Kilham, Northumberland
Encyclopedia
Kilham is a hamlet and civil parish in the English
county of Northumberland
, located 8 miles (12.9 km) west of Wooler
, 12 miles (19.3 km) east of Kelso, 17 miles (27.4 km) south west of Berwick upon Tweed and 38.9 miles (62.6 km) north west of Morpeth
. It lies on the northern edge of the Northumberland National Park
in Glendale
. The hamlet, which consists of a small group of agricultural dwellings, is overlooked by Kilham Hill and the northern limits of the Cheviot Hills
. The parish had a population of 131 in 2001, and includes the hamlets of Howtel
and Pawston, along with the former upland township of Coldsmouth and Thompson's Walls.
Situated on the border with Scotland
, Kilham had a turbulent history. It suffered from repeated Scottish incursions, and was often destroyed and laid waste. The situation was considered serious enough for a report to be made to the Privy Council of England
, about a raid in 1597 which had resulted in the death of several villagers. In later, more peaceful times, the area developed into an agricultural backwater, which was gradually opened up by the construction of roads and railways.
s. The name was still spelt Killum as late as the 18th century.
settlements exist in the area around Kilham, and a cairn
on Kilham Hill, excavated in 1905, was found to conceal a cist
containing burnt bones, thought to date from the period. A bronze rapier
blade dating from 1500–1000 BC, found near the Bowmont Water
in the 19th century, and now in the National Museum of Scotland
in Edinburgh
, provides further evidence of Bronze Age activity in the parish.
Iron Age
hillforts
are found throughout the Cheviot Hills
, and the parish contains examples at Bowmont Hill, Kilham Hill, Pawston Camp, and Wester Hill. Such hillforts were not necessarily defensible, and the small interior area of most suggests they were not permanent settlements. Although some may have served as defended farmsteads, others are likely to have been animal enclosures, market places or places of worship. An enclosure at Barley Hill, in the north of the parish, is considered to have been a small farmstead, consisting of roundhouses
and adjacent stockyards.
Towards the end of the first millenium BC, all of the remaining upland forest in the area had been cleared, and increasing numbers of settlements or homesteads were established on the high moorland. Some of these appear to have been built within the ramparts of earlier hillforts, which had been abandoned for some time. A well preserved settlement at Longknowe is thought to be Romano-British, although this part of Northumberland
lay beyond the Roman frontier for much of the period of occupation. Small enclosed homesteads such as this are likely to have continued in use for several centuries, and were probably only abandoned as the population moved to lower lying hamlets during the Early Medieval
period.
In 651 King Oswine
granted 12 named vill
s, or townships, including Shotton, and perhaps Thornington, along with a large tract of land beside the Bowmont Water, to Saint Cuthbert. The villagers would have been required to hand over the major proportion of any surplus produce and labour from these communities to the church.
By the 13th century, Kilham formed one of the constituent manors of the barony of Wark on Tweed
. The barony had been established by King Henry I
, and granted to Walter l'Espec
, one of his principal agents of government in Northern England
. The lord of the manor was Michael of Kilham, although he did not possess the whole township, part being held by Kirkham Priory
in North Yorkshire
, which had been founded by the barons of Wark. In 1269 it was recorded that the priory had 1,000 sheep feeding on the "great moor" of Kilham. Land at Shotton and Coldsmouth was held by Kelso Abbey
in the Scottish Borders
. The manorial lordship passed through various hands to the Greys of Chillingham Castle
, who eventually consolidated ownership of the whole township, in the 17th century acquiring the former Kirkham Priory holdings, which had earlier been sold by the crown after the dissolution of the monasteries
.
A bastle
, or fortified farmhouse, was built at the north end of the village in the late 16th or early 17th centuries.
Right up to the end of the 16th century, Kilham had suffered repeated Scottish
incursions. Every valuation of the village's lands in the 15th century revealed a state of waste and destruction. In 1541 the lack of any defensive structure was criticised by Sir Robert Bowes
and Sir Ralph Ellerker
, the Border Commissioners
, who strongly urged that a tower be built in the village. They also reported on the tower at Howtel, which had been "rased and casten downe" during an invasion in 1497. Howtel Tower is mentioned again by Sir Henry Hadston, who in 1584 reported to Queen Elizabeth I
that it was one of a number of towers needing repair. Sir Robert Carey
, Lord Warden of the Marches
, in 1597 reported to the Privy Council of England
:
A map dated 1712 shows two rows of dwellings and toft enclosures in the village. A total of 19 buildings are shown, plus a watermill to the north beside the Bowmont Water, and three buildings to the south west at Longknowe. The village appears to extend slightly further along the lane to Longknowe than the current hamlet. Although not shown on the map, the ruins of an earlier chapel are believed to have existed in Chapel Field, on the hillside to the south east of the village.
By the latter part of the 19th century Kilham consisted of a large farm with farmhouse and two rows of cottages for the farm's workforce. There was, in addition, a smithy and a post office. To the south, Thompson's Walls was by 1800 an estate with a farm complex laid out around a square courtyard. Hemp
and flax
were grown, and a small mill is shown on maps from the 1860s onwards. The adoption of new agricultural techniques and improvements to the area's transport infrastructure resulted in greater prosperity for Kilham's farming community in the late 18th and 19th centuries. Enclosure of common land was intended to increase efficiency, bring more land under the plough, and reduce the high prices of agricultural production, and Howtel Common was enclosed in 1779. Female bondagers, or outworkers, were employed to work in the fields up to the end of the 19th century. The system was recorded in the Scottish Borders
as early as 1656, and subsequently spread into Glendale
. Agricultural labourers, known as hinds, were required to provide a female, often a relative or a girl living with the hind's family, who would be on call as a day labourer whenever required. The bondager's work was regarded as paying the rent of the hind's cottage.
Thomas Henry Scott, a police constable from Pawston, was murdered in 1880, while attempting to arrest two poachers
at Hethpool. He had been blugeoned and beaten.
The Alnwick and Cornhill Railway, owned by the North Eastern Railway
, opened in 1887, providing a rail link to Wooler and Cornhill on Tweed. There was no station at Kilham, the nearest being at Mindrum
and Kirknewton
, but sidings were built to handle goods traffic. Passenger services were withdrawn in 1930, with a goods and parcels service continuing until 1965. Kilham sidings closed in 1953.
Farming at Kilham during most of the 20th century concentrated on rearing pedigree Aberdeen Angus cattle
. However, mechanisation and the decline in farming incomes resulted in the farm ceasing to function as an independent unit. In 1988 the Kilham estate was divided into three separate farms: Kilham, Longknowe and Thompson's Walls. Longknowe Farm now specialises in breeding and rearing sheep and suckler cows, while Kilham Farm is leased to a neighbouring farmer at Thornington, and some of the buildings have been converted into workshops.
in Glendale
, at the mouth of Kilham Burn. Settlement is limited to dispersed farmsteads and small hamlets, of which Kilham is the largest. Glendale has a clearly defined valley floor and pronounced raised terraces. The area is relatively well wooded, with both coniferous plantations and broadleaved woodland on the surrounding hills, and areas of alder woodland and pollarded willow along the valley floor. The river forms part of the River Tweed Site of Special Scientific Interest, designated in 2001 due to its biological interest, and the River Tweed Special Area of Conservation, designated under the European Habitats Directive for the biological interest within the river system.
To the south, the area is dominated by Kilham Hill, 1109 feet (338 m) high, and above Longknowe, in the valley of Kilham Burn, is the former township of Coldsmouth and Thompson's Walls, lying in the northern limits of the Cheviot Hills
. The geology of the upland area is composed of Devonian
igneous rocks, and the landscape is characterised by smooth rolling hills and extensive plateaux of semi-natural acidic grass moor, known locally as white grass. There are areas of heather
moorland and, in wetter parts, blanket bog
dominated by dwarf shrubs, sedges
, sphagnum moss
and cotton grass. Coniferous woodland plantations are common on the upper valley slopes, with the remnants of broadleaved woodland, gorse
scrub and meadow grassland in the steep sided valleys. The area reaches a height of 1358 feet (413.9 m) at Coldsmouth Hill.
On the opposite side of the dale, to the north, are the hamlets of Howtel
and Thornington. Much of this area consists of glacial gravel, and both sand and gravel were extracted at Thornington. Upstream on the Bowmont Water, the former township of Pawston lies to the south west.
Northumberland
is the coldest county in England
, with mean summer temperatures in the northern lowlands 0.5°C below those found 100 kilometres to the south. Kilham is sheltered from the prevailing winds, which are from the south west, but there are cold winds from the east in winter. The growing season
is between April and November. The low mean temperature and high rainfall result in water-logging of fine textured soils, and leaching of nutrients from soils with a coarser texture. The nearest weather station
for which comprehensive records are published is at Boulmer
, located 29.8 miles (48 km) south east of Kilham, on the North Sea
coast.
Kilham, Coldsmouth and Thompson's Walls, Howtel
and Pawston were four of 15 townships in the ancient parish of Kirknewton
, one of the largest parishes in England
. Following the Poor Law Amendment Act 1834
, parishes were grouped into unions: Glendale Poor Law Union
was created in 1837. Under the Public Health Act 1848 the area of the poor law union became Glendale Rural Sanitary District, which from 1889 formed a second tier of local government under Northumberland County Council
. The four townships became civil parishes in their own right, separate from Kirknewton but within the sanitary district, in 1866, and under the Local Government Act 1894
became part of Glendale Rural District
. Coldsmouth and Thompson's Walls, Howtel and Pawston were amalgamated into Kilham in 1955. Glendale Rural District was abolished in 1974, and became part of the newly created Borough of Berwick upon Tweed
, which was in turn abolished as a result of the Northumberland (Structural Change) Order 2008
, under which Northumberland
became a unitary authority in 2009.
Kilham now forms part of Wooler
electoral division
of Northumberland County Council, represented by Anthony Murray of the Conservative Party
, who was elected to the new council on its creation in 2008. The parish does not have a parish council.
Since 1885, Kilham has been part of Berwick upon Tweed
parliamentary constituency. It has been represented by Sir Alan Beith
, the deputy leader of the Liberal Democrats
, since he won a by-election
in 1973.
, owned since 2011 by Hong Kong
based Cheung Kong Infrastructure Holdings
. Water supplies come from an aquifer
, and are abstracted by borehole
s. The electricity distribution company
serving Kilham is Northern Powergrid
, formerly known as CE Electric, which is owned by Berkshire Hathaway
, a multinational conglomerate
based in Nebraska
.
The North East Ambulance Service
, formed in 2006, provides ambulance and paramedic services, operating out of the ambulance station at Wooler
. The general provision of health services is the responsibility of Northumbria Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust. The nearest hospital is Berwick Infirmary in Berwick upon Tweed, which has a 24-hour minor injuries service.
Law enforcement is the responsibility of Northumbria Police
, the sixth largest police force in England and Wales
, which was formed in 1974 by the merger of Northumberland Constabulary
and part of Durham Constabulary
. The local neighbourhood team
is based at the police station in Berwick upon Tweed.
Northumberland Fire and Rescue Service
, a division of Northumberland County Council
, provides public protection services, operating out of the fire station at Wooler. A search and rescue service
is provided by the Northumberland National Park Mountain Rescue Team and North of Tyne Search and Rescue Team.
had 1,000 sheep on the "great moor" of Kilham. Shepherds often lived in shieling
s, temporary summer settlements high in the hills. Hemp
and flax
were grown, and Aberdeen Angus cattle
reared. The high hills and moors of Northumberland
are ideal for grazing cattle and sheep, and some of England
's tastiest beef and lamb is produced.
In the 19th century, the upland areas were increasingly used for shooting wild gamebirds
. The great landowners would hold large organised shooting parties for their friends, employing local farm workers as beaters. Gamekeepers were responsible for looking after the birds before they were shot, and for breeding pheasants
in special shelters. Arable farming was more important in the north of the parish, and was aided by increased mechanisation and improved transport links. Andesite
was quarried for use as a building material, and sand and gravel extracted.
At the 2001 census, 72.0 per cent of Kilham's population were in employment; the unemployment rate was 5.6 per cent. Of those employed, 54.5 per cent worked in service industries, while 46.8 per cent were in extractive and manufacturing industries. The average distance travelled to work was 14.9 miles (24 km).
. Coldsmouth Hill, 1358 feet (413.9 m) high, is the highest point in the parish. Two Bronze Age
burial cairn
s crown the summit. A flint
knife, bronze dagger and cremated bone were discovered during excavations in 1929. South of the hill St Cuthbert's Way, a 62 miles (99.8 km) long-distance trail
, passes on its route from Melrose to Holy Island
. Remains of a Romano-British village, on the north west slopes of the hill, include five enclosures containing the circular foundations of buildings. Nearby, Ring Chesters is an Iron Age
hillfort. The enclosure contains the circular stone foundations of at least eight huts, two of which contain traces of what may be hearths. In the saddle between the two hills, the remains of the medieval settlement of Heddon, first recorded in 1296, contain the sites of at least six longhouses, which are each divided into two rooms. The village overlies an earlier Romano-British enclosed settlement.
Thompson's Walls consists of two 19th century farm cottages and a group of farm buildings, notable for being built entirely of hard, igneous rock. Andesite
was quarried, and was used in the construction of Yetholm
church.
. The name is thought to mean Low Ground with a Wood, and the area has a number of ancient camps and settlements shown on early Ordnance Survey
maps. The remains of a peel tower
, which was partly destroyed in 1496, stand in the centre of the hamlet. The walls are over 6.6 feet (2 m) thick.
Bowmont House, a former Scottish Presbyterian
chapel and manse, is on the Kilham road, to the south of the hamlet. The building dates from 1850, and is rendered
, with ashlar
dressings and a Welsh slate
roof.
and granite
were mainly used, although sandstone
was brought in from the east for higher status buildings. Kilham House was transformed from a traditional farmhouse into a small country house by a substantial extension built in 1926. The appearance was enhanced by the use of identical 12-pane windows throughout.
The old mill pond above the hamlet has been restored by the Northumberland National Park Authority. Blackbirds, wrens
and thrushes
are often seen in the hedge banks along the lane to Longknowe, and the roadside verges contain a colourful variety of flowering plants, including dog roses, St John's wort
, stitchwort
and bloody cranesbill
. Nearby is a sheepwash, where Kilham's shepherds increased the value of the fleeces by washing their sheep's wool before it was clipped.
On the slopes of Kilham Hill are the remains of a shieling
, which provided shelter for shepherds watching over the sheep as they grazed. In summer the hillside is a profusion of purple and blue as wild thyme, cross-leaved heath
and harebells come into bloom: foxgloves
have colonised the stony ground. A stone cairn
crowns the summit, and was found to conceal a Bronze Age
cist
containing burnt bones. From the summit, there are views over the Milfield Plain
, Glendale
and the Till Valley
, and to Eildon Hill
, Yeavering Bell
and the Cheviot Hills
. Buzzards
, kestrels
, lapwings
and curlews
are common, while bilberry
, tormentil and heath bedstraw
carpet the soil.
North of the hamlet, the trackbed of the former Alston and Cornhill Railway forms part of a walk along the Bowmont Water
, where kingfishers, grey heron
s, oystercatchers
and mallard
s can be seen. Sedge warblers
are regular visitors in summer, and short-eared owls
hunt in the nearby tree plantation. On the northern bank of the river, Reedsford Farm has a 17th century dovecote
.
. It was the site of the deserted medieval village of Thornington, first recorded in 1296. To the north east of Pawston House are single storey shelter sheds and a two storey granary, dating from the 18th century. An old beam forms a continuous bressumer over the door and two windows, and the building has a steeply pitched Scottish
slate roof. South of the house is a 17th century sundial base decorated with foliage, grotesque heads and festoons. John Selby, a "gentleman dwelling at Pawston", was killed in 1596 while defending his home against Scottish marauders. Pawston Hill has the remains of an Iron Age
settlement. The locally rare wood carpet moth
was found at Pawston Lake in 1929, and a number of nationally or locally scarce plants are also present, including the autumnal water starwort
, blunt leaved pondweed
, gypsywort, maiden pink and shoreweed
.
Shotton Farm, immediately north of the Scottish border, marks the site of large medieval hamlet, first recorded in 1296. A document from 1541 records that it had been laying waste for more than 30 years. Shotton House was built in 1828, and has an ashlar
facade and Scottish slate roof. Above the panelled door is a Tuscan
entablature
showing the year of construction and the original owner's name. The nearby gatepiers have Greek
decoration, and were added in 1829.
The Rising of the North
in 1569 was an attempt to depose Queen Elizabeth I
and replace her with Mary, Queen of Scots. Thomas Percy, the Earl of Northumberland
, one of its leaders, was betrayed while seeking shelter at Harelaw. The current Harelaw House was built in 1593. It stands below Hare Law, 912 feet (278 m) high, on which are the remains of a hillfort.
between Akeld
and Mindrum
. The B6352
runs north east through Howtel
to Ford
, where it connects with the A697
. A bus service is provided only on Wednesdays. Service 266 has two morning journeys operated by Glen Valley Tours, and runs a circular Wooler
–Akeld–Kirknewton
–Kilham–Flodden–Milfield
–Akeld–Wooler route.
The road from Wooler through Kirknewton and Kilham to the Scottish
border was converted into a turnpike
by the early 19th century. In 1812 the Ford and Lowick Turnpike Trust took over responsibility for the road from Milfield through Flodden, Howtel, Kilham, Langham and Shotton to the border, and in 1834 the deviation through Thornington was included. With reduced income from tolls due to competition from the new railways, the turnpike trusts were gradually wound up in the late 19th century, and responsibility for highways taken over by Northumberland County Council
after its creation in 1889.
From the 1860s onwards, various schemes were promoted to build a railway line, either through Glendale
or over the Milfield Plain. In 1881 the Central Northumberland Railway was proposed, linking Newcastle upon Tyne
with Ponteland
, Rothbury
, Wooler and Kelso. The threat posed by the proposal spurred the North Eastern Railway
to put forward a branch line of its own between Alnwick
, Wooler and Cornhill on Tweed. The company was strongly supported by the tradespeople of Alnwick, who were concerned at the loss of business if the farmers of Glendale had a direct raillink to the rival market and shops in Rothbury. Both schemes were presented to Parliament in 1881, and it was the North Eastern Railway's route which gained approval, with the Alnwick and Cornhill Act passed in 1882. The single-track line opened on 5 September 1887, having cost £272,267 to build. From Wooler, it ran through Kirknewton and Kilham to Mindrum, before turning north to Cornhill on Tweed, where it joined the line from Tweedmouth to Kelso. There was no station at Kilham, but sidings were built to handle goods traffic.
The North Eastern Railway was amalgamated into the London and North Eastern Railway
in 1923 and, just 43 years after the line opened, passenger trains were withdrawn in 1930, the new owners claiming that passenger numbers had declined due to competition from buses. A goods and parcels service continued, but on 12 August 1948 torrential rain caused severe flooding, damaging the bridge over the Bowmont Water
between Mindrum and Kilham. For a while the line operated as two separate lines with termini at Mindrum and Kirknewton, but further flooding in October 1949 destroyed the bridge at Ilderton
. Rather than rebuild the bridge British Railways, which had taken over the line the previous year, repaired the bridge at Mindrum, restoring services from the north through to Wooler. Goods services were withdrawn from Kilham sidings in 1953, and the remaining northern part of the line to Wooler finally closed on 29 March 1965.
Apart from a short heritage line
, the Heatherslaw Light Railway
, operating between Heatherslaw and Etal
, the nearest railway station is at Berwick upon Tweed
, 17 miles (27.4 km) to the north east on the East Coast Main Line
between London and Edinburgh
. Services are provided by the East Coast Main Line Company
and Cross Country Trains
. Chathill
, 25.2 miles (40.6 km) east of Kilham, has a limited commuter service to Newcastle upon Tyne
, operated by Northern Rail
.
for 60 children opened at Howtel in 1875. Primary education
to the age of nine is now provided by Wooler First School, which had 101 pupils in 2007, and is located in Wooler
, 8 miles (12.9 km) to the east. It was last inspected by Ofsted
in 2007.
Children aged from nine to 13 attend Glendale Middle School, also located in Wooler, which had 150 pupils when it was last inspected in 2010. The school has specialist status as a technology college
, holds the Sportsmark
and Healthy Schools
awards, and has a "partner school" in China
.
At the age of 13, pupils transfer to Berwick Academy, formerly Berwick Community High School, in Berwick upon Tweed, 17 miles (27.4 km) north east of Kilham As a high school, it was inspected in 2007 when it had 922 pupils, including 174 in the sixth form
. The academy has specialist status as both a business and enterprise college
and as an applied learning college. In 2009 it was awarded High Performing Specialist School
status, and holds a Healthy Schools award.
, known as "the Craven Poet", was born at Wark on Tweed
in 1795. His father was an agricultural labourer, and the family moved frequently around the Northumberland
villages. When just 10 years old, Story ran away to accompany a lame fiddler on an excursion through the Scottish Borders
for a month, and about a year later the family moved to Howtel
, where Story attended the local school. He later claimed that this was where "I learned nearly all that I ever learned from a Master—namely to read badly, to write worse, and to cipher a little farther, perhaps than to the Rule of Three." There he was introduced to Divine Songs for Children, and discovered a love of poetry while reading on the hills, where he was employed as a shepherd. By 1820 he had moved to Gargrave
in North Yorkshire
where he opened a school, and in 1825 published a volume of poetry, Craven Blossoms. Algernon Percy, the Duke of Northumberland
, became a patron
in 1857 and financed an edition of his works. In 1859 Story was invited to Ayr
for the centenary celebrations of Robert Burns
, where he recited his poem on Burns. The Bradfordian considered that "he stands high among the minor poets of Great Britain
, and many of his sweet lyrics will most assuredly descend to and be highly admired by posterity, and by none more than Yorkshiremen
."
A ten minute DVD postcard, The Cheviot Hills from Dawn till Dusk, shows the scene across five Cheviot valleys, including Kilham, set to the music On Cheviot Hills by Alistair Anderson. The film shows the changing moods as the day progresses, and was produced by Shadowcat Films, with support from the Northumberland National Park Authority.
Linda Scott-Robinson is a painter living in Howtel. She paints local landscapes and states that her inspiration comes from the ever shifting light that constantly changes the surrounding landscape. She is a member of Network Artists, an independent association of professional artists living and working in Northumberland.
Inglenook Sidings
is an award winning model railway train shunting puzzle
created by Alan Wright for the Manchester Model Railway Society's 1978 show, based on the former Kilham Sidings on the Alnwick and Cornhill Railway. The aim of the puzzle is to create a train consisting of five of the eight wagons sitting in the sidings, in the order in which the wagons are randomly selected.
A local saying in Northumberland was "to take Hector's cloak", meaning to deceive a friend who relies on your loyalty. The saying referred to the betrayal of Sir Thomas Percy, the Earl of Northumberland
, by Hector Armstrong of Harelaw. The earl, a loyal Roman Catholic, had been one of the leaders of the Rising of the North
in 1569, an attempt to depose Queen Elizabeth I
and replace her with Mary, Queen of Scots. The rebels captured Barnard Castle
and advanced on York
but, with little popular support and facing overwhelming government forces, fled north, towards Scotland
. The earl sought shelter in Armstrong's house at Harelaw, but was betrayed to James Douglas, the Earl of Morton
, the regent
of Scotland. The Scots subsequently sold him to the English government for £2,000, and he was beheaded at York, refusing an offer to save his life by renouncing Catholicism.
, is at Kirknewton
. The site has been used for Christian worship since the 11th century, and the present church dates from the 12th century. It was restored in 1860. A Scottish Presbyterian
chapel, with seating for 350 worshippers, was built at Howtel
in 1850, although this is no longer in use.
is a popular pastime in the Cheviot Hills
, and Coldsmouth Hill is a favoured destination, with excellent views in all directions, and two large burial cairns on its summit. It is most easily climbed from Halterburn in Yetholm
. St Cuthbert's Way, a 62 miles (99.8 km) long-distance trail
, passes to the south of the hill on its route from Melrose to Holy Island
. Kilham Hill can be ascended from the Kilham Valley or the Kirknewton
road east of Kilham.
The Northumbria Hang Gliding and Paragliding Club, based in Newcastle upon Tyne
, organises both hang gliding
and paragliding
at Coldsmouth Hill, which works in an easterly or west north westerly wind, and Longknowe, which works best in a west north westerly wind.
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...
county of Northumberland
Northumberland
Northumberland is the northernmost ceremonial county and a unitary district in North East England. For Eurostat purposes Northumberland is a NUTS 3 region and is one of three boroughs or unitary districts that comprise the "Northumberland and Tyne and Wear" NUTS 2 region...
, located 8 miles (12.9 km) west of Wooler
Wooler
Wooler is a small town in Northumberland, England. It lies on the edge of the Northumberland National Park, by the Cheviot Hills and so is a popular base for walkers and is referred to as the "Gateway to the Cheviots"...
, 12 miles (19.3 km) east of Kelso, 17 miles (27.4 km) south west of Berwick upon Tweed and 38.9 miles (62.6 km) north west of Morpeth
Morpeth, Northumberland
Morpeth is the county town of Northumberland, England. It is situated on the River Wansbeck which flows east through the town. The town is from the A1, which bypasses it. Since 1981, it has been the administrative centre of the County of Northumberland. In the 2001 census the town had a population...
. It lies on the northern edge of the Northumberland National Park
Northumberland National Park
Northumberland National Park is the northernmost national park in England. It covers an area of more than 1030 km² between the Scottish Border in the north to just south of Hadrian's Wall. It is one of the least populated and least visited of the National Parks...
in Glendale
Glendale, Northumberland
Glendale is the name of a valley in North Northumberland that runs from the Cheviot Hills at Kirknewton onto the Milfield Plain, formed by the River Glen. However, the name is generally taken to indicate the area around the town of Wooler....
. The hamlet, which consists of a small group of agricultural dwellings, is overlooked by Kilham Hill and the northern limits of the Cheviot Hills
Cheviot Hills
The Cheviot Hills is a range of rolling hills straddling the England–Scotland border between Northumberland and the Scottish Borders.There is a broad split between the northern and the southern Cheviots...
. The parish had a population of 131 in 2001, and includes the hamlets of Howtel
Howtel
Howtel is a village in Northumberland, England about northwest of Wooler. The name Howtel is thought to mean Low Ground with a Holt or Wood.- History :...
and Pawston, along with the former upland township of Coldsmouth and Thompson's Walls.
Situated on the border with Scotland
Scotland
Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
, Kilham had a turbulent history. It suffered from repeated Scottish incursions, and was often destroyed and laid waste. The situation was considered serious enough for a report to be made to the Privy Council of England
Privy Council of England
The Privy Council of England, also known as His Majesty's Most Honourable Privy Council, was a body of advisers to the sovereign of the Kingdom of England...
, about a raid in 1597 which had resulted in the death of several villagers. In later, more peaceful times, the area developed into an agricultural backwater, which was gradually opened up by the construction of roads and railways.
Etymology
Kilham first appears in documents in 1177 as Killum, which is usually thought to derive from the Old English Cylnum, indicating the presence of kilnKiln
A kiln is a thermally insulated chamber, or oven, in which a controlled temperature regime is produced. Uses include the hardening, burning or drying of materials...
s. The name was still spelt Killum as late as the 18th century.
History
Several well preserved Bronze AgeBronze Age Britain
Bronze Age Britain refers to the period of British history that spanned from c. 2,500 until c. 800 BC. Lasting for approximately 1700 years, it was preceded by the era of Neolithic Britain and was in turn followed by the era of Iron Age Britain...
settlements exist in the area around Kilham, and a cairn
Cairn
Cairn is a term used mainly in the English-speaking world for a man-made pile of stones. It comes from the or . Cairns are found all over the world in uplands, on moorland, on mountaintops, near waterways and on sea cliffs, and also in barren desert and tundra areas...
on Kilham Hill, excavated in 1905, was found to conceal a cist
Cist
A cist from ) is a small stone-built coffin-like box or ossuary used to hold the bodies of the dead. Examples can be found across Europe and in the Middle East....
containing burnt bones, thought to date from the period. A bronze rapier
Rapier
A rapier is a slender, sharply pointed sword, ideally used for thrusting attacks, used mainly in Early Modern Europe during the 16th and 17th centuries.-Description:...
blade dating from 1500–1000 BC, found near the Bowmont Water
Bowmont Water
Bowmont Water is a river in the Scottish Borders and Northumberland . It rises in the Cheviot Hills and passes by Mowhaugh, Town Yetholm, and Kirk Yetholm...
in the 19th century, and now in the National Museum of Scotland
National Museum of Scotland
The National Museum of Scotland, Edinburgh, Scotland, was formed in 2006 with the merger of the Museum of Scotland, with collections relating to Scottish antiquities, culture and history, and the Royal Museum next door, with collections covering science and technology, natural history, and world...
in Edinburgh
Edinburgh
Edinburgh is the capital city of Scotland, the second largest city in Scotland, and the eighth most populous in the United Kingdom. The City of Edinburgh Council governs one of Scotland's 32 local government council areas. The council area includes urban Edinburgh and a rural area...
, provides further evidence of Bronze Age activity in the parish.
Iron Age
British Iron Age
The British Iron Age is a conventional name used in the archaeology of Great Britain, referring to the prehistoric and protohistoric phases of the Iron-Age culture of the main island and the smaller islands, typically excluding prehistoric Ireland, and which had an independent Iron Age culture of...
hillforts
Hillforts in Britain
Hillforts in Britain refers to the various hillforts within the island of Great Britain. Although the earliest such constructs fitting this description come from the Neolithic period, with a few also dating to the later Bronze Age, British hill forts were primarily constructed during the Iron Age...
are found throughout the Cheviot Hills
Cheviot Hills
The Cheviot Hills is a range of rolling hills straddling the England–Scotland border between Northumberland and the Scottish Borders.There is a broad split between the northern and the southern Cheviots...
, and the parish contains examples at Bowmont Hill, Kilham Hill, Pawston Camp, and Wester Hill. Such hillforts were not necessarily defensible, and the small interior area of most suggests they were not permanent settlements. Although some may have served as defended farmsteads, others are likely to have been animal enclosures, market places or places of worship. An enclosure at Barley Hill, in the north of the parish, is considered to have been a small farmstead, consisting of roundhouses
Roundhouse (dwelling)
The roundhouse is a type of house with a circular plan, originally built in western Europe before the Roman occupation using walls made either of stone or of wooden posts joined by wattle-and-daub panels and a conical thatched roof. Roundhouses ranged in size from less than 5m in diameter to over 15m...
and adjacent stockyards.
Towards the end of the first millenium BC, all of the remaining upland forest in the area had been cleared, and increasing numbers of settlements or homesteads were established on the high moorland. Some of these appear to have been built within the ramparts of earlier hillforts, which had been abandoned for some time. A well preserved settlement at Longknowe is thought to be Romano-British, although this part of Northumberland
Northumberland
Northumberland is the northernmost ceremonial county and a unitary district in North East England. For Eurostat purposes Northumberland is a NUTS 3 region and is one of three boroughs or unitary districts that comprise the "Northumberland and Tyne and Wear" NUTS 2 region...
lay beyond the Roman frontier for much of the period of occupation. Small enclosed homesteads such as this are likely to have continued in use for several centuries, and were probably only abandoned as the population moved to lower lying hamlets during the Early Medieval
England in the Middle Ages
England in the Middle Ages concerns the history of England during the Medieval period — from the end of Roman rule in Britain through to the Early Modern period...
period.
In 651 King Oswine
Oswine of Deira
Oswine was a King of Deira in northern England. He succeeded King Oswald of Northumbria, probably around the year 644, after Oswald's death at the Battle of Maserfield. Oswine was the son of Osric....
granted 12 named vill
Vill
Vill is a term used in English history to describe a land unit which might otherwise be described as a parish, manor or tithing.The term is used in the period immediately after the Norman conquest and into the late medieval. Land units in Domesday are frequently referred to as vills, although the...
s, or townships, including Shotton, and perhaps Thornington, along with a large tract of land beside the Bowmont Water, to Saint Cuthbert. The villagers would have been required to hand over the major proportion of any surplus produce and labour from these communities to the church.
By the 13th century, Kilham formed one of the constituent manors of the barony of Wark on Tweed
Wark on Tweed
Wark on Tweed is a village in the English county of Northumberland. It lies about south west of Berwick-upon-Tweed...
. The barony had been established by King Henry I
Henry I of England
Henry I was the fourth son of William I of England. He succeeded his elder brother William II as King of England in 1100 and defeated his eldest brother, Robert Curthose, to become Duke of Normandy in 1106...
, and granted to Walter l'Espec
Walter Espec
Walter Espec was a prominent military and judicial figure of the reign of Henry I of England.His father was probably William Speche, a follower of William I of England In the years up to 1120 he with Eustace Fitz John controlled northern England. He was the builder of Helmsley Castle; he built...
, one of his principal agents of government in Northern England
Northern England
Northern England, also known as the North of England, the North or the North Country, is a cultural region of England. It is not an official government region, but rather an informal amalgamation of counties. The southern extent of the region is roughly the River Trent, while the North is bordered...
. The lord of the manor was Michael of Kilham, although he did not possess the whole township, part being held by Kirkham Priory
Kirkham Priory
The ruins of Kirkham Priory are situated on the banks of the River Derwent, at Kirkham, North Yorkshire, England. The Augustinian priory was founded in the 1120s by Walter l'Espec, lord of nearby Helmsley, who also built Rievaulx Abbey...
in North Yorkshire
North Yorkshire
North Yorkshire is a non-metropolitan or shire county located in the Yorkshire and the Humber region of England, and a ceremonial county primarily in that region but partly in North East England. Created in 1974 by the Local Government Act 1972 it covers an area of , making it the largest...
, which had been founded by the barons of Wark. In 1269 it was recorded that the priory had 1,000 sheep feeding on the "great moor" of Kilham. Land at Shotton and Coldsmouth was held by Kelso Abbey
Kelso Abbey
Kelso Abbey is what remains of a Scottish abbey founded in the 12th century by a community of Tironensian monks first brought to Scotland in the reign of Alexander I. It occupies ground overlooking the confluence of the Tweed and Teviot waters, the site of what was once the Royal Burgh of Roxburgh...
in the Scottish Borders
Scottish Borders
The Scottish Borders is one of 32 local government council areas of Scotland. It is bordered by Dumfries and Galloway in the west, South Lanarkshire and West Lothian in the north west, City of Edinburgh, East Lothian, Midlothian to the north; and the non-metropolitan counties of Northumberland...
. The manorial lordship passed through various hands to the Greys of Chillingham Castle
Chillingham Castle
Chillingham Castle is a medieval castle in the village of Chillingham in the northern part of Northumberland, England. It was the seat of the Grey family and their descendants the Earls of Tankerville from the 13th century until the 1980s. The Chillingham Wild Cattle, formerly associated with the...
, who eventually consolidated ownership of the whole township, in the 17th century acquiring the former Kirkham Priory holdings, which had earlier been sold by the crown after the dissolution of the monasteries
Dissolution of the Monasteries
The Dissolution of the Monasteries, sometimes referred to as the Suppression of the Monasteries, was the set of administrative and legal processes between 1536 and 1541 by which Henry VIII disbanded monasteries, priories, convents and friaries in England, Wales and Ireland; appropriated their...
.
A bastle
Bastle house
Bastle houses are a type of construction found along the Anglo-Scottish border, in the areas formerly plagued by border Reivers. They are farmhouses, characterised by elaborate security measures against raids...
, or fortified farmhouse, was built at the north end of the village in the late 16th or early 17th centuries.
Right up to the end of the 16th century, Kilham had suffered repeated Scottish
Scotland
Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
incursions. Every valuation of the village's lands in the 15th century revealed a state of waste and destruction. In 1541 the lack of any defensive structure was criticised by Sir Robert Bowes
Robert Bowes (lawyer)
Sir Robert Bowes was an English lawyer and military commander.-Life:He was son of Sir Ralph Bowes and Marjory Conyers of South Cowton, Yorkshire, and studied law in his early years; but his ancestral connection with the Border country marked him out for employment in border affairs, where he did...
and Sir Ralph Ellerker
Ralph Ellerker
Sir Ralph Ellerker , was an English soldier, knight and Member of Parliament.Ellerker was the eldest son of Sir Ralph Ellerker of Risby, Yorkshire, by Anne, daughter of Sir Thomas Gower of Stittenham...
, the Border Commissioners
Anglo-Scottish border
The Anglo-Scottish border is the official border and mark of entry between Scotland and England. It runs for 154 km between the River Tweed on the east coast and the Solway Firth in the west. It is Scotland's only land border...
, who strongly urged that a tower be built in the village. They also reported on the tower at Howtel, which had been "rased and casten downe" during an invasion in 1497. Howtel Tower is mentioned again by Sir Henry Hadston, who in 1584 reported to Queen Elizabeth I
Elizabeth I of England
Elizabeth I was queen regnant of England and Ireland from 17 November 1558 until her death. Sometimes called The Virgin Queen, Gloriana, or Good Queen Bess, Elizabeth was the fifth and last monarch of the Tudor dynasty...
that it was one of a number of towers needing repair. Sir Robert Carey
Robert Carey, 1st Earl of Monmouth
Robert Carey, 1st Earl of Monmouth was an English nobleman and courtier. He was the youngest son of Henry Carey, 1st Baron Hunsdon and Anne Morgan, daughter of Sir Thomas Morgan and Anne Whitney.As a young man he accompanied several diplomatic missions abroad and took part in military expeditions...
, Lord Warden of the Marches
Lord Warden of the Marches
The Lord Warden of the Marches was an office in the governments of Scotland and England. The holders were responsible for the security of the border between the two nations, and often took part in military action....
, in 1597 reported to the Privy Council of England
Privy Council of England
The Privy Council of England, also known as His Majesty's Most Honourable Privy Council, was a body of advisers to the sovereign of the Kingdom of England...
:
A map dated 1712 shows two rows of dwellings and toft enclosures in the village. A total of 19 buildings are shown, plus a watermill to the north beside the Bowmont Water, and three buildings to the south west at Longknowe. The village appears to extend slightly further along the lane to Longknowe than the current hamlet. Although not shown on the map, the ruins of an earlier chapel are believed to have existed in Chapel Field, on the hillside to the south east of the village.
By the latter part of the 19th century Kilham consisted of a large farm with farmhouse and two rows of cottages for the farm's workforce. There was, in addition, a smithy and a post office. To the south, Thompson's Walls was by 1800 an estate with a farm complex laid out around a square courtyard. Hemp
Hemp
Hemp is mostly used as a name for low tetrahydrocannabinol strains of the plant Cannabis sativa, of fiber and/or oilseed varieties. In modern times, hemp has been used for industrial purposes including paper, textiles, biodegradable plastics, construction, health food and fuel with modest...
and flax
Flax
Flax is a member of the genus Linum in the family Linaceae. It is native to the region extending from the eastern Mediterranean to India and was probably first domesticated in the Fertile Crescent...
were grown, and a small mill is shown on maps from the 1860s onwards. The adoption of new agricultural techniques and improvements to the area's transport infrastructure resulted in greater prosperity for Kilham's farming community in the late 18th and 19th centuries. Enclosure of common land was intended to increase efficiency, bring more land under the plough, and reduce the high prices of agricultural production, and Howtel Common was enclosed in 1779. Female bondagers, or outworkers, were employed to work in the fields up to the end of the 19th century. The system was recorded in the Scottish Borders
Scottish Borders
The Scottish Borders is one of 32 local government council areas of Scotland. It is bordered by Dumfries and Galloway in the west, South Lanarkshire and West Lothian in the north west, City of Edinburgh, East Lothian, Midlothian to the north; and the non-metropolitan counties of Northumberland...
as early as 1656, and subsequently spread into Glendale
Glendale
Glendale is the anglicised version of its gaelic name, Gleann Dail, which means valley of fertile, low-lying arable land. The name originates from Scotland.It may refer to:-Places:Australia*Glendale, New South Wales**Stockland, a shopping centre...
. Agricultural labourers, known as hinds, were required to provide a female, often a relative or a girl living with the hind's family, who would be on call as a day labourer whenever required. The bondager's work was regarded as paying the rent of the hind's cottage.
Thomas Henry Scott, a police constable from Pawston, was murdered in 1880, while attempting to arrest two poachers
Poaching
Poaching is the illegal taking of wild plants or animals contrary to local and international conservation and wildlife management laws. Violations of hunting laws and regulations are normally punishable by law and, collectively, such violations are known as poaching.It may be illegal and in...
at Hethpool. He had been blugeoned and beaten.
The Alnwick and Cornhill Railway, owned by the North Eastern Railway
North Eastern Railway (UK)
The North Eastern Railway , was an English railway company. It was incorporated in 1854, when four existing companies were combined, and was absorbed into the London and North Eastern Railway at the Grouping in 1923...
, opened in 1887, providing a rail link to Wooler and Cornhill on Tweed. There was no station at Kilham, the nearest being at Mindrum
Mindrum
Mindrum is a village in Northumberland, England, in the district of Berwick-upon-Tweed.- Governance :Mindrum is in the parliamentary constituency of Berwick-upon-Tweed....
and Kirknewton
Kirknewton, Northumberland
Kirknewton is a Northumbrian village to the north of the county of Northumberland, about from the town of Wooler and roughly the same distance to the Scottish Borders...
, but sidings were built to handle goods traffic. Passenger services were withdrawn in 1930, with a goods and parcels service continuing until 1965. Kilham sidings closed in 1953.
Farming at Kilham during most of the 20th century concentrated on rearing pedigree Aberdeen Angus cattle
Angus cattle
Angus cattle are a breed of cattle much used in beef production. They were developed from cattle native to the counties of Aberdeenshire and Angus in Scotland, and are known as Aberdeen Angus in most parts of the world....
. However, mechanisation and the decline in farming incomes resulted in the farm ceasing to function as an independent unit. In 1988 the Kilham estate was divided into three separate farms: Kilham, Longknowe and Thompson's Walls. Longknowe Farm now specialises in breeding and rearing sheep and suckler cows, while Kilham Farm is leased to a neighbouring farmer at Thornington, and some of the buildings have been converted into workshops.
Geography
Kilham stands on the south bank of the Bowmont WaterBowmont Water
Bowmont Water is a river in the Scottish Borders and Northumberland . It rises in the Cheviot Hills and passes by Mowhaugh, Town Yetholm, and Kirk Yetholm...
in Glendale
Glendale, Northumberland
Glendale is the name of a valley in North Northumberland that runs from the Cheviot Hills at Kirknewton onto the Milfield Plain, formed by the River Glen. However, the name is generally taken to indicate the area around the town of Wooler....
, at the mouth of Kilham Burn. Settlement is limited to dispersed farmsteads and small hamlets, of which Kilham is the largest. Glendale has a clearly defined valley floor and pronounced raised terraces. The area is relatively well wooded, with both coniferous plantations and broadleaved woodland on the surrounding hills, and areas of alder woodland and pollarded willow along the valley floor. The river forms part of the River Tweed Site of Special Scientific Interest, designated in 2001 due to its biological interest, and the River Tweed Special Area of Conservation, designated under the European Habitats Directive for the biological interest within the river system.
To the south, the area is dominated by Kilham Hill, 1109 feet (338 m) high, and above Longknowe, in the valley of Kilham Burn, is the former township of Coldsmouth and Thompson's Walls, lying in the northern limits of the Cheviot Hills
Cheviot Hills
The Cheviot Hills is a range of rolling hills straddling the England–Scotland border between Northumberland and the Scottish Borders.There is a broad split between the northern and the southern Cheviots...
. The geology of the upland area is composed of Devonian
Devonian
The Devonian is a geologic period and system of the Paleozoic Era spanning from the end of the Silurian Period, about 416.0 ± 2.8 Mya , to the beginning of the Carboniferous Period, about 359.2 ± 2.5 Mya...
igneous rocks, and the landscape is characterised by smooth rolling hills and extensive plateaux of semi-natural acidic grass moor, known locally as white grass. There are areas of heather
Calluna
Calluna vulgaris is the sole species in the genus Calluna in the family Ericaceae. It is a low-growing perennial shrub growing to tall, or rarely to and taller, and is found widely in Europe and Asia Minor on acidic soils in open sunny situations and in moderate shade...
moorland and, in wetter parts, blanket bog
Blanket bog
Blanket bog or blanket mire is an area of peatland, forming where there is a climate of high rainfall and a low level of evapotranspiration, allowing peat to develop not only in wet hollows but over large expanses of undulating ground. The blanketing of the ground with a variable depth of peat...
dominated by dwarf shrubs, sedges
Cyperaceae
Cyperaceae are a family of monocotyledonous graminoid flowering plants known as sedges, which superficially resemble grasses or rushes. The family is large, with some 5,500 species described in about 109 genera. These species are widely distributed, with the centers of diversity for the group...
, sphagnum moss
Sphagnum
Sphagnum is a genus of between 151 and 350 species of mosses commonly called peat moss, due to its prevalence in peat bogs and mires. A distinction is made between sphagnum moss, the live moss growing on top of a peat bog on one hand, and sphagnum peat moss or sphagnum peat on the other, the...
and cotton grass. Coniferous woodland plantations are common on the upper valley slopes, with the remnants of broadleaved woodland, gorse
Gorse
Gorse, furze, furse or whin is a genus of about 20 plant species of thorny evergreen shrubs in the subfamily Faboideae of the pea family Fabaceae, native to western Europe and northwest Africa, with the majority of species in Iberia.Gorse is closely related to the brooms, and like them, has green...
scrub and meadow grassland in the steep sided valleys. The area reaches a height of 1358 feet (413.9 m) at Coldsmouth Hill.
On the opposite side of the dale, to the north, are the hamlets of Howtel
Howtel
Howtel is a village in Northumberland, England about northwest of Wooler. The name Howtel is thought to mean Low Ground with a Holt or Wood.- History :...
and Thornington. Much of this area consists of glacial gravel, and both sand and gravel were extracted at Thornington. Upstream on the Bowmont Water, the former township of Pawston lies to the south west.
Northumberland
Northumberland
Northumberland is the northernmost ceremonial county and a unitary district in North East England. For Eurostat purposes Northumberland is a NUTS 3 region and is one of three boroughs or unitary districts that comprise the "Northumberland and Tyne and Wear" NUTS 2 region...
is the coldest county in 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...
, with mean summer temperatures in the northern lowlands 0.5°C below those found 100 kilometres to the south. Kilham is sheltered from the prevailing winds, which are from the south west, but there are cold winds from the east in winter. The growing season
Growing season
In botany, horticulture, and agriculture the growing season is the period of each year when native plants and ornamental plants grow; and when crops can be grown....
is between April and November. The low mean temperature and high rainfall result in water-logging of fine textured soils, and leaching of nutrients from soils with a coarser texture. The nearest weather station
Weather station
A weather station is a facility, either on land or sea, with instruments and equipment for observing atmospheric conditions to provide information for weather forecasts and to study the weather and climate. The measurements taken include temperature, barometric pressure, humidity, wind speed, wind...
for which comprehensive records are published is at Boulmer
Boulmer
Boulmer is a village in Northumberland, in England. It is situated on the North Sea coast to the east of Alnwick.It is home to RAF Boulmer which is one of the main search and rescue helicopter bases in the northeast of England....
, located 29.8 miles (48 km) south east of Kilham, on the North Sea
North Sea
In the southwest, beyond the Straits of Dover, the North Sea becomes the English Channel connecting to the Atlantic Ocean. In the east, it connects to the Baltic Sea via the Skagerrak and Kattegat, narrow straits that separate Denmark from Norway and Sweden respectively...
coast.
Governance
Howtel
Howtel is a village in Northumberland, England about northwest of Wooler. The name Howtel is thought to mean Low Ground with a Holt or Wood.- History :...
and Pawston were four of 15 townships in the ancient parish of Kirknewton
Kirknewton, Northumberland
Kirknewton is a Northumbrian village to the north of the county of Northumberland, about from the town of Wooler and roughly the same distance to the Scottish Borders...
, one of the largest parishes in 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...
. Following the Poor Law Amendment Act 1834
Poor Law Amendment Act 1834
The Poor Law Amendment Act 1834, sometimes abbreviated to PLAA, was an Act of the Parliament of the United Kingdom passed by the Whig government of Lord Melbourne that reformed the country's poverty relief system . It was an Amendment Act that completely replaced earlier legislation based on the...
, parishes were grouped into unions: Glendale Poor Law Union
Glendale
Glendale is the anglicised version of its gaelic name, Gleann Dail, which means valley of fertile, low-lying arable land. The name originates from Scotland.It may refer to:-Places:Australia*Glendale, New South Wales**Stockland, a shopping centre...
was created in 1837. Under the Public Health Act 1848 the area of the poor law union became Glendale Rural Sanitary District, which from 1889 formed a second tier of local government under Northumberland County Council
Northumberland County Council
Northumberland County Council is a unitary authority in North East England. It was originally formed in 1889 as the council for the administrative county of Northumberland and reformed in 1974 to cover a the newly formed non-metropolitan county of Northumberland...
. The four townships became civil parishes in their own right, separate from Kirknewton but within the sanitary district, in 1866, and under the Local Government Act 1894
Local Government Act 1894
The Local Government Act 1894 was an Act of the Parliament of the United Kingdom that reformed local government in England and Wales outside the County of London. The Act followed the reforms carried out at county level under the Local Government Act 1888...
became part of Glendale Rural District
Glendale
Glendale is the anglicised version of its gaelic name, Gleann Dail, which means valley of fertile, low-lying arable land. The name originates from Scotland.It may refer to:-Places:Australia*Glendale, New South Wales**Stockland, a shopping centre...
. Coldsmouth and Thompson's Walls, Howtel and Pawston were amalgamated into Kilham in 1955. Glendale Rural District was abolished in 1974, and became part of the newly created Borough of Berwick upon Tweed
Berwick-upon-Tweed (borough)
Berwick-upon-Tweed was a local government district and borough in Northumberland in the north-east of England, on the border with Scotland. The district had a resident population of 25,949 according to the 2001 census, which also notes that it is the most ethnically homogeneous in the country, with...
, which was in turn abolished as a result of the Northumberland (Structural Change) Order 2008
2009 structural changes to local government in England
Structural changes to local government in England were effected on 1 April 2009, whereby a number of new unitary authorities were created in parts of the country which previously operated a 'two-tier' system of counties and districts...
, under which Northumberland
Northumberland
Northumberland is the northernmost ceremonial county and a unitary district in North East England. For Eurostat purposes Northumberland is a NUTS 3 region and is one of three boroughs or unitary districts that comprise the "Northumberland and Tyne and Wear" NUTS 2 region...
became a unitary authority in 2009.
Kilham now forms part of Wooler
Wooler
Wooler is a small town in Northumberland, England. It lies on the edge of the Northumberland National Park, by the Cheviot Hills and so is a popular base for walkers and is referred to as the "Gateway to the Cheviots"...
electoral division
Wards of the United Kingdom
A ward in the United Kingdom is an electoral district at sub-national level represented by one or more councillors. It is the primary unit of British administrative and electoral geography .-England:...
of Northumberland County Council, represented by Anthony Murray of the Conservative Party
Conservative Party (UK)
The Conservative Party, formally the Conservative and Unionist Party, is a centre-right political party in the United Kingdom that adheres to the philosophies of conservatism and British unionism. It is the largest political party in the UK, and is currently the largest single party in the House...
, who was elected to the new council on its creation in 2008. The parish does not have a parish council.
Since 1885, Kilham has been part of Berwick upon Tweed
Berwick-upon-Tweed (UK Parliament constituency)
Berwick-upon-Tweed is a constituency represented in the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. It elects one Member of Parliament by the first past the post system of election.-Boundaries:...
parliamentary constituency. It has been represented by Sir Alan Beith
Alan Beith
Sir Alan James Beith is a British Liberal Democrat politician and Member of Parliament for Berwick-upon-Tweed.-Early life:Alan Beith was born in 1943 in Poynton, in Cheshire...
, the deputy leader of the Liberal Democrats
Liberal Democrats
The Liberal Democrats are a social liberal political party in the United Kingdom which supports constitutional and electoral reform, progressive taxation, wealth taxation, human rights laws, cultural liberalism, banking reform and civil liberties .The party was formed in 1988 by a merger of the...
, since he won a by-election
By-election
A by-election is an election held to fill a political office that has become vacant between regularly scheduled elections....
in 1973.
Public services
Water and sanitation are provided by Northumbrian WaterNorthumbrian Water
Northumbrian Water Group plc is the holding company for several companies in the water supply, sewerage and waste water industries. NWG's largest subsidiary is Northumbrian Water Limited , which is one of ten companies in England and Wales that are regulated water supply and sewerage utilities...
, owned since 2011 by Hong Kong
Hong Kong
Hong Kong is one of two Special Administrative Regions of the People's Republic of China , the other being Macau. A city-state situated on China's south coast and enclosed by the Pearl River Delta and South China Sea, it is renowned for its expansive skyline and deep natural harbour...
based Cheung Kong Infrastructure Holdings
Cheung Kong Infrastructure Holdings
Cheung Kong Infrastructure Holdings or CKI, is the largest publicly listed infrastructure company in Hong Kong with diversified investments in energy infrastructure, transportation Infrastructure, water Infrastructure and infrastructure related business, parented by Cheung Kong Holdings,...
. Water supplies come from an aquifer
Aquifer
An aquifer is a wet underground layer of water-bearing permeable rock or unconsolidated materials from which groundwater can be usefully extracted using a water well. The study of water flow in aquifers and the characterization of aquifers is called hydrogeology...
, and are abstracted by borehole
Borehole
A borehole is the generalized term for any narrow shaft bored in the ground, either vertically or horizontally. A borehole may be constructed for many different purposes, including the extraction of water or other liquid or gases , as part of a geotechnical investigation, environmental site...
s. The electricity distribution company
Distribution Network Operator
Distribution network operators are companies licensed to distribute electricity in Great Britain by the Office of Gas and Electricity Markets....
serving Kilham is Northern Powergrid
CE Electric UK
Northern Powergrid Holdings Company is an electrical distribution company based in Newcastle Upon Tyne in England...
, formerly known as CE Electric, which is owned by Berkshire Hathaway
Berkshire Hathaway
Berkshire Hathaway Inc. is an American multinational conglomerate holding company headquartered in Omaha, Nebraska, United States, that oversees and manages a number of subsidiary companies. The company averaged an annual growth in book value of 20.3% to its shareholders for the last 44 years,...
, a multinational conglomerate
Conglomerate (company)
A conglomerate is a combination of two or more corporations engaged in entirely different businesses that fall under one corporate structure , usually involving a parent company and several subsidiaries. Often, a conglomerate is a multi-industry company...
based in Nebraska
Nebraska
Nebraska is a state on the Great Plains of the Midwestern United States. The state's capital is Lincoln and its largest city is Omaha, on the Missouri River....
.
The North East Ambulance Service
North East Ambulance Service
The North East Ambulance Service NHS Trust is the authority responsible for providing NHS ambulance services in North East England, covering the counties of County Durham, Northumberland and Tyne and Wear and the boroughs of Darlington, Hartlepool, Middlesbrough, Redcar and Cleveland and...
, formed in 2006, provides ambulance and paramedic services, operating out of the ambulance station at Wooler
Wooler
Wooler is a small town in Northumberland, England. It lies on the edge of the Northumberland National Park, by the Cheviot Hills and so is a popular base for walkers and is referred to as the "Gateway to the Cheviots"...
. The general provision of health services is the responsibility of Northumbria Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust. The nearest hospital is Berwick Infirmary in Berwick upon Tweed, which has a 24-hour minor injuries service.
Law enforcement is the responsibility of Northumbria Police
Northumbria Police
Northumbria Police is the territorial police force responsible for policing the areas of Northumberland and Tyne and Wear in North East England. The service is the sixth largest police force in England and Wales. The current Chief Constable is Sue Sim who was appointed by Northumbria Police...
, the sixth largest police force in England and Wales
England and Wales
England and Wales is a jurisdiction within the United Kingdom. It consists of England and Wales, two of the four countries of the United Kingdom...
, which was formed in 1974 by the merger of Northumberland Constabulary
Northumberland Constabulary
Northumberland Constabulary was the Home Office police force for the county of Northumberland, England, until 1974.Northumberland Constabulary absorbed Berwick-upon-Tweed Borough Police in 1921 and Newcastle upon Tyne City Police and Tynemouth Borough Police in the late 1960s, more than doubling...
and part of Durham Constabulary
Durham Constabulary
Durham Constabulary is the territorial police force responsible for policing the non-metropolitan county of County Durham and the unitary authority of Darlington. The force covers the 2,232 km² of the county which has a resident population of 595,308. It is one of the smaller forces of the...
. The local neighbourhood team
Neighbourhood Policing Team
Neighbourhood Policing Teams are a concept developed by the United Kingdom police. It involves small teams of police officers who are dedicated to policing a certain community or area. There are 3,600 NPTs throughout the United Kingdom...
is based at the police station in Berwick upon Tweed.
Northumberland Fire and Rescue Service
Northumberland Fire and Rescue Service
Northumberland Fire and Rescue Service is the statutory fire and rescue service which covers the area of Northumberland, England.Fire stations are located in:*Allendale*Alnwick*Amble*Belford*Bellingham*Berwick upon Tweed*Haltwhistle*Haydon Bridge...
, a division of Northumberland County Council
Northumberland County Council
Northumberland County Council is a unitary authority in North East England. It was originally formed in 1889 as the council for the administrative county of Northumberland and reformed in 1974 to cover a the newly formed non-metropolitan county of Northumberland...
, provides public protection services, operating out of the fire station at Wooler. A search and rescue service
Mountain rescue in England and Wales
Mountain rescue services in England and Wales operate under the umbrella association of the MREW - Mountain Rescue...
is provided by the Northumberland National Park Mountain Rescue Team and North of Tyne Search and Rescue Team.
Demography
Kilham had a population of 131 in 2001, of which 13.7 per cent were below the age of 16, and 11.5 per cent were over 64 years of age. Owner occupiers inhabited 13.7 per cent of the dwellings, and 61.6 per cent were rented. Holiday homes accounted for a further 12.3 per cent of dwellings, and 12.3 per cent were vacant. The proportion of households without use of a vehicle was 5.2 per cent, but 34.5 per cent had two or more. The population was predominantly white: 94.8 per cent identified themselves as such.| Population change in Kilham | ||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Year | 1801 | 1811 | 1821 | 1831 | 1841 | 1851 | 1861 | 1871 | 1881 | 1891 |
| Coldsmouth and Thompson's Walls | 32 | 49 | 44 | 41 | 38 | 20 | 30 | 25 | 15 | 8 |
| Howtel | 186 | 130 | 190 | 195 | 191 | 196 | 141 | 114 | 118 | 116 |
| Kilham | 206 | 252 | 246 | 217 | 279 | 258 | 209 | 210 | 156 | 143 |
| Pawston | 135 | 180 | 209 | 207 | 199 | 208 | 189 | 181 | 172 | 170 |
| Total | 559 | 611 | 689 | 660 | 707 | 682 | 569 | 530 | 461 | 437 |
| Year | 1901 | 1911 | 1921 | 1931 | 1951 | 1961 | 2001 | |||
| Coldsmouth and Thompson's Walls | 9 | 12 | 6 | 16 | 10 | |||||
| Howtel | 95 | 90 | 86 | 109 | 75 | |||||
| Kilham | 113 | 116 | 135 | 139 | 83 | 185 | 131 | |||
| Pawston | 125 | 143 | 106 | 110 | 80 | |||||
| Total | 342 | 361 | 333 | 374 | 248 | 185 | 131 | |||
Economy
Agriculture has been an important part of Kilham's life for centuries. As early as the 13th century sheep farming had been developed on the moorland, and in 1269 it was recorded that Kirkham PrioryKirkham Priory
The ruins of Kirkham Priory are situated on the banks of the River Derwent, at Kirkham, North Yorkshire, England. The Augustinian priory was founded in the 1120s by Walter l'Espec, lord of nearby Helmsley, who also built Rievaulx Abbey...
had 1,000 sheep on the "great moor" of Kilham. Shepherds often lived in shieling
Shieling
A shieling is a small house or hut once common in the hills and mountains of Scotland and northern England. Farmers and their families lived there during the summer, when their livestock were grazing common land in the hills...
s, temporary summer settlements high in the hills. Hemp
Hemp
Hemp is mostly used as a name for low tetrahydrocannabinol strains of the plant Cannabis sativa, of fiber and/or oilseed varieties. In modern times, hemp has been used for industrial purposes including paper, textiles, biodegradable plastics, construction, health food and fuel with modest...
and flax
Flax
Flax is a member of the genus Linum in the family Linaceae. It is native to the region extending from the eastern Mediterranean to India and was probably first domesticated in the Fertile Crescent...
were grown, and Aberdeen Angus cattle
Angus cattle
Angus cattle are a breed of cattle much used in beef production. They were developed from cattle native to the counties of Aberdeenshire and Angus in Scotland, and are known as Aberdeen Angus in most parts of the world....
reared. The high hills and moors of Northumberland
Northumberland
Northumberland is the northernmost ceremonial county and a unitary district in North East England. For Eurostat purposes Northumberland is a NUTS 3 region and is one of three boroughs or unitary districts that comprise the "Northumberland and Tyne and Wear" NUTS 2 region...
are ideal for grazing cattle and sheep, and some of 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...
's tastiest beef and lamb is produced.
In the 19th century, the upland areas were increasingly used for shooting wild gamebirds
Game (food)
Game is any animal hunted for food or not normally domesticated. Game animals are also hunted for sport.The type and range of animals hunted for food varies in different parts of the world. This will be influenced by climate, animal diversity, local taste and locally accepted view about what can or...
. The great landowners would hold large organised shooting parties for their friends, employing local farm workers as beaters. Gamekeepers were responsible for looking after the birds before they were shot, and for breeding pheasants
Common Pheasant
The Common Pheasant , is a bird in the pheasant family . It is native to Georgia and has been widely introduced elsewhere as a game bird. In parts of its range, namely in places where none of its relatives occur such as in Europe , it is simply known as the "pheasant"...
in special shelters. Arable farming was more important in the north of the parish, and was aided by increased mechanisation and improved transport links. Andesite
Andesite
Andesite is an extrusive igneous, volcanic rock, of intermediate composition, with aphanitic to porphyritic texture. In a general sense, it is the intermediate type between basalt and dacite. The mineral assemblage is typically dominated by plagioclase plus pyroxene and/or hornblende. Magnetite,...
was quarried for use as a building material, and sand and gravel extracted.
At the 2001 census, 72.0 per cent of Kilham's population were in employment; the unemployment rate was 5.6 per cent. Of those employed, 54.5 per cent worked in service industries, while 46.8 per cent were in extractive and manufacturing industries. The average distance travelled to work was 14.9 miles (24 km).
Coldsmouth and Thompson's Walls
Now almost unpopulated, Coldsmouth and Thompson's Walls lies 1.7 miles (2.7 km) south west of Kilham in the northern reaches of the Cheviot HillsCheviot Hills
The Cheviot Hills is a range of rolling hills straddling the England–Scotland border between Northumberland and the Scottish Borders.There is a broad split between the northern and the southern Cheviots...
. Coldsmouth Hill, 1358 feet (413.9 m) high, is the highest point in the parish. Two Bronze Age
Bronze Age Britain
Bronze Age Britain refers to the period of British history that spanned from c. 2,500 until c. 800 BC. Lasting for approximately 1700 years, it was preceded by the era of Neolithic Britain and was in turn followed by the era of Iron Age Britain...
burial cairn
Cairn
Cairn is a term used mainly in the English-speaking world for a man-made pile of stones. It comes from the or . Cairns are found all over the world in uplands, on moorland, on mountaintops, near waterways and on sea cliffs, and also in barren desert and tundra areas...
s crown the summit. A flint
Flint
Flint is a hard, sedimentary cryptocrystalline form of the mineral quartz, categorized as a variety of chert. It occurs chiefly as nodules and masses in sedimentary rocks, such as chalks and limestones. Inside the nodule, flint is usually dark grey, black, green, white, or brown in colour, and...
knife, bronze dagger and cremated bone were discovered during excavations in 1929. South of the hill St Cuthbert's Way, a 62 miles (99.8 km) long-distance trail
Long-distance trail
Long-distance trails are the longer recreational trails mainly through rural areas, used for non-motorised recreational travelling ....
, passes on its route from Melrose to Holy Island
Lindisfarne
Lindisfarne is a tidal island off the north-east coast of England. It is also known as Holy Island and constitutes a civil parish in Northumberland...
. Remains of a Romano-British village, on the north west slopes of the hill, include five enclosures containing the circular foundations of buildings. Nearby, Ring Chesters is an Iron Age
British Iron Age
The British Iron Age is a conventional name used in the archaeology of Great Britain, referring to the prehistoric and protohistoric phases of the Iron-Age culture of the main island and the smaller islands, typically excluding prehistoric Ireland, and which had an independent Iron Age culture of...
hillfort. The enclosure contains the circular stone foundations of at least eight huts, two of which contain traces of what may be hearths. In the saddle between the two hills, the remains of the medieval settlement of Heddon, first recorded in 1296, contain the sites of at least six longhouses, which are each divided into two rooms. The village overlies an earlier Romano-British enclosed settlement.
Thompson's Walls consists of two 19th century farm cottages and a group of farm buildings, notable for being built entirely of hard, igneous rock. Andesite
Andesite
Andesite is an extrusive igneous, volcanic rock, of intermediate composition, with aphanitic to porphyritic texture. In a general sense, it is the intermediate type between basalt and dacite. The mineral assemblage is typically dominated by plagioclase plus pyroxene and/or hornblende. Magnetite,...
was quarried, and was used in the construction of Yetholm
Yetholm
Yetholm may refer to one of two communities in the Scottish Borders:*Kirk Yetholm*Town YetholmYetholm can also refer to the parish that contained the villages of Kirk Yetholm and Town Yetholm in the east of the former county of Roxburghshire....
church.
Howtel
Howtel is situated 1.5 miles (2.4 km) north east of Kilham, to the north of the Bowmont WaterBowmont Water
Bowmont Water is a river in the Scottish Borders and Northumberland . It rises in the Cheviot Hills and passes by Mowhaugh, Town Yetholm, and Kirk Yetholm...
. The name is thought to mean Low Ground with a Wood, and the area has a number of ancient camps and settlements shown on early Ordnance Survey
Ordnance Survey
Ordnance Survey , an executive agency and non-ministerial government department of the Government of the United Kingdom, is the national mapping agency for Great Britain, producing maps of Great Britain , and one of the world's largest producers of maps.The name reflects its creation together with...
maps. The remains of a peel tower
Peel tower
Peel towers are small fortified keeps or tower houses, built along the English and Scottish borders in the Scottish Marches and North of England, intended as watch towers where signal fires could be lit by the garrison to warn of approaching danger...
, which was partly destroyed in 1496, stand in the centre of the hamlet. The walls are over 6.6 feet (2 m) thick.
Bowmont House, a former Scottish Presbyterian
Church of Scotland
The Church of Scotland, known informally by its Scots language name, the Kirk, is a Presbyterian church, decisively shaped by the Scottish Reformation....
chapel and manse, is on the Kilham road, to the south of the hamlet. The building dates from 1850, and is rendered
Cement render
Cement rendering is the application of a thin premixed surface ofsand, cement and lime plaster to brick, cement, stone or mud brick. It isoften textured, coloured or painted after application...
, with ashlar
Ashlar
Ashlar is prepared stone work of any type of stone. Masonry using such stones laid in parallel courses is known as ashlar masonry, whereas masonry using irregularly shaped stones is known as rubble masonry. Ashlar blocks are rectangular cuboid blocks that are masonry sculpted to have square edges...
dressings and a Welsh slate
Slate industry in Wales
The slate industry in Wales began during the Roman period when slate was used to roof the fort at Segontium, now Caernarfon. The slate industry grew slowly until the early 18th century, then expanded rapidly until the late 19th century, at which time the most important slate producing areas were in...
roof.
Kilham
Many of the buildings in Kilham date back to the 19th century, and the stone construction is typical of Northumbrian farms in the 1850s. Locally quarried dark igneous andesiteAndesite
Andesite is an extrusive igneous, volcanic rock, of intermediate composition, with aphanitic to porphyritic texture. In a general sense, it is the intermediate type between basalt and dacite. The mineral assemblage is typically dominated by plagioclase plus pyroxene and/or hornblende. Magnetite,...
and granite
Granite
Granite is a common and widely occurring type of intrusive, felsic, igneous rock. Granite usually has a medium- to coarse-grained texture. Occasionally some individual crystals are larger than the groundmass, in which case the texture is known as porphyritic. A granitic rock with a porphyritic...
were mainly used, although sandstone
Sandstone
Sandstone is a sedimentary rock composed mainly of sand-sized minerals or rock grains.Most sandstone is composed of quartz and/or feldspar because these are the most common minerals in the Earth's crust. Like sand, sandstone may be any colour, but the most common colours are tan, brown, yellow,...
was brought in from the east for higher status buildings. Kilham House was transformed from a traditional farmhouse into a small country house by a substantial extension built in 1926. The appearance was enhanced by the use of identical 12-pane windows throughout.
The old mill pond above the hamlet has been restored by the Northumberland National Park Authority. Blackbirds, wrens
Eurasian Wren
The Eurasian Wren , is a very small bird, and the only member of the wren family Troglodytidae found in Eurasia. In Anglophone Europe it is commonly known simply as the Wren...
and thrushes
True thrush
The true thrushes are medium-sized mostly insectivorous or omnivorous birds in the genus Turdus of the thrush family Turdidae.The genus has a cosmopolitan distribution, with species in the Americas, Europe, Asia, Africa and Australia. Several species have also colonised some oceanic islands, and...
are often seen in the hedge banks along the lane to Longknowe, and the roadside verges contain a colourful variety of flowering plants, including dog roses, St John's wort
St John's wort
St John's wort is the plant species Hypericum perforatum, and is also known as Tipton's Weed, Chase-devil, or Klamath weed....
, stitchwort
Stellaria graminea
Stellaria graminea is a species of flowering plant in the Caryophyllaceae known by the common names grassleaf starwort and common stitchwort. It is native to Eurasia but it is widespread around other parts of the temperate world as an introduced species and a common weed. It grows in many types of...
and bloody cranesbill
Geranium sanguineum
Geranium sanguineum, commonly called Bloody Cranesbill or Bloody Geranium, is a perennial herbaceous plant species in the Geraniaceae family...
. Nearby is a sheepwash, where Kilham's shepherds increased the value of the fleeces by washing their sheep's wool before it was clipped.
On the slopes of Kilham Hill are the remains of a shieling
Shieling
A shieling is a small house or hut once common in the hills and mountains of Scotland and northern England. Farmers and their families lived there during the summer, when their livestock were grazing common land in the hills...
, which provided shelter for shepherds watching over the sheep as they grazed. In summer the hillside is a profusion of purple and blue as wild thyme, cross-leaved heath
Erica tetralix
Erica tetralix is a species of heather found in Atlantic areas of Europe, from southern Portugal to central Norway, as well as a number of boggy regions further from the coast in Central Europe. In bogs, wet heaths and damp coniferous woodland, Erica tetralix can become a dominant part of the flora...
and harebells come into bloom: foxgloves
Digitalis purpurea
Digitalis purpurea , is a flowering plant in the family Plantaginaceae , native to most of Europe.-Description:...
have colonised the stony ground. A stone cairn
Cairn
Cairn is a term used mainly in the English-speaking world for a man-made pile of stones. It comes from the or . Cairns are found all over the world in uplands, on moorland, on mountaintops, near waterways and on sea cliffs, and also in barren desert and tundra areas...
crowns the summit, and was found to conceal a Bronze Age
Bronze Age Britain
Bronze Age Britain refers to the period of British history that spanned from c. 2,500 until c. 800 BC. Lasting for approximately 1700 years, it was preceded by the era of Neolithic Britain and was in turn followed by the era of Iron Age Britain...
cist
Cist
A cist from ) is a small stone-built coffin-like box or ossuary used to hold the bodies of the dead. Examples can be found across Europe and in the Middle East....
containing burnt bones. From the summit, there are views over the Milfield Plain
Milfield
Milfield is a village in Northumberland, England about northwest of Wooler. The A697 road passes through the village.- History :Milfield is the likely location of the Northumbrian royal settlement of Maelmin, given "mael" is a Brythonic word meaning "field"...
, Glendale
Glendale, Northumberland
Glendale is the name of a valley in North Northumberland that runs from the Cheviot Hills at Kirknewton onto the Milfield Plain, formed by the River Glen. However, the name is generally taken to indicate the area around the town of Wooler....
and the Till Valley
River Till
The River Till in Northumberland is the only tributary of the River Tweed which flows wholly in England. . The upper part of the Till, which rises on Comb Fell, is known as the River Breamish...
, and to Eildon Hill
Eildon Hill
Not to be confused with Eldon Hill, EnglandEildon Hill lies just south of Melrose, Scotland in the Scottish Borders, overlooking the town. The name is usually pluralised into "the Eildons" or "Eildon Hills", because of its triple peak....
, Yeavering Bell
Yeavering Bell
The Yeavering Bell is a twin-peaked hill near the River Glen in Northumberland, England. The hill, 361 metres above sea level, is encircled by the wall of a late-prehistoric hillfort, a tribal centre of the Votadini called in Brythonic and Old Welsh Din Gefron, from which the name stems The...
and the Cheviot Hills
Cheviot Hills
The Cheviot Hills is a range of rolling hills straddling the England–Scotland border between Northumberland and the Scottish Borders.There is a broad split between the northern and the southern Cheviots...
. Buzzards
Common Buzzard
The Common Buzzard is a medium to large bird of prey, whose range covers most of Europe and extends into Asia. It is usually resident all year, except in the coldest parts of its range, and in the case of one subspecies.-Description:...
, kestrels
Common Kestrel
The Common Kestrel is a bird of prey species belonging to the kestrel group of the falcon family Falconidae. It is also known as the European Kestrel, Eurasian Kestrel, or Old World Kestrel. In Britain, where no other brown falcon occurs, it is generally just called "the kestrel".This species...
, lapwings
Northern Lapwing
The Northern Lapwing , also known as the Peewit, Green Plover or just Lapwing, is a bird in the plover family. It is common through temperate Eurasia....
and curlews
Eurasian Curlew
The Eurasian Curlew, Numenius arquata, is a wader in the large family Scolopacidae. It is one of the most widespread of the curlews, breeding across temperate Europe and Asia...
are common, while bilberry
Bilberry
Bilberry is any of several species of low-growing shrubs in the genus Vaccinium , bearing edible berries. The species most often referred to is Vaccinium myrtillus L., but there are several other closely related species....
, tormentil and heath bedstraw
Galium saxatile
Galium saxatile or Heath Bedstraw is a plant species of the genus Galium. It is related to Cleavers ....
carpet the soil.
North of the hamlet, the trackbed of the former Alston and Cornhill Railway forms part of a walk along the Bowmont Water
Bowmont Water
Bowmont Water is a river in the Scottish Borders and Northumberland . It rises in the Cheviot Hills and passes by Mowhaugh, Town Yetholm, and Kirk Yetholm...
, where kingfishers, grey heron
Grey Heron
The Grey Heron , is a wading bird of the heron family Ardeidae, native throughout temperate Europe and Asia and also parts of Africa. It is resident in the milder south and west, but many birds retreat in winter from the ice in colder regions...
s, oystercatchers
Eurasian Oystercatcher
The Eurasian Oystercatcher Haematopus ostralegus, also known as the Common Pied Oystercatcher, or just Oystercatcher, is a wader in the oystercatcher bird family Haematopodidae. It is the most widespread of the oystercatchers, with three races breeding in western Europe, central Eurasia,...
and mallard
Mallard
The Mallard , or Wild Duck , is a dabbling duck which breeds throughout the temperate and subtropical Americas, Europe, Asia, and North Africa, and has been introduced to New Zealand and Australia....
s can be seen. Sedge warblers
Sedge Warbler
The Sedge Warbler is an Old World warbler in the genus Acrocephalus. It is a medium-sized warbler with a brown, streaked back and wings and a distinct pale supercilium. Sedge Warblers are migratory, crossing the Sahara to get from their European and Asian breeding grounds to spend winter in Africa...
are regular visitors in summer, and short-eared owls
Short-eared Owl
The Short-eared Owl is a species of typical owl . In Scotland this species of owl is often referred to as a cataface, grass owl or short-horned hootlet. Owls belonging to genus Asio are known as the eared owls, as they have tufts of feathers resembling mammalian ears. These "ear" tufts may or may...
hunt in the nearby tree plantation. On the northern bank of the river, Reedsford Farm has a 17th century dovecote
Dovecote
A dovecote or dovecot is a structure intended to house pigeons or doves. Dovecotes may be square or circular free-standing structures or built into the end of a house or barn. They generally contain pigeonholes for the birds to nest. Pigeons and doves were an important food source historically in...
.
Pawston
Pawston lies 2.3 miles (3.7 km) west of Kilham on the south bank of the Bowmont WaterBowmont Water
Bowmont Water is a river in the Scottish Borders and Northumberland . It rises in the Cheviot Hills and passes by Mowhaugh, Town Yetholm, and Kirk Yetholm...
. It was the site of the deserted medieval village of Thornington, first recorded in 1296. To the north east of Pawston House are single storey shelter sheds and a two storey granary, dating from the 18th century. An old beam forms a continuous bressumer over the door and two windows, and the building has a steeply pitched Scottish
Scotland
Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
slate roof. South of the house is a 17th century sundial base decorated with foliage, grotesque heads and festoons. John Selby, a "gentleman dwelling at Pawston", was killed in 1596 while defending his home against Scottish marauders. Pawston Hill has the remains of an Iron Age
British Iron Age
The British Iron Age is a conventional name used in the archaeology of Great Britain, referring to the prehistoric and protohistoric phases of the Iron-Age culture of the main island and the smaller islands, typically excluding prehistoric Ireland, and which had an independent Iron Age culture of...
settlement. The locally rare wood carpet moth
Epirrhoe rivata
The Wood Carpet, Epirrhoe rivata, is a moth of the genus Epirrhoe in the family Geometridae.-External links:***...
was found at Pawston Lake in 1929, and a number of nationally or locally scarce plants are also present, including the autumnal water starwort
Callitriche
Callitriche is a genus of largely aquatic plants known as water-starworts. Previously, it was the only genus in the family Callitrichaceae. However, according to the APG II system this family is now included in the Plantaginaceae...
, blunt leaved pondweed
Potamogeton obtusifolius
Potamogeton obtusifolius is an aquatic plant in the genus Potamogeton. It grows mainly in eutrofic lakes and ponds, rarely in brackish water. Species occurs primarily in Central Europe, British Isles, Fennoscandia and eastern North America....
, gypsywort, maiden pink and shoreweed
Littorella
Littorella is a genus of two to three species of aquatic plants. Many plants live their entire lives submersed, and reproduce by stolons, but some are only underwater for part of the year, and flower when they are not underwater.- Classification :...
.
Shotton Farm, immediately north of the Scottish border, marks the site of large medieval hamlet, first recorded in 1296. A document from 1541 records that it had been laying waste for more than 30 years. Shotton House was built in 1828, and has an ashlar
Ashlar
Ashlar is prepared stone work of any type of stone. Masonry using such stones laid in parallel courses is known as ashlar masonry, whereas masonry using irregularly shaped stones is known as rubble masonry. Ashlar blocks are rectangular cuboid blocks that are masonry sculpted to have square edges...
facade and Scottish slate roof. Above the panelled door is a Tuscan
Tuscany
Tuscany is a region in Italy. It has an area of about 23,000 square kilometres and a population of about 3.75 million inhabitants. The regional capital is Florence ....
entablature
Entablature
An entablature refers to the superstructure of moldings and bands which lie horizontally above columns, resting on their capitals. Entablatures are major elements of classical architecture, and are commonly divided into the architrave , the frieze ,...
showing the year of construction and the original owner's name. The nearby gatepiers have Greek
Greece
Greece , officially the Hellenic Republic , and historically Hellas or the Republic of Greece in English, is a country in southeastern Europe....
decoration, and were added in 1829.
The Rising of the North
Rising of the North
The Rising of the North of 1569, also called the Revolt of the Northern Earls or Northern Rebellion, was an unsuccessful attempt by Catholic nobles from Northern England to depose Queen Elizabeth I of England and replace her with Mary, Queen of Scots.-Background:When Elizabeth I succeeded her...
in 1569 was an attempt to depose Queen Elizabeth I
Elizabeth I of England
Elizabeth I was queen regnant of England and Ireland from 17 November 1558 until her death. Sometimes called The Virgin Queen, Gloriana, or Good Queen Bess, Elizabeth was the fifth and last monarch of the Tudor dynasty...
and replace her with Mary, Queen of Scots. Thomas Percy, the Earl of Northumberland
Thomas Percy, 7th Earl of Northumberland
Blessed Thomas Percy, 7th Earl of Northumberland, 1st Baron Percy, KG , led the Rising of the North and was executed for treason. He was later beatified by the Catholic Church.-Early life:...
, one of its leaders, was betrayed while seeking shelter at Harelaw. The current Harelaw House was built in 1593. It stands below Hare Law, 912 feet (278 m) high, on which are the remains of a hillfort.
Transport
Kilham lies on the B6351 roadB roads in Zone 6 of the Great Britain numbering scheme
B roads are numbered routes in Great Britain of lesser importance than A roads. See the article Great Britain road numbering scheme for the rationale behind the numbers allocated.-Zone 6 :-Zone 6 :...
between Akeld
Akeld
Akeld is a village and civil parish in Northumberland, England. It is situated to the west of Wooler, and has a population of 82. Its name is Anglo-Saxon Old English ac-helde, 'oak slope'....
and Mindrum
Mindrum
Mindrum is a village in Northumberland, England, in the district of Berwick-upon-Tweed.- Governance :Mindrum is in the parliamentary constituency of Berwick-upon-Tweed....
. The B6352
B roads in Zone 6 of the Great Britain numbering scheme
B roads are numbered routes in Great Britain of lesser importance than A roads. See the article Great Britain road numbering scheme for the rationale behind the numbers allocated.-Zone 6 :-Zone 6 :...
runs north east through Howtel
Howtel
Howtel is a village in Northumberland, England about northwest of Wooler. The name Howtel is thought to mean Low Ground with a Holt or Wood.- History :...
to Ford
Ford, Northumberland
Ford is a small village in Northumberland, England, about from Berwick-upon-Tweed. Ford shares a parish with Etal.- History Pre-1513 :Very little is known of the history of the area before the Norman Conquest in the 11th century, but Bronze Age rock carvings in the area suggest that there might...
, where it connects with the A697
A697 road
The A697 is a road that can be used an alternative to the A1 for those travelling between Scotland and England via the North East.It connects Morpeth on the A1 to the A68 at Oxton, near Edinburgh...
. A bus service is provided only on Wednesdays. Service 266 has two morning journeys operated by Glen Valley Tours, and runs a circular Wooler
Wooler
Wooler is a small town in Northumberland, England. It lies on the edge of the Northumberland National Park, by the Cheviot Hills and so is a popular base for walkers and is referred to as the "Gateway to the Cheviots"...
–Akeld–Kirknewton
Kirknewton, Northumberland
Kirknewton is a Northumbrian village to the north of the county of Northumberland, about from the town of Wooler and roughly the same distance to the Scottish Borders...
–Kilham–Flodden–Milfield
Milfield
Milfield is a village in Northumberland, England about northwest of Wooler. The A697 road passes through the village.- History :Milfield is the likely location of the Northumbrian royal settlement of Maelmin, given "mael" is a Brythonic word meaning "field"...
–Akeld–Wooler route.
The road from Wooler through Kirknewton and Kilham to the Scottish
Scotland
Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
border was converted into a turnpike
Turnpike trust
Turnpike trusts in the United Kingdom were bodies set up by individual Acts of Parliament, with powers to collect road tolls for maintaining the principal highways in Britain from the 17th but especially during the 18th and 19th centuries...
by the early 19th century. In 1812 the Ford and Lowick Turnpike Trust took over responsibility for the road from Milfield through Flodden, Howtel, Kilham, Langham and Shotton to the border, and in 1834 the deviation through Thornington was included. With reduced income from tolls due to competition from the new railways, the turnpike trusts were gradually wound up in the late 19th century, and responsibility for highways taken over by Northumberland County Council
Northumberland County Council
Northumberland County Council is a unitary authority in North East England. It was originally formed in 1889 as the council for the administrative county of Northumberland and reformed in 1974 to cover a the newly formed non-metropolitan county of Northumberland...
after its creation in 1889.
From the 1860s onwards, various schemes were promoted to build a railway line, either through Glendale
Glendale
Glendale is the anglicised version of its gaelic name, Gleann Dail, which means valley of fertile, low-lying arable land. The name originates from Scotland.It may refer to:-Places:Australia*Glendale, New South Wales**Stockland, a shopping centre...
or over the Milfield Plain. In 1881 the Central Northumberland Railway was proposed, linking 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...
with Ponteland
Ponteland
Ponteland is a village situated in Northumberland near Newcastle upon Tyne, England. The name means island in the Pont , as the area consisted of a small piece of solid ground around St. Mary's church and the old bridge, surrounded by marshland. This marshland is now drained, with housing built on...
, Rothbury
Rothbury
Rothbury is a town and civil parish in Northumberland, England. It is located on the River Coquet, northwest of Morpeth and north-northwest of Newcastle upon Tyne...
, Wooler and Kelso. The threat posed by the proposal spurred the North Eastern Railway
North Eastern Railway (UK)
The North Eastern Railway , was an English railway company. It was incorporated in 1854, when four existing companies were combined, and was absorbed into the London and North Eastern Railway at the Grouping in 1923...
to put forward a branch line of its own between Alnwick
Alnwick
Alnwick is a small market town in north Northumberland, England. The town's population was just over 8000 at the time of the 2001 census and Alnwick's district population was 31,029....
, Wooler and Cornhill on Tweed. The company was strongly supported by the tradespeople of Alnwick, who were concerned at the loss of business if the farmers of Glendale had a direct raillink to the rival market and shops in Rothbury. Both schemes were presented to Parliament in 1881, and it was the North Eastern Railway's route which gained approval, with the Alnwick and Cornhill Act passed in 1882. The single-track line opened on 5 September 1887, having cost £272,267 to build. From Wooler, it ran through Kirknewton and Kilham to Mindrum, before turning north to Cornhill on Tweed, where it joined the line from Tweedmouth to Kelso. There was no station at Kilham, but sidings were built to handle goods traffic.
The North Eastern Railway was amalgamated into the London and North Eastern Railway
London and North Eastern Railway
The London and North Eastern Railway was the second-largest of the "Big Four" railway companies created by the Railways Act 1921 in Britain...
in 1923 and, just 43 years after the line opened, passenger trains were withdrawn in 1930, the new owners claiming that passenger numbers had declined due to competition from buses. A goods and parcels service continued, but on 12 August 1948 torrential rain caused severe flooding, damaging the bridge over the Bowmont Water
Bowmont Water
Bowmont Water is a river in the Scottish Borders and Northumberland . It rises in the Cheviot Hills and passes by Mowhaugh, Town Yetholm, and Kirk Yetholm...
between Mindrum and Kilham. For a while the line operated as two separate lines with termini at Mindrum and Kirknewton, but further flooding in October 1949 destroyed the bridge at Ilderton
Ilderton, Northumberland
Ilderton is a small village in Northumberland, England. It is located in the on the edge of the Northumberland National Park, between Lilburn, Northumberland in the east and Harehope Hill in the west....
. Rather than rebuild the bridge British Railways, which had taken over the line the previous year, repaired the bridge at Mindrum, restoring services from the north through to Wooler. Goods services were withdrawn from Kilham sidings in 1953, and the remaining northern part of the line to Wooler finally closed on 29 March 1965.
Apart from a short heritage line
Heritage railway
thumb|right|the Historical [[Khyber train safari|Khyber Railway]] goes through the [[Khyber Pass]], [[Pakistan]]A heritage railway , preserved railway , tourist railway , or tourist railroad is a railway that is run as a tourist attraction, in some cases by volunteers, and...
, the Heatherslaw Light Railway
Heatherslaw Light Railway
The Heatherslaw Light Railway is a gauge passenger carrying railway in Northumberland, England, near the border with Scotland.Founded by Neville Smith, the railway opened in 1989 on the Ford and Etal estate. It operates over a route from Heatherslaw to Etal Village, a little more than 3 kilometres...
, operating between Heatherslaw and Etal
Etal
Etal is a small village in the far north of the county of Northumberland, England which shares a parish with nearby Ford. It lies on a bridging point of the River Till ten miles south west of Berwick-Upon-Tweed, and can boast the substantial ruins of a medieval castle currently owned by English...
, the nearest railway station is at Berwick upon Tweed
Berwick-upon-Tweed railway station
Berwick-upon-Tweed railway station is a railway station which serves the town of Berwick-upon-Tweed in Northumberland. It is located on the East Coast Main Line, 335 miles north of London Kings Cross and 55 miles south of Edinburgh Waverley...
, 17 miles (27.4 km) to the north east on the East Coast Main Line
East Coast Main Line
The East Coast Main Line is a long electrified high-speed railway link between London, Peterborough, Doncaster, Wakefield, Leeds, York, Darlington, Newcastle and Edinburgh...
between London and Edinburgh
Edinburgh Waverley railway station
Edinburgh Waverley railway station is the main railway station in the Scottish capital Edinburgh. Covering an area of over 25 acres in the centre of the city, it is the second-largest main line railway station in the United Kingdom in terms of area, the largest being...
. Services are provided by the East Coast Main Line Company
East Coast (train operating company)
East Coast is a British train operating company running high-speed passenger services on the East Coast Main Line between London, Yorkshire, the North East and Scotland...
and Cross Country Trains
CrossCountry
CrossCountry is the brand name of XC Trains Ltd., a British train operating company owned by Arriva...
. Chathill
Chathill railway station
Chathill railway station is a railway station that serves the village of Chathill in Northumberland, England, and the nearby villages of Seahouses, Embleton, Bamburgh and Belford....
, 25.2 miles (40.6 km) east of Kilham, has a limited commuter service to Newcastle upon Tyne
Newcastle railway station
Newcastle railway station , is the mainline station of the city of Newcastle upon Tyne, England and is a principal stop on the East Coast Main Line. It opened in 1850 and is a Grade I listed building...
, operated by Northern Rail
Northern Rail
Northern Rail is a British train operating company that has operated local passenger services in Northern England since 2004. Northern Rail's owner, Serco-Abellio, is a consortium formed of Abellio and Serco, an international operator of public transport systems...
.
Education
A national schoolNational school (England and Wales)
A national school was a school founded in 19th century England and Wales by the National Society for Promoting Religious Education.These schools provided elementary education, in accordance with the teaching of the Church of England, to the children of the poor.Together with the less numerous...
for 60 children opened at Howtel in 1875. Primary education
Education in England
Education in England is overseen by the Department for Education and the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills. Local authorities take responsibility for implementing policy for public education and state schools at a regional level....
to the age of nine is now provided by Wooler First School, which had 101 pupils in 2007, and is located in Wooler
Wooler
Wooler is a small town in Northumberland, England. It lies on the edge of the Northumberland National Park, by the Cheviot Hills and so is a popular base for walkers and is referred to as the "Gateway to the Cheviots"...
, 8 miles (12.9 km) to the east. It was last inspected by Ofsted
Ofsted
The Office for Standards in Education, Children's Services and Skills is the non-ministerial government department of Her Majesty's Chief Inspector of Schools In England ....
in 2007.
Children aged from nine to 13 attend Glendale Middle School, also located in Wooler, which had 150 pupils when it was last inspected in 2010. The school has specialist status as a technology college
Technology College
Technology College is a term used in the United Kingdom for a secondary specialist school that focuses on design and technology, mathematics and science. These were the first type of specialist schools, beginning in 1994. In 2008 there were 598 Technology Colleges in England, of which 12 also...
, holds the Sportsmark
Sportsmark
Sportsmark is Sport England's accreditation scheme for secondary schools. The scheme recognises a school's out of hours sports provision.Sportsmark awards are given to secondary schools for provision for sport and physical education. They are currently being reviewed along with Activemark awards...
and Healthy Schools
National Healthy Schools Programme
The National Healthy Schools Programme is a joint Department of Health and Department for Children, Schools and Families project intended to improve health, raise pupil achievement, improve social inclusion and encourage closer working between health and education providers in the United...
awards, and has a "partner school" in China
China
Chinese civilization may refer to:* China for more general discussion of the country.* Chinese culture* Greater China, the transnational community of ethnic Chinese.* History of China* Sinosphere, the area historically affected by Chinese culture...
.
At the age of 13, pupils transfer to Berwick Academy, formerly Berwick Community High School, in Berwick upon Tweed, 17 miles (27.4 km) north east of Kilham As a high school, it was inspected in 2007 when it had 922 pupils, including 174 in the sixth form
Sixth form
In the education systems of England, Wales, and Northern Ireland, and of Commonwealth West Indian countries such as Barbados, Trinidad and Tobago, Belize, Jamaica and Malta, the sixth form is the final two years of secondary education, where students, usually sixteen to eighteen years of age,...
. The academy has specialist status as both a business and enterprise college
Business and Enterprise College
Business and Enterprise Colleges were introduced in 2002 as part of the Specialist Schools Programme in the United Kingdom. The system enables secondary schools to specialise in certain fields...
and as an applied learning college. In 2009 it was awarded High Performing Specialist School
Specialist school
The specialist schools programme was a UK government initiative which encouraged secondary schools in England to specialise in certain areas of the curriculum to boost achievement. The Specialist Schools and Academies Trust was responsible for the delivery of the programme...
status, and holds a Healthy Schools award.
Culture
Robert StoryRobert Story (poet)
Robert Story , known as "the Craven Poet", was an English poet.-Biography:Story was born at Wark on Tweed in Northumberland in the northeastern England in 1795. His father Robin Story , was an agricultural labourer, and his mother, Mary Hooliston, was originally from Lauder, Scotland...
, known as "the Craven Poet", was born at Wark on Tweed
Wark on Tweed
Wark on Tweed is a village in the English county of Northumberland. It lies about south west of Berwick-upon-Tweed...
in 1795. His father was an agricultural labourer, and the family moved frequently around the Northumberland
Northumberland
Northumberland is the northernmost ceremonial county and a unitary district in North East England. For Eurostat purposes Northumberland is a NUTS 3 region and is one of three boroughs or unitary districts that comprise the "Northumberland and Tyne and Wear" NUTS 2 region...
villages. When just 10 years old, Story ran away to accompany a lame fiddler on an excursion through the Scottish Borders
Scottish Borders
The Scottish Borders is one of 32 local government council areas of Scotland. It is bordered by Dumfries and Galloway in the west, South Lanarkshire and West Lothian in the north west, City of Edinburgh, East Lothian, Midlothian to the north; and the non-metropolitan counties of Northumberland...
for a month, and about a year later the family moved to Howtel
Howtel
Howtel is a village in Northumberland, England about northwest of Wooler. The name Howtel is thought to mean Low Ground with a Holt or Wood.- History :...
, where Story attended the local school. He later claimed that this was where "I learned nearly all that I ever learned from a Master—namely to read badly, to write worse, and to cipher a little farther, perhaps than to the Rule of Three." There he was introduced to Divine Songs for Children, and discovered a love of poetry while reading on the hills, where he was employed as a shepherd. By 1820 he had moved to Gargrave
Gargrave
Gargrave is a small village and civil parish in the Craven district located along the A65, northwest of Skipton in North Yorkshire, England.It is situated on the very edge of the Yorkshire Dales. The River Aire and the Leeds and Liverpool Canal pass through the village...
in North Yorkshire
North Yorkshire
North Yorkshire is a non-metropolitan or shire county located in the Yorkshire and the Humber region of England, and a ceremonial county primarily in that region but partly in North East England. Created in 1974 by the Local Government Act 1972 it covers an area of , making it the largest...
where he opened a school, and in 1825 published a volume of poetry, Craven Blossoms. Algernon Percy, the Duke of Northumberland
Algernon Percy, 6th Duke of Northumberland
Algernon George Percy, 6th Duke of Northumberland KG, PC , styled Lord Lovaine between 1830 and 1865 and Earl Percy between 1865 and 1867, was a British Conservative politician...
, became a patron
Patronage
Patronage is the support, encouragement, privilege, or financial aid that an organization or individual bestows to another. In the history of art, arts patronage refers to the support that kings or popes have provided to musicians, painters, and sculptors...
in 1857 and financed an edition of his works. In 1859 Story was invited to Ayr
Ayr
Ayr is a town and port situated on the Firth of Clyde in south-west Scotland. With a population of around 46,000, Ayr is the largest settlement in Ayrshire, of which it is the county town, and has held royal burgh status since 1205...
for the centenary celebrations of Robert Burns
Robert Burns
Robert Burns was a Scottish poet and a lyricist. He is widely regarded as the national poet of Scotland, and is celebrated worldwide...
, where he recited his poem on Burns. The Bradfordian considered that "he stands high among the minor poets of Great Britain
Great Britain
Great Britain or Britain is an island situated to the northwest of Continental Europe. It is the ninth largest island in the world, and the largest European island, as well as the largest of the British Isles...
, and many of his sweet lyrics will most assuredly descend to and be highly admired by posterity, and by none more than Yorkshiremen
Yorkshire
Yorkshire is a historic county of northern England and the largest in the United Kingdom. Because of its great size in comparison to other English counties, functions have been increasingly undertaken over time by its subdivisions, which have also been subject to periodic reform...
."
A ten minute DVD postcard, The Cheviot Hills from Dawn till Dusk, shows the scene across five Cheviot valleys, including Kilham, set to the music On Cheviot Hills by Alistair Anderson. The film shows the changing moods as the day progresses, and was produced by Shadowcat Films, with support from the Northumberland National Park Authority.
Inglenook Sidings
Inglenook Sidings
Inglenook Sidings, created by Alan Wright , is a well-known model railway train shunting puzzle. It consists of a specific track layout, a set of initial conditions, a defined goal, and rules which must be obeyed while performing the shunting operations.-Details:The track is based on Kilham...
is an award winning model railway train shunting puzzle
Train shunting puzzle
Train shunting puzzles, also often called railway shunting puzzles or railroad switching puzzles, are a type of transport puzzle.Shunting puzzles usually consist of a specific track layout, a set of initial conditions , a defined goal , and rules which must be obeyed...
created by Alan Wright for the Manchester Model Railway Society's 1978 show, based on the former Kilham Sidings on the Alnwick and Cornhill Railway. The aim of the puzzle is to create a train consisting of five of the eight wagons sitting in the sidings, in the order in which the wagons are randomly selected.
A local saying in Northumberland was "to take Hector's cloak", meaning to deceive a friend who relies on your loyalty. The saying referred to the betrayal of Sir Thomas Percy, the Earl of Northumberland
Thomas Percy, 7th Earl of Northumberland
Blessed Thomas Percy, 7th Earl of Northumberland, 1st Baron Percy, KG , led the Rising of the North and was executed for treason. He was later beatified by the Catholic Church.-Early life:...
, by Hector Armstrong of Harelaw. The earl, a loyal Roman Catholic, had been one of the leaders of the Rising of the North
Rising of the North
The Rising of the North of 1569, also called the Revolt of the Northern Earls or Northern Rebellion, was an unsuccessful attempt by Catholic nobles from Northern England to depose Queen Elizabeth I of England and replace her with Mary, Queen of Scots.-Background:When Elizabeth I succeeded her...
in 1569, an attempt to depose Queen Elizabeth I
Elizabeth I of England
Elizabeth I was queen regnant of England and Ireland from 17 November 1558 until her death. Sometimes called The Virgin Queen, Gloriana, or Good Queen Bess, Elizabeth was the fifth and last monarch of the Tudor dynasty...
and replace her with Mary, Queen of Scots. The rebels captured Barnard Castle
Barnard Castle
Barnard Castle is an historical town in Teesdale, County Durham, England. It is named after the castle around which it grew up. It sits on the north side of the River Tees, opposite Startforth, south southwest of Newcastle upon Tyne, south southwest of Sunderland, west of Middlesbrough and ...
and advanced on York
York
York is a walled city, situated at the confluence of the Rivers Ouse and Foss in North Yorkshire, England. The city has a rich heritage and has provided the backdrop to major political events throughout much of its two millennia of existence...
but, with little popular support and facing overwhelming government forces, fled north, towards Scotland
Scotland
Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
. The earl sought shelter in Armstrong's house at Harelaw, but was betrayed to James Douglas, the Earl of Morton
James Douglas, 4th Earl of Morton
James Douglas, jure uxoris 4th Earl of Morton was the last of the four regents of Scotland during the minority of King James VI. He was in some ways the most successful of the four, since he did manage to win the civil war which had been dragging on with the supporters of the exiled Mary, Queen of...
, the regent
Regent
A regent, from the Latin regens "one who reigns", is a person selected to act as head of state because the ruler is a minor, not present, or debilitated. Currently there are only two ruling Regencies in the world, sovereign Liechtenstein and the Malaysian constitutive state of Terengganu...
of Scotland. The Scots subsequently sold him to the English government for £2,000, and he was beheaded at York, refusing an offer to save his life by renouncing Catholicism.
Religion
Although an early chapel is believed to have existed in Kilham, the local parish church, dedicated to Saint Gregory the GreatPope Gregory I
Pope Gregory I , better known in English as Gregory the Great, was pope from 3 September 590 until his death...
, is at Kirknewton
Kirknewton, Northumberland
Kirknewton is a Northumbrian village to the north of the county of Northumberland, about from the town of Wooler and roughly the same distance to the Scottish Borders...
. The site has been used for Christian worship since the 11th century, and the present church dates from the 12th century. It was restored in 1860. A Scottish Presbyterian
Church of Scotland
The Church of Scotland, known informally by its Scots language name, the Kirk, is a Presbyterian church, decisively shaped by the Scottish Reformation....
chapel, with seating for 350 worshippers, was built at Howtel
Howtel
Howtel is a village in Northumberland, England about northwest of Wooler. The name Howtel is thought to mean Low Ground with a Holt or Wood.- History :...
in 1850, although this is no longer in use.
Sport
FellwalkingHillwalking
In the British Isles, the terms hillwalking or fellwalking are commonly used to describe the recreational outdoor activity of walking on hills and mountains, often with the intention of visiting their summits...
is a popular pastime in the Cheviot Hills
Cheviot Hills
The Cheviot Hills is a range of rolling hills straddling the England–Scotland border between Northumberland and the Scottish Borders.There is a broad split between the northern and the southern Cheviots...
, and Coldsmouth Hill is a favoured destination, with excellent views in all directions, and two large burial cairns on its summit. It is most easily climbed from Halterburn in Yetholm
Yetholm
Yetholm may refer to one of two communities in the Scottish Borders:*Kirk Yetholm*Town YetholmYetholm can also refer to the parish that contained the villages of Kirk Yetholm and Town Yetholm in the east of the former county of Roxburghshire....
. St Cuthbert's Way, a 62 miles (99.8 km) long-distance trail
Long-distance trail
Long-distance trails are the longer recreational trails mainly through rural areas, used for non-motorised recreational travelling ....
, passes to the south of the hill on its route from Melrose to Holy Island
Lindisfarne
Lindisfarne is a tidal island off the north-east coast of England. It is also known as Holy Island and constitutes a civil parish in Northumberland...
. Kilham Hill can be ascended from the Kilham Valley or the Kirknewton
Kirknewton, Northumberland
Kirknewton is a Northumbrian village to the north of the county of Northumberland, about from the town of Wooler and roughly the same distance to the Scottish Borders...
road east of Kilham.
The Northumbria Hang Gliding and Paragliding Club, based in 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...
, organises both hang gliding
Hang gliding
Hang gliding is an air sport in which a pilot flies a light and unmotorized foot-launchable aircraft called a hang glider ....
and paragliding
Paragliding
Paragliding is the recreational and competitive adventure sport of flying paragliders: lightweight, free-flying, foot-launched glider aircraft with no rigid primary structure...
at Coldsmouth Hill, which works in an easterly or west north westerly wind, and Longknowe, which works best in a west north westerly wind.