ViewsWatchers |
Wylam is a village and civil parish in the county of Northumberland. It is located about west of Newcastle upon Tyne. It is famous for the being the birthplace of George Stephenson, one of the early railway pioneers. George Stephenson's Birthplace, his cottage, can be found on the north bank of the Tyne east of the village centre. It is owned by the National Trust but is not open to the public in 2021 on account of COVID-19. Wylam has further connections with the early railway pioneers. The steam locomotive engineer Timothy Hackworth, who worked with Stephenson, was also born here. William Hedley who was born in the nearby village of Newburn attended the village school. He later went on to design and manufacture Puffing Billy in 1813, two years before George Stephenson produced his first locomotive Blücher. Christopher Blackett as lord of the manor in the first 30 years of the 19th century provided the entrepreneurial drive that encouraged these engineers. A Vision of Britain through Time provides the following description of Wylam from John Marius Wilson's Imperial Gazetteer of England and Wales of 1870-72:
Wylam was a township in the ancient parish of Ovingham and became a separate civil parish in 1866. From 1894 until 1974 it was part of Hexham Rural District. In 1974 the civil parish became part of the Tynedale District which was abolished in 2009 when Northumberland became a unitary authority. [edit] Research Tips
|