Bedlington facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Bedlington |
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 St. Cuthbert's Church, Bedlington |
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 Bedlington
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| Population | 18,470 |
| OS grid reference | NZ258819 |
| Civil parish |
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| Unitary authority |
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| Ceremonial county | |
| Region | |
| Country | England |
| Sovereign state | United Kingdom |
| Post town | BEDLINGTON |
| Postcode district | NE22 |
| Dialling code | 01670 |
| Police | Northumbria |
| Fire | Northumberland |
| Ambulance | North East |
| EU Parliament | North East England |
| UK Parliament |
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Bedlington is a town in Northumberland, England. It has a population of about 18,470 people, based on the 2011 Census.
This old market town has a long history of industry and clever people. It is about 10 miles northeast of Newcastle. Bedlington is also close to the A1 road. Other nearby towns include Morpeth, Ashington, Blyth, and Cramlington.
People have lived in Bedlington since the Bronze Age. An ancient burial site was found near the main Front Street. St Cuthbert's Church is the oldest building in town. Parts of it are from the 11th century, and it recently turned 1000 years old. The town centre has many Georgian and Victorian buildings.
During the Industrial Revolution, Bedlington made nails and trains. These products were sent all over the world. The town's iron works started over 250 years ago. Coal mining became very important from 1838 until the mines closed in the 1980s. Today, Front Street has many places to eat and drink, plus new shops.
The area around Bedlington was once a special part of County Durham. It was called Bedlingtonshire.
Contents
History of Bedlington
The name "Bedlington" first appeared around 1050. It means "the town of Bedla's people."
Between 900 and 915, Bedlington and its small villages were bought by Bishop Cutheard of Durham. Even though it was in Northumberland, it became part of Durham. The Bishop of Durham had special royal rights over this area.
These rights were later taken away in 1536 but given back in 1541. In 1866, Bedlington became part of the church's properties. By 1832 and 1844, Bedlingtonshire became part of Northumberland for everyday purposes.
Bedlington grew into an industrial town with an iron works and many coal mines. When these industries closed in the late 1900s, the town changed a lot. It became a place where people lived but worked in other areas. Many homes built for mining families were removed in the 1970s.
An important old building was Bedlington Old Hall. It had a 15th-century tower and an 18th-century stone building. Sadly, it was taken down in 1959. Council offices were built there instead, but they are now empty.
On April 1, 1974, Bedlington stopped being a civil parish. It became part of the Wansbeck area.
Town Development
Bedlington has three supermarkets, a post office, and many smaller shops.
A market is held every Thursday in the market place. However, fewer market stalls are there now.
Getting Around Bedlington
Air and Sea Travel
The closest airport is Newcastle Airport. You can fly from here to cities in Europe and other parts of the world. There is also a port in nearby North Shields. From there, you can take a ferry to the Netherlands.
Bus Services
Arriva North East is the main bus company in Bedlington. Buses connect Bedlington to Ashington, Morpeth, Cramlington, Blyth, Stakeford, and Newcastle. The X21/X22 buses run every 10 minutes on weekdays. They link Ashington, Guide Post, Bedlington Station, Regent Centre, Gosforth, and Newcastle. The 2 bus service connects Morpeth, Guide Post, Bedlington Station, and Blyth.
Train Services
Work is happening to bring back passenger train services. This project is called the Northumberland Line. Trains will run from Ashington to Bedlington, Blyth, Seaton Delaval, Shiremoor, and Newcastle. Passenger trains are expected to start running in Bedlington in late 2024 or early 2025.
Roads
The A189 Spine Road is about 1.5 miles (2.4 km) east of the town centre. It connects to Ashington, Blyth, Cramlington, and Newcastle. The A1 road is about 3 miles (4.8 km) away. This road helps people travel to Scotland and London. Other roads in town include the A193, A1068, A1147, and B1331.
Schools in Bedlington
Bedlington has two secondary schools: Bedlington Academy and St Benet Biscop Catholic Academy. These schools also welcome students from nearby places like Stakeford, Guide Post, and Choppington.
There are three primary schools: Bedlington Station Primary School, Stead Lane Primary School, and St Bede's Primary School. Meadowdale Academy is one of the few middle schools left in England. It will soon change into a primary school. Bedlington also has two first schools: Whitley Memorial C of E School and Bedlington West End County First School. Whitley Memorial C of E School became a primary school in summer 2021. Some students travel to Newcastle upon Tyne for independent schools.
Local Churches and Nature
The main church in Bedlington is St. Cuthbert's. It is said that in 1069, monks rested the body of St Cuthbert in this church while escaping an army. The church was first built in Saxon times and rebuilt about 100 years later. Not much of the very old church remains today.
There is also a Roman Catholic church called St Bede's and a Salvation Army chapel.
Hartford Hall is in the parish. Much of the land along the river between Bedlington and the hall is now Bedlington Country Park. This park is a special local nature reserve.
Local News and Media
Local newspapers include the Evening Chronicle and The Journal. These papers also cover news from Tyneside and other parts of Northumberland. The Newspost Leader is a weekly paper that covers the former Wansbeck area. The Bedlington.co.uk website started in 1998 and helps promote the town.
You can listen to local radio stations like BBC Radio Newcastle, Capital North East, Heart North East, Smooth North East, Hits Radio North East, and Koast Radio. Local TV news comes from ITV News Tyne Tees and BBC Look North.
Famous People from Bedlington
- John Birkinshaw — invented wrought iron rails in 1820.
- Daniel Gooch (1816–1889) — a railway and cable engineer.
- John Viret Gooch (1812–1900) — a railway mechanical engineer.
- Thomas Longridge Gooch (1808–1882) — a civil engineer.
- Jayne Middlemiss (born 1971) — a TV and radio presenter.
- Denis Murphy (born 1948) — a Member of Parliament for Wansbeck.
- Kenneth Pearson (born 1951) — a cricketer.
- Kathy Secker (1945–2015) — a television presenter.
- Chris Dobey (born 1990) — a darts player.
- Callan Rydz (born 1998) — a darts player.
Twin Town
Bedlington is twinned with Schalksmühle in Germany.
Nearby Towns
- Blyth
- Cramlington
- Bebside
- Stakeford
- Morpeth
- Ashington
- Guide Post
- Cambois
Images for kids
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Bedlington South Box, a railway signal box.
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Bedlington once had a public railway station, seen here in 1965.
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This map from 1846 shows "Bedlingtonshire," which was a special part of County Durham.
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