Hedley on the Hill

Hedley on the Hill
The Feathers, Hedley on the Hill
Hedley on the Hill  Hedley on the Hill shown within Northumberland
Population	239 (2011)[1]
OS grid reference	NZ075595
Civil parish	Hedley
Unitary authority	Northumberland
Ceremonial county	Northumberland
Region	North East
Country	England
Sovereign state	United Kingdom
Post town	STOCKSFIELD
Postcode district	NE43
Dialling code	01661
Police	Northumbria
Fire	Northumberland
Ambulance	North East
EU Parliament	North East England
UK Parliament	Hexham
List of places UK England Northumberland

Coordinates: 54°55′48″N 1°53′02″W / 54.930°N 1.884°W

Hedley on the Hill is a village in Northumberland, west of Newcastle Upon Tyne. It is located between the valley of the River Derwent, and the watershed to the River Tyne.

Despite being close to a major city, Hedley is typically Northumbrian and rural in character. Situated close to the villages of Stocksfield and Chopwell as well as to the rural market town of Hexham it is a small, placid village offering stunning views across the Tyne valley.

Hedley is not typical of Northumberland in many respects. Firstly, it appears to have escaped rather unscathed in the wars between England and Scotland that occurred before the union. There are no records of any battles in the area. Similarly, there is no record of any activity involving border reivers (tribal leaders and outlaws that fought across the Scottish/English border) in the village. This has enabled it to develop in relative isolation, with mining and quarrying being the prominent industries since the eighteenth century.

The village holds numerous events including the annual barrel race in which contestants, usually in pairs, run up the hill to the pub with a barrel of beer. It is also popular with gliding enthusiasts, being the closest village to the Northumbria Gliding Club in Leadgate.

Hedley on the Hill is also close to Hadrian's Wall a World Heritage Site and located in the far south of "Hadrian's Wall Country".

The village is said to have once been home to a bogle known as The Hedley Kow.^[2]

Barrel Race is run every bank holiday Monday, and organised by The Feathers Inn. Competitors carry an empty nine-gallon beer barrel, over a 1.5-mile course.

The Feathers Inn, in Hedley-on-the-Hill, Northumberland was named the Great British Pub of the Year 2011 ^[3]

Governance

Hedley is in the parliamentary constituency of Hexham.

References

1. "Parish population 2011". Retrieved 2 July 2015.
2. Ash, Russell (1973). Folklore, Myths and Legends of Britain. Reader's Digest Association Limited. p. 346. ISBN 9780340165973.
3. http://www.greatbritishpubawards.co.uk/page/2011_winners.html

External links

• Brief summary of the village, from the official page of "Hadrian's Wall Country"
• Cumberland News | Easter offers a barrel of laughs
• Northumbria Gliding Club