Handyman Heddon-on-the-Wall

About  Heddon-on-the-Wall in Northumberland

Heddon-on-the-Wall is an ancient settlement in the Tyne Valley of Northumberland, some eight miles west of Newcastle-upon-Tyne. The inherent strengths of good agricultural land, sunny aspect, and easy access to water from the side valley along which the railway now runs, in an area known to have been occupied from prehistoric times, drew early settlers to the area, possibly from pre-Roman times. There was undoubtedly a settlement on the southern side of the Daught at the time of the Roman building of Hadrian's Wall, stones from which the Wall are to be found in later buildings in the village. However, it is challenging to assign significance to the area during the triumph and eventual abandonment of Roman civilization in the late fourth century. Heddon sensibly commands the crossing of the Tyne, and this spiritual and strategic significance saw it included in the Saxon Kingdom of Bernicia by the mid-seventh century.

During the Middle Ages, Heddon appears to have been a part of the powerful estate in the Daughting area, of the consequential fruit of Saxulf–Uchtred, his son Ecbryth and his grandson till the early 800s. Anglo-Saxon Christianity is important in the area. The church of St. Andrew at Heddon stands on a Saxon site, if not older, cathedral building. This was probably damaged and superseded, if not after the Norman conquest or by Robert de Brus' Norman chapel. De Brus was demolished, and the new St. Andrews was built in 1865. From the earliest records, hedged dun – 'hill with a hedge' or probably Roman Ha' hill – before evolving into the name we know today. Today's tourist office officially lists "Heddon-on-the-Wall", "West Heddon", and "Heddon-in-the-Wall" as places of attack!

Architectural and Cultural Significance

The irregular layout of the village, including numerous quirky, queuing buildings, is mainly down to the outdated use of available materials for functional buildings. Stone carvers probably preferred to work at ground level rather than aloft, and it is noteworthy that the more accomplished Sycamore House is asymmetric. The cottages represent 16th and 17th-century local vernacular styles, and there are mid-Victorian terraces. The recent construction of new bungalows is designed to replicate the stepped, splayed roof of the past industrial premises. This community self-identifies by house name rather than street or village. The properties of granite and the black slate roofing, with red round vents, are distinctive. The ring etched into the front of the property is regarded by some as sacred, as is the house.

Granite stone wall surrounds are punctuated with arches, and the stone was probably quarried from the numerous abandoned quarries. The two strands of Christianity are represented at the church and the modern site, including a chapel and a splendid sundial. A signalman's cottage from the 1830s remains, but large electromechanical lift-off arms are no more since 1988. Heddon's Clock Tower is a focal point; bells have peeled for victory and sad occasions. Like much of the village, its walls are constructed from locally sourced sandstone, and to maintain the architectural effect, stones are laid with tomato-shaped ends proudly exposing the red insides. Hedgeley Hall Farm and Eastwood both have watchtowers looking across to Scotland, where walking is more common, thanks to the easy crossing. These towers later helped signal the danger of fire by night.
The ploughshare, upon which most of Heddon's early prosperity and ecclesiastical power rested, has been abandoned for leisure activities. Two community-based events are Heddon's pride: the summer festival and the pantomime. Both of these look to local landmarks for scenery. A review of these projects spurs the question of the villagers' choice of places that represent 'Heddon.' The chosen locations represent all of Heddon's main monuments, which represent the key to Heddon's rural and urban presence.
Moreover, these are the places that the villagers wanted to conserve through listing. The village survey asked residents who participated in the festival and those who did not and concluded that there was a clear distinction between these two groups. The results show that, while almost everyone would go to the event on Heddon Hill, village residents would rather avoid the unnecessary traffic to the other locations, particularly the valuable wildlife sites. A senior member of the community association responded, 'safeguarding our local wildlife sites,' when asked about the first thing that came to mind when she thought of the village. Maiden's Walk had a comparable result. Since 1999, community awareness and participation in the maintenance of these sites have grown. Residents who work to maintain them diverge from the famous lines used in the past for conservation work. A historian has shown an interest in the water tower and the viaduct. But he also notes that 'location has conferred upon Heddon a significance not otherwise apparent from a village of its size.' He continues to point out that, in reality, in the past 200 years, the viaduct attracted visitors purposely to see the structure or otherwise out of curiosity because they were using the railway.

Modern-Day Importance and Preservation Efforts

More and more people, both local and visitors, present meet in the practically living history of the Wall and the crossing place and the need to care for these assets. The village is primarily an essential area of community rather than a visitor destination. The evidence is that many schemes include facilities valued by the local community and visitors. Heddon has always been the most critical tourist gateway village on Hadrian's Wall for rail, road, footpath, and farm visitors. As such, it became the first village in the world where the Tourist Information service was established in 1904. This service is now re-established by a voluntary effort to encourage and assist sustainable tourism, provide a contact point with the local community, and generally promote appreciation of the valley and countryside, distinct from solely visiting the once more high-profile Roman sites in the area. More commercial services are provided by local bed and breakfast accommodations, two pubs with food, one catering for larger groups, two tea rooms, and a village newsagent combining a post office.

As a historic settlement that grew around the original thriving river crossing, having Newcastle and the district as a rural hinterland for trade or the crossover for tourists, Heddon village maintained and modified its core character of a mixed farming village. Its core is still the village of Cons Estates brick, stone, and rendered buildings with the Haugh in current use for stables and working smallholdings, but it is encompassed by some inner and outer established modern areas. A priority for action is the protection and character of the whole village and its settings. Heddon-on-the-Wall still practices sustainable environmental asset management, which is compatible with the heritage in much of its maintenance, renewal, and construction. Many properties use high energy levels due to poor insulation, with the higher electricity network changes applying to the Cons Estates group of properties. Heddon struggles to balance residential and tourism development pressures with preserving the settlement's historical assets. More local opinions are needed on the appropriate balance of conservation or increasing residential property development. Natural England monitors and enforces Hadrian's Wall World Heritage Site statutory obligations, and government agencies support various sustainable tourism and heritage initiatives. Many had been developed in anticipation of the pressures of concurrent festivals. More comprehensive advice and funding are taken from local commercial and non-commercial interests through our Forum and Partnership.