shops and a nightclub were built off Faifield Drive. The late 1970s and early 1980s saw construction of Nursery park opposite North Seaton Hotel. This south to the banks of the River Wansbeck. The late 1980s and 1990s saw the building of the Wansbeck Estate between the River Wansbeck and Green Lane.

In the late 1960s the area by the railway station was developed into Wansbeck Square, housing a supermarket, council offices and a public library, built partly over the railway line.

In 1981 the Woodhorn pit closed and its chimney was demolished. In the late 1980s this became a museum. In 1988 Ashington Pit was closed and is now occupied by a business park. In 2004 the hospital was demolished with the new hospital located near Woodhorn being used instead. In the early 2000s maisonette flats in various parts of Hirst were demolished and parts of the Moorhouse and Woodbridge estate opposite Woodhorn pit were demolished.

The railway is still used by the Alcan aluminium plant nearby and there have been calls to restore the railway station for passenger use with services to Newcastle ^[4].

An Ashington urban district was created in 1896, covering part of the parish of Ashington and Sheepwash and part of the parish of Bothal Demesne. It took in Hirst in 1914, then Sheepwash, most of Woodhorn and the remainder of Bothal Demesne in 1935. The urban district survived until 1974, when under the Local Government Act 1972 it became part of the Wansbeck district.^[5]

In October 2008, plans to opencast 2m tonnes of coal in Ashington were approved. UK Coal's plans which were first submitted in 2005, would create 60+ jobs.^[6]

Many inhabitants have a distinctive accent and dialect known as Pitmatic. This varies from the regional dialect known as Geordie.

[edit] Geography

Ashington is located in south east Northumberland, which is a largely urban area adjacent to Newcastle. Most of the area is of flat non-undulating ground, formed during Carboniferous period when ancient tropical swamp forests were buried and formed the coal seams that have given this area its significance. The local geology is of yellow sandstone. The topography of the town is quite flat. The land to the north west of the town is slightly undulating due to mining subsidence, which sometimes causes farmland to be flooded. The south east part of the town is slightly raised giving views to the north across Ashington. From certain parts of town the Cheviot hills are visible about 30 miles (48 km) to the north.

The town is of roughly a square shape lying north to south. The town centre is to the North of the town. south of this are residential areas. Farmland is on both east and west flanks. The south part is residential with the River Wansbeck to the South. To the east of the town is the small coastal town of Newbiggin and to the West is the small village of Bothal on the River Wansbeck. South of the town is the small village of North Seaton which once had its own pit. North of the town about 2 miles is the village of Linton and north east of the town is Lynemouth.

Also to the north of the town is a large lake called Queen Elizabeth II lake. This is surrounded by pine woodland plantation. The original Ashington colliery was on the north west of the town and the smaller Woodhorn pit was on the north east.

[edit] Climate and soil

The climate is cool temperate. Summers are drier than on the west coast of Britain, but cooler than southerly areas. Winters are dominated by easterly winds from the sea and northely winds. Winters are cold at times sometimes with snow. The soil is of a dark brown colour free draining and gritty. It is very good for growing vegtables. Vegetation is temporate. Tender perenials are rare some palms will only grow with winter protection. Although Phormiums (New Zealand flax) grow in displays in Newbiggin, salt-laden winds may afford them some protection. The most exposed part of the town is to the east. High trees in Hirst Park give considerable shelter. The west part is much more sheltered especially the wooded valley of the River Wansbeck.

[edit] Environs and villages surrounding Ashington

Working in a clockwise direction from the north west of Ashington are the following places.

• Linton, A small village, originally developed for mineworkers at the Linton Colliery. This village looks unique from the air in that its almost square and its streets are in a parallel grid-plan.
• Ellington, A newer village which was located next to Ellington Colliery.
• Lynemouth, Close to the coast this village is next to the Alcan Lynemouth Aluminium Smelter.
• Woodhorn, A tiny hamlet with a church on the road to Newbiggin. Some of the area of Ashington adjacent to Woodhorn pit museum is also called Woodhorn.
• Newbiggin-by-the-Sea, A small town or village, this is a former seaside resort, visited by locals. It has a beach, but due to coastal erosion a large sea wall was built in the late 1980s. Newbiggin offers bed and breakfasts, cafes and some shops.
• Cambois, (Pronounced Cammis) Is a small village south of the River Wansbeck. It is quite spread about. Cambois has some fishing cottages on the mouth of the river. It has a beach, and views along the coast towards north Bylth and Blyth.
• North seaton, A village on the north bsnks of the River Wansbeck. It was formely a mining village, but most of its population moved to Ashington. North Seaton had its own small colliery.
• Stakeford, Originally a small village south of the River Wansbeck, this is an area mainly of residential estates.
• Guide Post, A residential village on the road towards Morpeth, it has a school and some shops.
• Sheepwash, This is a crossing point on the River Wansbeck, before it flows west towards Bothal.
• Bothal, A quiant historic village on the wooded banks of the River Wansbeck. Bothal has cottages and a 14th Century castle Bothal Castle. Riverside walks can be taken along the wooded riverbank.
• Pegswood, Village on the main East Coast Mainline. The village has a train station with local trains.
• Longhirst, Small hamlet on the East Coast Mainline.

[edit] Transport and Road Links

Until the Richard Beeching cuts of the 1960s Ashington was on the British Rail passenger network, with passenger trains to Newbiggin and Newcastle. The railway is used now by freight trains, but there have been calls for the station to re-open. ^[7] The nearest mainline railway station is Pegswood on the East Coast GNER line, about 3 miles from the town centre. Local services from here go to Newcastle, Cramlington, Morpeth, Alnwick, Berwick.

At the east end of the main shopping street is the bus and coach station, with local buses around Northumberland and to Newcastle. National Express services also arrive and depart from the station.

Ashington is well served by roads. The A189 (Spine Road) to the east of Ashington runs south via Blyth and North Tyneside to Newcastle and the A19 Tyne Tunnel to South Tyneside and the A1(M). The A189 also runs north along the coast to Alnwick and Berwick. The A196 runs west towards Morpeth and the A1 which goes north to Scotland and Edinburgh or south to the A1(M) near Newcastle on towards Durham and Yorkshire.

The nearest airport is Newcastle Airport which provides scheduled domestic flights, flights covering most major cities of Europe and also holiday charter flights. There is a ferry port in Newcastle with services to Rotterdam and Norway.

[edit] Town's facilities

[edit] Shopping

The main shopping street/town centre in Ashington is on Station Road located on the North side of the town. The shopping area provides several high street stores, and some smaller independent outlets. Postal services and banks are found here. There are cafes, restaurants and travel agents in the town centre. Butchers and bakers are also found in the town centre. There is a large supermarket located behind the bus station, and another smaller supermarket, with a nearby fast-food outlet. A weekly market is provided behind the main street around Portland park adjacent to Lintonville.

[edit] Museums and libraries

A reasonable sized public library with a good collection of books fiction and non-fiction, is located adjacent to Wansbeck Square. The local museum is at Woodhorn pit. It is mainly a museum of the towns mining history, with pictures and models. There are also various arts exhibits in the museum and information on local history.

[edit] Sports

Ashington provides various sports facilities and numerous sports clubs. A leisure centre is located on Institution Road at the north west of the town. There is a 25m swimming pool here and a smaller shallow pool. The Hirst park provides two good bowling greens, tennis and basketball courts. The local league football club plays at Portland Park but will soon move to the Welfare field, and there is a Rugby club and Cricket is played off Kennilworth Road not far from the town centre.

[edit] Accommodation

There are some bed and breakfasts in Ashington, and perhaps more in Newbiggin. There is also a holiday centre/caravan site located near Sandy Bay off the A189 about 3 miles to the south east of the town centre.

[edit] Food and drink

Ashington provides many cafes, restaurants, takeaways, pubs and clubs. There are numerous fish and chip shops located throughout the town, some offering 'eat in' areas as well as take away. There are several kebab shops and also numerous Chinese and Indian takeaways.

[edit] Parks walks and green spaces

The riverside park in Ashington provides a peaceful riverside setting to relax or take walks. There are public footpaths and bridleways from here towards the quaint village of Bothal with its photogenic castle above the river.

The People's Park near the leisure centre off Institute road is a large green field suitable for recreation. Hirst Park is located off Hawthorn Road; it provides summer floral displays, bowling greens and is sheltered by tall trees, to the north of the park is a large green sports field.

At Woodhorn is the Queen Elizabeth II park. This is surrounded by pine wood and has a large lake with a narrow gauge railway. Walks from here head out towards Linton and eastwards towards the seaside town of Newbiggin following the old railway line.

The nearest beaches are located at Newbiggin and also at Creswell located on Druridge Bay about 4 miles to the north east.

[edit] Gardening and allotments

From views on Google Earth most residents in Ashington have access to growing their own fruit or vegtables. Many homes have some sort of garden, if not large Allotments are located in several loactions in and around Ashington.

[edit] Education

The system of First School, Middle School and High School is used in this area. There are about 10 state schools in Ashington. Schools were first built by the Ashington coal company, but many have since been replaced. There are also two Roman Catholic Schools in Ashington. Further Education (after 16)can be taken at Ashington Technical College, which offers A'levels, NVQs, vocational courses and various evening classes too. Higher Education, can be taken in Newcastle at University of Newcastle which has a medical school or at Northumbria University also in Newcastle.

[edit] Healthcare

There are numerous General Practitioner (GP) surgeries in Ashington. The main Wansbeck General Hospital in Ashington, which has A&E is located at the north east of the town near Woodhorn.

[edit] Local Media

The local Newspapers are: The Evening Chronicle, The Journal, these papers cover Tyneside and south east Northumberland. The Newspost Leader covers mostly Wansbeck. BBC Radio Newcastle and Metro (independant) radio provide local radio broadcasts. Television news is provided by ITV Tyne Tees and BBC Look North. These TV sations cover most of the north east, County Durham, Teeside, Tyneside and Northumberland.

[edit] Politics

Ashington is part of the Wansbeck district in south east Northumberland. As of 2009^[update] the local member of parliment is Dennis Murphy of the Labour party and the council is Labour run.

[edit] Industry and Employment

Until 1988 the majority of the towns male population was employed in the mining industry. The closure of the pits led to large unemployment. However limited coal mining was carried out until recently at Ellington colliery and opencast coal extraction is carried out at Butterwell Opencast Ashington's close proximety to Newcastle makes it an ideal commuter town for people working in Newcastle. Today most of the work and industry in Ashington is based in retail for instance town centre shops, the hospital provides various jobs, the aluminium plant at Lynemouth, Northumberland technical college, and various industrial estates and buisness parks around the town provide employment. Some people may work in the construction industry and there is self employment.

[edit] Arts and culture

In 1934 some of the Ashington miners enrolled in painting classes as an alternative pastime, and then began to produce paintings to sell at local markets to supplement their poor wages. They achieved unexpected success and approval from the art community and were given prestigious gallery exhibitions during the 1930s and 1940s under the name "The Pitmen Painters", although the group had called themselves "The Ashington Group". In the 1970s the group's work was "rediscovered" and popularised as "workers' art" and given international exhibitions. On 26 October 2006 a new £16m museum housing the work was opened in Ashington by Princess Anne.^[8]

The book "Pitman Painters" by William Feaver, recording the development of the Ashington Group, 1934 to 1984, has been made into a play by Lee Hall, well known for Billy Elliot. The play premiered at the Live Theatre, Newcastle upon Tyne, in 2007, and subsequently was produced at The Royal National Theatre, London in 2008 and 2009.

Ashington has appeared in various movies and TV programmes, such as Spender staring Jimmy Nail, Our Friends in the North in 1996, The Fast Show on BBC1 and the Alcan chimneys were seen in Billy Elliot.

[edit] Sport

The town is home to Ashington A.F.C. and has produced no less than 10 professional footballers Jack Milburn, Jackie Milburn, Jimmy Adamson, Jackie Charlton, Bobby Charlton, Colin Ayre, David Thompson, Chris Adamson, Martin Taylor and Peter Ramage.

Cricketing brothers Steve Harmison and Ben Harmison are also from the town.

Property developer Sir John Hall, former Chairman and Life President of Newcastle United Football Club was born in the town in 1933.

Also golfer Kenneth Ferrie who has played on the PGA Tour originates from Ashington.

Motorcycle speedway racing was staged at the football ground in 1972 when two meetings took place. The team, which raced one match, were known as the Ashington Arrows.

A leisure centre with 25m swimming pool is located on Institute Road.

[edit] References

[edit] See also

• List of towns in England

[edit] Further reading

• McCullough Thew, Linda (31 Oct 1985). The Pit Village and the Store: Portrait of a Mining Past. Pluto Press. ISBN 978-0745300696. 
• Kirkup, Mike (1993). The Biggest Mining Village in the World. ISBN 0-946098-30-1. 
• Kirkup, Mike (2003). Hirst - Recollections of an Ashington Community. ISBN 1-902527-49-6. 

[edit] External links

• Ashington Colliery Band
• Ashington Community website
• Northumberland College
• Ashington Salvation Army
• Northumberland Communities (Accessed: 5 November, 2008)

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