Cramlington

Cramlington
A church with a red tiled roof and a square tower. Trees in the foreground partially obscure the building. The sky is overcast and grey.
The parish church of St. Nicholas
Cramlington
 Cramlington shown within Northumberland
Population 29,413 (2011)
OS grid referenceNZ270760
Civil parishCramlington
Unitary authorityNorthumberland
Ceremonial countyNorthumberland
RegionNorth East
CountryEngland
Sovereign stateUnited Kingdom
Post town CRAMLINGTON
Postcode district NE23
Dialling code 01670
Police Northumbria
Fire Northumberland
Ambulance North East
EU Parliament North East England
UK ParliamentBlyth Valley
List of places
UK
England
Northumberland

Coordinates: 55°04′55″N 1°35′06″W / 55.082°N 1.585°W / 55.082; -1.585

Cramlington is a town and civil parish in the county of Northumberland, North East England, situated 9 miles (14 kilometres) north of the city of Newcastle upon Tyne. The town's name suggests a probable founding by the Danes or an Anglo-Saxon origin, the word "ton" meaning town. The population was estimated as 39,000 in 2004, measured at 29,413 at the 2011 Census.[1] It sits on the border between Northumberland and North Tyneside with the traffic interchange at Moor Farm, Annitsford (in the latter) linking the two areas.

The village of East Cramlington lies east of the A189, on the B1326 road that connects Cramlington to Seaton Delaval.

History

The first record of the Manor of Cramlington is from a mention in 1135 when the land was granted to Nicholas de Grenville. A register of early chaplains begins with John the Clerk of Cramlington (c. 1163–1180). The register continues to the present day.[2]

From the 12th century onwards, its history has been mostly rural, incorporating several farms and the parish church of St. Nicholas (built at a cost of £3,000 during 1865–1868 in the Gothic style). During the early 19th century, coal mining with several mine shafts in the immediate vicinity began to change that. In 1813 Collingwood Main Colliery suffered an explosion of firedamp in which 8 people were killed. Six miners were carrying timber through the "old workings" when their candles set fire to firedamp. The resulting afterdamp and chokedamp resulted in a wider loss of life to men and horses.[3][4] It remained small, however, until 1964 when it was proclaimed a New Town and developers such as William Leech and J.T. Bell developed large housing estates. Those estates have since been named Beaconhill, Collingwood, Eastfield, Mayfield, Shankhouse, Southfield, and Whitelea and the town has effectively become a dormitory town of the much larger city to its south.

During World War I, the North East of England was protected by the No. 36 Home Defence Squadron.[5] The squadron was formed at Cramlington on 1 February 1916 by Capt. R. O. Abercromby, with Cramlington subsequently becoming an important base for military planes and airships. The Airship Station was at Nelson Village. A reference to Cramlington airfield is made in W. E. Johns 1935 book The Black Peril from the extremely popular Biggles series.

Cramlington was the site of two rail accidents. In 1855, the chassis of train's first class carriage failed[6] and in 1926, the Merry Hampton engine and five carriages of the Edinburgh to King's Cross Flying Scotsman express train were derailed by striking miners during the General Strike.[7][8]

During the BBC Domesday Project in 1986 it was recorded that Cramlington's population was around 30,000.[9]

New town development

The idea of a new town development in Cramlington was first envisaged in 1958.[10]

In June 1961, Northumberland County Council's Planning Committee approved the draft plans to establish what it hoped would be "Britain's first enterprise town." Sponsored by the council, the development was to be carried by a consortium led by William Leech, which had acquired the land. It was predicted to take 20 years, cost £50m and eventually house 40,000 inhabitants across a four square mile site that also included an industrial zone. A one-way road system was proposed, with the waggon ways of the former pits being repurposed as pedestrians paths.[11]

The plan was finally approved by the Minister of Housing and Local Government in January 1963, by which time the estimated population had grown to 48,000 and the cost projected at £60m. It marked the first time a new town had been developed without the establishment of a government-backed development corporation. The planning officer predicted that it should look like a town in five years and be complete in 20 years. The first factory was to be completed by summer 1963.[12]

In October 1964, an advert inviting investment in the development recorded an area of 2,200 acres, 530 of which were for industry.[10]

Local government

Cramlington Local Government District was created in 1865. Later, the Local Government Act of 1894 established the Cramlington Urban District. This was succeeded by the Seaton Valley Urban District in 1935. From 1 April 1974, Cramlington became a part of Blyth Valley. Responsibilities were transferred to Northumberland County Council from 1 April 2009 as a result of 2009 structural changes to local government in England.

Estates

With the establishment of the new town, the area was arranged into estates, primarily with a designator of the part of the town in which the estate was to be found.

The estates are:

Economy

Industry

There are several large industrial zones in Cramlington, most to the town's north-west near the sewage treatment plant, housing major pharmaceutical companies including Merck Sharp and Dohme. Other growing chemical companies including Aesica Pharmaceuticals are also present. The Officers Club menswear firm (now owned by Blue Inc), previously had its headquarters and supply warehouse in Cramlington, in part of the old Wilkinson Blade factory[13][14] while other companies such as GE Oil & Gas also occupy large sites.[15] Start Football is also headquartered in the town.

Wilkinson Sword established the first factory in the town in 1964. American Air Filter Company later built premises.[16] Brentford Nylons also opened a large site in the town in 1968.[17]

Boots, the pharmaceuticals manufacturer, opened their plant in Cramlington in 1983.[18]

Retail

The Manor Walks shopping centre was constructed in the centre of the town in the 1970s, and was subsequently expanded in the mid-1990s and in 2003/4. The centre now includes retailers such as Argos, Asda, Boots, Next and Sainsbury's. In 2011, plans were put forward to revamp the main center and build a new cinema. The scheme also includes improved retail facilities, restaurants and cafes and more car parking spaces.[19][20]

Manor Walks was extended into the southern car park in 2012 / 2013 and a new Vue Cinema and two new restaurants opened in July 2013. This coincided with the re-opening of a prominent pub in the town (previously the Traveller's Rest but now named John the Clerk of Cramlington). It is hoped that these developments will boost the town's leisure and visitor economies.

Healthcare

Northumbria Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust opened the first hospital in England purpose-built for emergency care in the town in June 2015. The Northumbria Specialist Emergency Care Hospital cost £75 million. It has emergency care consultants on duty at all times, and a range of specialists available seven days a week.[21]

Landmarks

Plessey Woods Country Park lies just to the north of Cramlington, with the River Blyth flowing through the country park.[22] Northumberlandia, a huge land sculpture in the shape of a reclining female figure is located on the outskirts of Cramlington.[23] Within the town itself, Nelson Hill is a prominent landmark to the north of the town centre.

Transport

The town is served by Cramlington Railway Station which is on the East Coast Main Line, with services to the MetroCentre, Morpeth and Newcastle upon Tyne provided by Northern Rail.

It is also served by a number of bus operators including Arriva North East which provides express services to Newcastle upon Tyne, Morpeth and Blyth, as well as Go North East which runs services to and from North Shields.

The town is located approximately 12 mi (19 km) from Newcastle International Airport and 10 mi (16 km) from North Shields International Ferry Terminal.

Cramlington also has good road transport links, being situated between the A1, A19 and A189 roads.

In line with many of the UK's post-war New Towns, Cramlington has an extensive bicycle network. With a grid spacing of approximately 500 m (1,600 ft), segregated cycle routes are provided free of motorised traffic.

Education

Until September 2008, all schools in Northumberland operated under a three tier system, however, following a decision to convert the county to a two tier system, Cramlington was chosen as one of the first towns to complete this. Prior to the closure of the area's many middle schools, some primary schools relocated to the former middle school sites. There had been concern from local residents over traffic and parking arrangements at the new sites.[24]

Cramlington Learning Village

In September 2008 Cramlington Community High School was renamed Cramlington Learning Village as it gained two new year groups in line with the move to a two tier system. The village has three sections: the Junior Learning Village (for Years 7 and 8), the Senior Learning Village (for Years 9 to 11) and the Advanced Learning Village (for Years 12 and 13). The school was rated outstanding in four successive Ofsted inspections,[25] however in July 2015, this rated was lowered to 'inadequate'.[26]

Religious sites

Cramlington has a number of Christian churches of various denominations:

Methodist

Church of England

Roman Catholic

Others

Leisure

Leisure Centre

Cramlington's main leisure centre, Concordia, is situated in the town centre adjacent to the shopping mall and was opened by Queen Elizabeth II in July 1977.[30] It features a leisure pool, originally designed as an indoor tropical paradise, indoor football pitches, tennis, badminton and squash courts, as well as a climbing wall. It also includes a gymnasium, sauna, bowling green, bar and cafeteria.[31] It was refurbished in 2008, particularly to improve disabled access. The pool was also refurbished in 2011.[32]

Cycle Paths

A large cycle path network, completely separate from the road network, was a key part of the new town design. A cycle route also connects the town to the nearest beach, in Blyth. In March 2007, Blyth Valley Borough Council announced that the cycle network was to be extended to allow access to the neighbouring town of Bedlington.

Public houses

The village square is home to four public houses, including the Grade II listed Blagdon Arms.[33]

Sport

Arcot Hall Golf Club is located to the south of the town.

Twin towns

As part of the former Blyth Valley borough, Cramlington participates in a town twinning scheme with three other towns — two in Germany and one in the Russian Federation.

Country Place County / District / Region / State Date
Germany Germany Solingen North Rhine-Westphalia 1974
Germany Germany Ratingen North Rhine-Westphalia 1974
Russia Russian Federation Gelendzhik Krasnodar Krai 1991

Notable locals/residents

Sport

References

  1. ↑ "Town population 2011". Retrieved 28 June 2015.
  2. ↑ "John The Clerk of Cramlington - J D Wetherspoon". www.jdwetherspoon.com. Retrieved 21 December 2015.
  3. ↑ Thomson, Thomas, ed. (1814), Annals of Philosophy II, Robert Baldwin, pp. 284–287, retrieved 14 December 2014
  4. ↑ Durham Mining Museum (28 February 2014), Burdon Main Colliery, retrieved 14 December 2014
  5. ↑ "Cramlington airfield". www.nelsam.org.uk. Retrieved 21 December 2015.
  6. ↑ "Accident Returns: Extract for the Accident at Cramlington - Killingworth on 19th February 1855 :: The Railways Archive". www.railwaysarchive.co.uk. Retrieved 19 December 2015.
  7. ↑ "Report on the Accident between Annitsford and Cramlington on 10th May 1926 :: The Railways Archive". www.railwaysarchive.co.uk. Retrieved 19 December 2015.
  8. ↑ "Cramlington - the Flying Scotsman [Merry Hampton] derailment during the General Strike in 1926". Flickr - Photo Sharing!. Retrieved 19 December 2015.
  9. ↑ "Cramlington:Introduction". domesday. Retrieved 21 December 2015.
  10. 1 2 "Stake Your Claim in the North East Now". Financial Times. 23 October 1964.
  11. ↑ "Private Enterprise Town for Northumberland". Financial Times. 10 June 1961.
  12. ↑ "Approval for Cramlington New Town". Financial Times. 10 January 1963.
  13. ↑ "Officers Club Contact Details". The Officers Club. Archived from the original on 9 March 2008. Retrieved 2 November 2009.
  14. ↑ "Officers Club deal saves 900 jobs". BBC News. 23 December 2008. Retrieved 24 December 2008.
  15. ↑ "GE in the UK". Retrieved 21 June 2010.
  16. ↑ "Minister Wants More American Ventures in U. K.". Financial Times. 24 October 1967.
  17. ↑ Gofton, Ken (3 February 1968). "£24m. Nylon Plant for North East". Financial Times.
  18. ↑ "Northumberland". The Economist. 22 October 1983.
  19. ↑ This was completed in 2014 with Cramlington now home to a brand new Vue multi screen cinema, the revamped units that line the extended car park are currently occupied by, The Seven Oaks a Hungry Horse pub, Prezzo, Frankie & Benny's, Red China buffet, Saks Hair Salon, Domino's Pizza, Subway & Ladbrokes "Works starts on new Cramlington cinema". Newcastle Chronicle.
  20. ↑ "Cramlington £200m redevelopment 'to create 500 new jobs'". BBC News. 22 December 2011.
  21. ↑ "First NHS emergency care hospital opens in Cramlington". BBC News. 16 June 2015. Retrieved 26 June 2015.
  22. ↑ "Plessey Woods Country Park | Great Outdoors in Bedlington | Visit Northumberland". www.visitnorthumberland.com. Retrieved 19 December 2015.
  23. ↑ "Northumberlandia - Home". www.northumberlandia.com. Retrieved 19 December 2015.
  24. ↑ "Site visits to schools as residents raise issues". Blyth-wansbecktoday.co.uk (27 March 2007); retrieved on 20 July 2013.
  25. ↑ Cramllington Learning Village: "We have been graded 'outstanding' in the last four OFSTED inspections."; accessed 20 September 2014.
  26. ↑ http://reports.ofsted.gov.uk/inspection-reports/find-inspection-report/provider/ELS/137457
  27. ↑ "St Nicholas, Cramlington". A Church Near You. Retrieved 19 December 2015.
  28. ↑ "St. Peter's, Northburn, Cramlington". A Church Near You. Retrieved 19 December 2015.
  29. ↑ "St. Paul, Cramlington 135". www.rcdhn.org.uk. Retrieved 19 December 2015.
  30. ↑ "Court Circular". The Times. 16 July 1977.
  31. ↑ "Summer Excursions". The Listener. 27 January 1983.
  32. ↑ http://www.activenorthumberland.org.uk/leisure-facilities/concordia-leisure-centre/swimming-timetable
  33. ↑ "The Blagdon Arms". Images of England. English Heritage. Retrieved 21 April 2009.
  34. ↑ "Ross Noble goes back to his Cramlington roots for Aussie TV". nechronicle. Retrieved 19 December 2015.
  35. ↑ "Sting: my parents thought I was crazy to be a musician". Telegraph.co.uk. Retrieved 19 December 2015.
  36. ↑ "Charles Fenwick". Spartacus Educational. Retrieved 19 December 2015.
  37. ↑ "Ray Stevenson". IMDb. Retrieved 19 December 2015.
  38. ↑ "North East scientist explores 20-million year old world". journallive. Retrieved 19 December 2015.
  39. 1 2 "Cramlington Juniors FC | History". cramlingtonjuniors.com. Retrieved 19 December 2015.

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