Birtley, Tyne and Wear
Encyclopedia
Birtley is a town in the Metropolitan Borough of Gateshead
, in Tyne and Wear
, England
. It is situated to the south of Gateshead
town and is physically linked to Chester-le-Street
across the County boundary in County Durham
. Until 1974, Birtley and the adjoining areas of Barley Mow, Vigo and Portobello were part of the old Chester-le-Street Rural District. Since 1974, these neighbouring areas have been considered part of 'greater' Birtley. Birtley was a civil parish
with a parish council (which also covered the adjoining neighbourhoods) until April 1, 2006 after a local referendum agreed to abolish it. The former parish has a population of 11,377.
Birtley lies within the historic county boundaries
of County Durham
and uniquely among settlements in Gateshead, Birtley forms part of the Chester-le-Street
post town in the Durham (DH) postal area.
, ROF Birtley, and the Komatsu Heavy Engineering Company which operates from the previous premises of Birtley Iron Works (1827-, which became premises of the Caterpillar Company in the mid 20th century). A 'CarCraft Hypermarket' has been recently built on the site of an old factory in south west Birtley, reclaiming much wasted brown field site.
The Royal Ordnance Factory was a major target of the German Luftwaffe
in World War II
. Thanks to its reputation as a 'misty valley', Birtley
and the factory survived any hits. The phrase 'misty valley' was coined by Tommy Lawton, a worker at the ROF in the 1970s.
The ROF factory which is operated by BAE is to be replaced by a new purpose built 350000 sq ft (32,516.1 m²) factory in nearby Washington replacing the old Dunlop Tyre factory. The entire Birtley workforce will move to this site. Construction of the site began in late 2009.
Just near to the site of the old station, is where the well known Birtley Brick Works was located. Once employing most of the town's workforce, it is a shadow of its former self.
Mining was a very important industry in Birtley. Birtley Iron Company had 10 pits in the area surrounding Birtley employing 3736 below ground and 960 people above ground. There was also a lot of coal mining in the area with the earliest recorded instance was in 1351. This continued until the 1960s when the trade declined.
Antony Gormley's famous Angel of the North
completed in February 1998 is situated on high ground on the site of the baths of the old 'Betty Ann Pit' to the north of Birtley and overlooks the area. It seen by around 90,000 people per day by people on the A1 and on the east coast mainline. A recently finished car park near the Angel was laid to accommodate the increased number of people stopping to see it.
In the 1960s and 70s - private housing was built on the Vigo Estate. The construction of modern housing has continued in the North West of the town until recently.
, Gary Madine
, the broadcaster and TV presenter Matthew Davies and Chris Felton, a radio presenter and producer for Metro Radio
, CFM Radio
and the Magic Network.
, which runs from Topcliffe, North Yorkshire
through to the north of Newcastle upon Tyne
, and is the same road which runs across the Tyne Bridge
. This was an original route for the Great North Road and the A1 until a bypass was built (which was upgraded to motorway standard in the 1960s).
The main East Coast railway line is used as a county border to the west of the town. Mainline trains used to stop at the town's long dismantled station. Birtley Railway Station was closed on December 5, 1955. Her sister, The Station Hotel, was closed in 1971, having been opened in 1868 or earlier.
There are several bus services that travel from Birtley to the surrounding towns, the most notable is the 21 bus service, a 24-hour bus service going to Newcastle Chester-le-Street and Durham.
Metropolitan Borough of Gateshead
The Metropolitan Borough of Gateshead is a metropolitan borough of Tyne and Wear, in North East England. It is named after its largest town, Gateshead, but also spans the towns of Rowlands Gill, Whickham, Blaydon and Ryton; suburban areas include Felling, Pelaw, Dunston and Low Fell.It is bordered...
, in Tyne and Wear
Tyne and Wear
Tyne and Wear is a metropolitan county in north east England around the mouths of the Rivers Tyne and Wear. It came into existence as a metropolitan county in 1974 after the passage of the Local Government Act 1972...
, England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
. It is situated to the south of Gateshead
Gateshead
Gateshead is a town in Tyne and Wear, England and is the main settlement in the Metropolitan Borough of Gateshead. Historically a part of County Durham, it lies on the southern bank of the River Tyne opposite Newcastle upon Tyne and together they form the urban core of Tyneside...
town and is physically linked to Chester-le-Street
Chester-le-Street
Chester-le-Street is a town in County Durham, England. It has a history going back to Roman times when it was called Concangis. The town is located south of Newcastle upon Tyne and west of Sunderland on the River Wear...
across the County boundary in County Durham
County Durham
County Durham is a ceremonial county and unitary district in north east England. The county town is Durham. The largest settlement in the ceremonial county is the town of Darlington...
. Until 1974, Birtley and the adjoining areas of Barley Mow, Vigo and Portobello were part of the old Chester-le-Street Rural District. Since 1974, these neighbouring areas have been considered part of 'greater' Birtley. Birtley was a civil parish
Civil parish
In England, a civil parish is a territorial designation and, where they are found, the lowest tier of local government below districts and counties...
with a parish council (which also covered the adjoining neighbourhoods) until April 1, 2006 after a local referendum agreed to abolish it. The former parish has a population of 11,377.
Birtley lies within the historic county boundaries
Historic counties of England
The historic counties of England are subdivisions of England established for administration by the Normans and in most cases based on earlier Anglo-Saxon kingdoms and shires...
of County Durham
County Durham
County Durham is a ceremonial county and unitary district in north east England. The county town is Durham. The largest settlement in the ceremonial county is the town of Darlington...
and uniquely among settlements in Gateshead, Birtley forms part of the Chester-le-Street
Chester-le-Street
Chester-le-Street is a town in County Durham, England. It has a history going back to Roman times when it was called Concangis. The town is located south of Newcastle upon Tyne and west of Sunderland on the River Wear...
post town in the Durham (DH) postal area.
Industry
Birtley is the home of the Royal Ordnance FactoryRoyal Ordnance Factory
Royal Ordnance Factories was the collective name of the UK government's munitions factories in and after World War II. Until privatisation in 1987 they were the responsibility of the Ministry of Supply and later the Ministry of Defence....
, ROF Birtley, and the Komatsu Heavy Engineering Company which operates from the previous premises of Birtley Iron Works (1827-, which became premises of the Caterpillar Company in the mid 20th century). A 'CarCraft Hypermarket' has been recently built on the site of an old factory in south west Birtley, reclaiming much wasted brown field site.
The Royal Ordnance Factory was a major target of the German Luftwaffe
Luftwaffe
Luftwaffe is a generic German term for an air force. It is also the official name for two of the four historic German air forces, the Wehrmacht air arm founded in 1935 and disbanded in 1946; and the current Bundeswehr air arm founded in 1956....
in World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
. Thanks to its reputation as a 'misty valley', Birtley
Birtley
Birtley can refer to several villages in England:*Birtley, Herefordshire*Birtley, Northumberland*Birtley, Shropshire*Birtley, Tyne and Wear*Birtley, Surrey...
and the factory survived any hits. The phrase 'misty valley' was coined by Tommy Lawton, a worker at the ROF in the 1970s.
The ROF factory which is operated by BAE is to be replaced by a new purpose built 350000 sq ft (32,516.1 m²) factory in nearby Washington replacing the old Dunlop Tyre factory. The entire Birtley workforce will move to this site. Construction of the site began in late 2009.
Just near to the site of the old station, is where the well known Birtley Brick Works was located. Once employing most of the town's workforce, it is a shadow of its former self.
Mining was a very important industry in Birtley. Birtley Iron Company had 10 pits in the area surrounding Birtley employing 3736 below ground and 960 people above ground. There was also a lot of coal mining in the area with the earliest recorded instance was in 1351. This continued until the 1960s when the trade declined.
Angel of the North
Angel of the North
The Angel of the North is a contemporary sculpture, designed by Antony Gormley, which is located in Gateshead,formerly County Durham, England.It is a steel sculpture of an angel, standing tall, with wings measuring across...
completed in February 1998 is situated on high ground on the site of the baths of the old 'Betty Ann Pit' to the north of Birtley and overlooks the area. It seen by around 90,000 people per day by people on the A1 and on the east coast mainline. A recently finished car park near the Angel was laid to accommodate the increased number of people stopping to see it.
Housing developments
The town itself, has been host to major housing developments since the 1950s. Several council estates were created to replace the old squatters camps, taken over at the end of the second world war and also the village created to house Belgian refugees during the first world war.In the 1960s and 70s - private housing was built on the Vigo Estate. The construction of modern housing has continued in the North West of the town until recently.
Schools and education
There are several primary schools in Birtley including one large senior school, Lord Lawson of Beamish School, situated in the West. The school was rebuilt in 2007 and the old build later demolished. There are several famous past students from Lord Lawson, including footballers Bryan RobsonBryan Robson
Bryan Robson OBE is an English football manager and a former player. He is best known for playing in midfield for Manchester United, where he was the longest serving captain in club history. He was the manager of Sheffield United, being relieved of his first team duties at the club in February 2008...
, Gary Madine
Gary Madine
Gary Lee Madine is an English footballer who plays for Sheffield Wednesday as a striker.He began his career with Carlisle United, where he made his first team debut in 2007. He was sent out on loan in 2009, first with Rochdale and then Coventry City before joining Chesterfield in 2010 on loan...
, the broadcaster and TV presenter Matthew Davies and Chris Felton, a radio presenter and producer for Metro Radio
Metro Radio
Metro Radio is an independent local radio station based in Newcastle upon Tyne and broadcasting to Tyne and Wear, County Durham and Northumberland. The station's output is principally contemporary pop and dance music...
, CFM Radio
CFM Radio
CFM Radio is an Independent Local Radio station broadcasting to Northern & Central Cumbria and the southern tip of Scotland, with transmitters in Carlisle, Penrith and West Cumbria. Its musical output is popular hits of all genres, with mostly today's hits being featured...
and the Magic Network.
Religion
There are altogether three mainstream Churches in Birtley; these consist of:- St Joseph's (RC)
Built in 1843 after the 1791 Catholic Relief Act and designed by John Dobson in early Gothic style. Currently serving in this parish are Fr Antony Duffy and Deacon Peter Lavery. - St John the Evangelist (CofE)
- Birtley Methodist Church
- Birtley also has a large Cemetery with a Chapel and Crematorium.
Transport links
The main road through Birtley is the non-primary A167A167 road
The A167 is a road in North East England. Most of its route was formerly the A1 as most of it is the original route of the Great North Road until the A1 was re-routed with the opening of the A1 in the 1960s....
, which runs from Topcliffe, North Yorkshire
Topcliffe, North Yorkshire
Topcliffe is a village and civil parish in the Hambleton district of North Yorkshire, England. The village is situated on the River Swale, close to the A168 and about five miles south-west of Thirsk...
through to the north of Newcastle upon Tyne
Newcastle upon Tyne
Newcastle upon Tyne is a city and metropolitan borough of Tyne and Wear, in North East England. Historically a part of Northumberland, it is situated on the north bank of the River Tyne...
, and is the same road which runs across the Tyne Bridge
Tyne Bridge
The Tyne Bridge is a through arch bridge over the River Tyne in North East England, linking Newcastle upon Tyne and Gateshead. It was designed by the engineering firm Mott, Hay and Anderson, who later designed the Forth Road Bridge, and was built by Dorman Long and Co. of Middlesbrough. At the time...
. This was an original route for the Great North Road and the A1 until a bypass was built (which was upgraded to motorway standard in the 1960s).
The main East Coast railway line is used as a county border to the west of the town. Mainline trains used to stop at the town's long dismantled station. Birtley Railway Station was closed on December 5, 1955. Her sister, The Station Hotel, was closed in 1971, having been opened in 1868 or earlier.
There are several bus services that travel from Birtley to the surrounding towns, the most notable is the 21 bus service, a 24-hour bus service going to Newcastle Chester-le-Street and Durham.