Hedon facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Hedon |
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 Hedon Market Street |
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 Hedon
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| Population | 7,100 (2011 census) |
| OS grid reference | TA190285 |
| Civil parish |
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| Unitary authority | |
| Ceremonial county | |
| Region | |
| Country | England |
| Sovereign state | United Kingdom |
| Post town | HULL |
| Postcode district | HU12 |
| Dialling code | 01482 |
| Police | Humberside |
| Fire | Humberside |
| Ambulance | Yorkshire |
| EU Parliament | Yorkshire and the Humber |
| UK Parliament |
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Hedon is a town and a local area called a civil parish in Holderness in the East Riding of Yorkshire, England. It's about 5 miles (8 km) east of Hull city centre.
The town is famous for its church, St. Augustine's. People call it the 'King of Holderness'. This church is a very important historic building, known as a Grade I listed building. In 2011, about 7,100 people lived in Hedon.
Contents
A Look at Hedon's Past
Hedon isn't mentioned in the old Domesday Book. This makes people think it was a new town built by the Normans to be a port. Hedon was very busy and rich in the 1100s and 1200s. At one point, it was the 11th largest port in all of England!
But the port started to get less important. This happened when the port of Hull grew bigger. Also, ships became larger and couldn't easily sail up the small river to Hedon.
Royal Charters and Rights
Kings gave Hedon special papers called 'charters'. These charters gave the town important rights.
- Henry II gave the first charter in 1158.
- Later, King John (in 1200) and Henry III (in 1248 and 1272) gave even better charters.
- The most important charter came from Edward III. This one gave the town the right to choose its own mayor!
In 1415, Hedon got another key charter. This allowed the town to have special officials and even gave them a mace. This mace, which is kept in the Hedon Town Hall, is the oldest one still around in England. It was originally a type of weapon.
Hedon used to be a 'parliamentary borough'. This meant it could send people to represent it in Parliament. But this right was taken away in 1832. The town kept its special 'borough' status until 1974. This was when local government was changed across the country.
Hedon's Airfield and Railway
To the west of Hedon, there used to be a racecourse. Horse races were held there from 1888 to 1895, and again from 1906 to 1909.
After the racecourse closed, it became an aerodrome, which is a small airport. It officially opened in 1929. A famous moment happened here in 1930. Amy Johnson, a pilot from Hull, landed here after her amazing solo flight all the way from Australia!
The aerodrome closed during the Second World War (1939–1945). After the war, it was briefly used for motorcycle speedway races. Today, the land is used for grazing cattle. A special plaque was put up in 2017 to remember the airfield.
The Hull and Holderness Railway opened in 1854. It ran from Hull to Withernsea, passing through Hedon. The station was built north of the town. It was a very important way for people to travel for about 100 years. In 1965, passenger trains stopped running to Hedon. This was part of a plan to close railway lines that weren't making money. The line stayed open for goods until 1968.
Weather Events
In August 2000, Hedon was in the news because of a strange mini-tornado. It happened near the Humber Estuary and caused sudden floods and hailstones in parts of the town.
Hedon was also affected by big floods in the summer of 2007. Areas like the Inmans and Westlands Estates, and places near the Burstwick drain, were flooded. A nearby village, Burstwick, had the most homes flooded in the East Riding of Yorkshire during this time.
There are plans to create a country park around the Hedon Haven, which is south of the town. There is also an outdoor concrete skate park in the south of Hedon, between Draper's Lane and the Burstwick Drain.
Notable People from Hedon
- Dorothy Marion Campbell: An English potter who made beautiful pots.
- Sir Alexander Campbell: A Canadian politician who helped create the country of Canada.
- Amy Black: A mezzo-soprano singer (1973–2009) who was born and grew up in Hedon. She is buried in the town's cemetery.
See also
In Spanish: Hedon para niños
