Early Signs of Human Occupation
The area known as Whittingham Vale has been an ancient place of human occupation, as can be seen from the numerous hillforts and field systems which dot the landscape. Whittingham [the homestead of Whitta, or possibly “the dwelling in the white meadow”] derives its importance from having two fordable points of the River Aln where the road east to Alnwick crossed the main north/south route from Newcastle to Edinburgh.
One of the earliest historical finds in the area is the Whittingham Hoard. This buried treasure of two swords and three spearheads, discovered in a field near Thrunton over a century ago, could not have been made later than 550 BC. They are now in the British Museum.
Castle Hill, near Callaly is the site of an early British camp thought to have been later occupied by the Romans for a time. A Roman road ran east west from Learchild, near what is now the Bridge of Aln crossroads, to Hexham, crossing the Devils Causeway, which ran from Newcastle to Berwick, just south of Whittingham. St Ninian’s Well, at Thrunton Mill, dates from the Roman period.
King of Northumbria
It seems clear that a man sometimes called Guthred was proclaimed King of Northumbria at Whittingham around 883, after the Abbot of Lindisfarne claimed to have had a vision in which St Cuthbert ordered that the next king would be found as a slave belonging to a widow of Whittingham.
The Church
There has been a church at Whittingham since around AD 737 and a little of the Saxon stonework remains at the base of the tower and near the vestry. Sadly, the upper portions of the tower and the Norman archways inside the church were removed and replaced as part of questionable improvements made by the vicar, the Rev. Goodenough in 1840. The church has a piscina in the south aisle which was part of a private chantry from the 13th century. The chantry was re-endowed by the Collingwood family during the brief Catholic reign of Mary 1st and was dedicated to St Peter. Unusually, the stone piscina [for washing communion vessels], remains intact.
Whittingham Fair
Whittingham was famous for its annual fair, held on St Bartholomew’s Day, 24th August. Livestock would be traded, sideshows set up, and all manner of merchants had wares for sale. At one time the fair went on for several days, and was, in the past, a rowdy affair requiring full use of the village lock up, as revelries sometimes got out of hand.
The Border Reivers
This part of Northumberland was situated in the English Middle March at a time when border raids were a very real and dangerous threat. There are pele towers at Alnham and Whittingham , where there was once a vicar’s pele in the churchyard as well. Callaly’s pele was incorporated into the present Castle, and there are remains of another tower at Little Ryle. The pele towers gave protection to people and livestock and were generally built with a vaulted cellar with internal access via a ladder that could be pulled up to the first floor. The pele tower at Whittingham was restored as an almshouse “for the deserving poor” by Lady Ravensworth in 1845 and was still in use until the middle of the last century. It is now a private house.
The Mail Coach Route
Before the arrival of the A697 in 1840, Whittingham was a stop on the coaching route from Newcastle and Edinburgh. The mail coach “The Wellington” stopped each day at the Castle Inn and horses were changed at 11am going north and 5pm going south. Now private houses, stabling and a forge for post horses was provided at the top of Whittingham Lane where there was also lairage for cattle on the drove. The new A697 road took a straighter course and the Bridge of Aln , a new posting house, was built.
The Coming of the Railway
All changed with the coming of the railway. In 1849 the east coast line opened, followed by the Alnwick to Cornhill line in 1887. The Alnwick to Cornhill railway buildings were amongst the finest in the north and most can still be seen today, though as private houses. The railway, grand though it was, never made a profit. Passenger services ceased in 1930 and goods in 1953.
Fine Houses
Whittingham Vale has several fine houses, including Eslington Hall, once home to the Collingwoods. George Collingwood lost both his life and estates after joining the 1715 Jacobite uprising, attempting to put James Stuart back on the throne. Clavering of Callaly, another Jacobite supporter, was luckier in holding on to his estate at Callaly Castle, where the drawing room was richly decorated with Jacobite symbols.
Drovers Roads
Alnham, near the head of Whittingham Vale, was in earlier days, important as a gateway to the fertile Vale of Whittingham at the southern end of the ancient Salters Road. The many hollow trackways which can be seen passing the pele tower were made by the strings of packhorses and herds of cattle which came through the village.
Further Reading
Whittingham Vale is considered to be one of the most beautiful areas in Northumberland; it is also one of the most historic. There are many excellent works for the reader to learn more about this lovely area. The most comprehensive is “Whittingham Vale” written by David Dippie Dixon in 1895. The Dixon family kept the general dealers in Whittingham and provided a vital horse-drawn delivery service up and down the Vale.
This book gives a vivid insight as to life in the Vale during the last years of the 19th century. Further information can also be found on the website of the Aln & Breamish Local History Society, www.aln&breamish.org.uk.