Haltwhistle: A small town in England with character and a long history

 Market at Haltwhistle 

Market at Haltwhistle

This evening, I am posting information on a  delightful country town of Haltwhistle (pop 3800) which is positioned in the geographical centre of Britain. The name may be derived from Old English for junction of two streams 'twisla'.

The town is thirty-six miles west of Newcastle upon Tyne (N.E. England) and fifty-three miles south of Jedburgh (in southern Scotland).

Haltwhistle demonstrates a long history and heritage with links to the (Scottish) Wars of Independence and then the Border Reivers. Much of the older architecture demonstrates a defensive style in reaction to the lawlessness of bygone days, particularly the days of the Reivers

Location provides easy access to Hadrian's Wall and local industrial history dating from the Industrial Revolution. There are also hiking and cycling opportunities. Close by is Haltwhistle Burn which runs through an interesting local valley featuring geology, natural history and former industrial activities.

Haltwhistle hosts a market once a week in addition to which there is a wide range of local shops

Colourful Shop Front at Haltwhistle 

Colourful Shop Front at Haltwhistle

The (traditional) Black Bull pub serves a wide range of beers plus food.

Black Bull Pub, Haltwhsitle 

Black Bull Pub, Haltwhsitle

View of Market at Haltwhistle 

View of Market at Haltwhistle,

Holy Cross Church, Haltwhistle 

Holy Cross Church, Haltwhistle,

North Tyne River, Haltwhistle 

North Tyne River, Haltwhistle

Pele Tower dating from around 1417.

]Fortified Tower House, Haltwhistle 

Fortified Tower House, Haltwhistle


Bastle House, Haltwhistle 

Bastle House, Haltwhistle. Built for defense in turbulent times.

eBurn (stream) at Haltwhistle 

Burn (stream) at Haltwhistle

Overall, Haltwhistle is a good base for touring northern England and there is a reasonable range of accommodation. The town can be accessed by road, rail and bus.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Reconstructed Roman Villa

Image
This evening, I am reporting on my visit earlier today to a meticulously reconstructed Roman Villa in Somerset, England.   Funding for the project was provided by a South African billionaire. Specific features of the reconstruction project which is known as 'Villa Ventorum': Employed hundreds of architects, builders, archaelogists, mosaic makers, fresco painters and experts on ancient plumbing. The new build was built close to the remains of the original villa which dates from AD351. Incorporates the only working hypocaust system in Europe to create authentic Roman underfloor heating. Thne system also provides heating for the internal baths. Designed to appear to visitors as though still in use. Mosaics and frescoes have been made below the top standards of the time (e.g. Chedworth ) to reflect the social rank of the resident family. Incorporates a Roman 'fast food bar' allong the lines of that found in Pompeii . (Core of above information sourced from the Times newspap...
Read more

Glen Quaich, one of Scotland's best backroads tour routes

Image
This afternoon, I am reporting the route of Glen Quaich in Central Scotland. This is a scenic, single track road which is usually closed to traffic in winter. The route covers about twelve miles and runs between the villages of Amulree and Kenmore on the northern tip of Loch Tay in Perthshire. Depending on time of year it is possible to encounter low lying snow, many sheep, grouse and other exceptional opportunities for photography. Incidentally, Quaich means a drinking cup. In a certain place the landscape is shaped like a bowl. Glen Quaich, Perthshire, Scotland Glen Quaich Black Grouse at Glen Quaich Here are a couple of video clips.
Read more

Fort Augustus, a popular visitor site on southern tip of Loch Ness

Image
Loch Ness from flight of locks at Fort Augustus, Scottish Highlands This evening, I am posting information on Fort Augustus, a busy tourist village on the southern tip of Loch Ness in the Scottish Highlands. Summary information on Fort Augustus as follows:- Population about 650 persons. Distance, about 160 miles from Edinburgh and 35 miles from Inverness entailing journey times of 3.5 hours and 1 hour respectively. Well endowed with hotels and other accommodation plus shops, restaurants and visitor attractions. From here visitors can avail of boat trips on Loch Ness. Home to an impressive flight of five locks on the Caledonian Canal. Latter dates from 1822 and is now primarily used by pleasure boats. Closely linked with the 18th century Jacobite uprising in that (a) the village was renamed Fort Augustus (after Prince William Augustus, third son of King George II) consequent upon construction of a British military (redcoat) fort in 1742 and (b) the same Pri...
Read more