Hexham wolf facts for kids

The Hexham wolf was a wild grey wolf that caused a lot of excitement in Hexham and Allendale, Northumberland, England. This happened during the winter of 1904. People also called it the Allendale wolf or the Wolf of Allendale. It was believed to have escaped from a zoo. This large male wolf was known for killing farm animals. Some people said it was black and tan. Others described it as a "dun" color.

The Hunt for the Wolf

In December 1904, the local newspaper, the Hexham Courant, reported a big problem. Many farm animals were being killed in Hexham and Allendale. Farmers were so worried they started keeping their animals indoors at night.

People thought the killer might be a wolf. They suspected it was a wolf that had escaped from Captain Bain's collection in Shotley Bridge. However, Captain Bain's wolf was too young to cause such trouble. A much bigger wolf was seen near the school in Allenheads.

A Wolf on the Loose

On December 9, 1904, a grey wolf attacked a large group of sheep. It killed many of them. People tracked the wolf for miles, but it got away. The very next day, the wolf returned to where it had made its kill. A new group of people went out to find it, but they also failed.

Community Takes Action

People in Northumberland became very worried. Farmers kept their sheep inside at night. They even lit lights all night long to scare the wolf away. Rewards were offered to anyone who could kill the wolf.

On December 20, a big meeting was held for farmers in the area. A local leader, Maj. Wentworth Henry Canning Beaumont, led the meeting. They offered a £5 reward for the wolf's skin. After this, the Hexham Wolf Committee was formed. Their job was to help find the wolf.

The Wolf is Found?

On December 29, 1904, some railway workers found an animal's body. It had been cut in half by a train and thrown far away. They buried the animal. Later, they talked to the Stationmaster at Cumwhinton. They decided to dig up the animal again. They brought it back to the station. A member of the Hexham Wolf Committee looked at it. He said it was a full-grown male grey wolf.

The Mystery Continues

Captain Bain said the wolf found by the train was too old to be his. So, on January 7, 1905, it was announced that the Hexham wolf was still out there. By the end of January 1905, people started to lose interest in the Hexham wolf stories. Newspapers stopped writing about it, and the wolf disappeared from the news.

The Wolf's Legacy

The story of the Hexham wolf didn't completely disappear.

Connection to Hexham Heads

In 1971, some strange stone carvings called the Hexham Heads were found. After they were discovered, people reported seeing werewolf-like creatures. Some thought these sightings were connected to the old Hexham wolf story.

The Allendale Wolf Festival

In 2014, the Allen Valleys Folk Festival began. A special part of this festival is burning a large wooden sculpture of the "Allendale Wolf." One year, the wolf sculpture was given features from a Dalek. This was done to support the Museum of Classic Sci-Fi. The museum was having problems with local planning authorities.

See also

• Hexham Heads
• List of wolves