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Blyth, Northumberland
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Blyth is a town in the district of Blyth Valley, Northumberland, England. Blyth is situated at , on the coast of North-East England, to the south of the River Blyth and is approximately 20 kilometres (13 miles) north east of Newcastle upon Tyne.
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The Earls of Derwentwater owned Blyth and the surrounding land up until 1716, when the third and final Earl was executed after the 1715 Jacobite rising. In 1723, the land was bought by Matthew White and his brother-in-law Richard Ridley, with accumulated fortunes from town-based trades. By 1730, Matthew White extended his landed possessions by purchasing Blagdon, which still remains the seat of his descendants.
The port of Blyth dates from the 12th century, but the modern town of Blyth only developed in the 18th century, with the erection of a quay for the shipment of coal. There were also fourteen salt pans with an annual production of over one thousand tons. The industry closed in 1876 with the destruction of the last saltpan.
Nevertheless, the port continued to prosper. By 1853, the Blyth Harbour and Dock Company was formed, and five years later, the harbour was dredged, allowing a substantial increase in the coal trade: increasing from 250,000 tons of coal being exported in 1855, to 3 million tons by 1900.
Shipbuilding records go back to 1748 but only rose to a formidable level after the beginning of the 20th century, when it developed one of the largest shipbuilding yards on the North East coast with five dry docks and four building slipways. During the First and Second World Wars, the Blyth shipyards built many ships for the Royal Navy including the first aircraft carrier, HMS Ark Royal in 1914. The shipyard was closed in 1967.
The fishing industry also played a significant part in Blyth's development with many people engaged in the salmon and herring industries in the months of August and September.
In 1831 there were 246 inhabited houses combined with a total population of 1,769. By 1931 this had risen to 7,218 inhabited houses with a total population of 31,680.
During the Second World War Blyth Harbour was a submarine base.
Blyth is based in the parliament constituency of Blyth Valley. The MP is Ronnie Campbell (Labour).
Blyth is twinned with:
Solingen, Germany- Ratingen, Germany
Gelendzhik, Russia
Blyth has been seriously affected by the running down of the coalmining and shipbuilding industries but the port of Blyth still remains a major industry in the area with the shipment of paper and pulp from Scandinavia for the newspaper industries of England and Scotland. It is also a dormitory town with substantial new housing estates. There are two trading estates in Blyth, namely Cowpen and Kitty Brewster.
Cambois, just north of Blyth, was the site of a large coal-fired power station. It opened in 1958 and closed in January 2002.[1] The chimneys were demolished on December 7, 2003.[2] Blyth pier (which protects the entrance to the river from the sea) has been home to nine wind turbines since 1992, joined in 2000 by two offshore wind turbines 1km out to sea. At 2MW each, they were when installed the largest in the world.[3]
Opened in 1991, the Keel Row is an indoor shopping centre located in the middle of Blyth.[4] Adjacent, is the thrice weekly market which is held on Tuesdays, Fridays and Saturdays.[5]
Blyth Community College opened in 2002 following the amalgamation of Ridley (formerly Newlands) and Tynedale high schools. It was built on the site of the latter. It is designed to accommodate 1,450 pupils and also serves as a centre for lifelong learning classes.[6] In the town centre is the public library which holds a large collection of local studies resources.
The main approach road to Blyth is the A189 "spine road" which is accessible from the A1 via the A19. The A193 is the main road through Blyth and leads to Bedlington to the west and North Tyneside to the south. The other main route into Blyth is the A1061.
Blyth currently has no passenger rail links. Blyth railway station was closed in 1964 following the Beeching Report and the last passenger train departed Blyth on the 12 August, 1964. Blyth bus station is located in Post Office Square in the town centre. Buses in Blyth are operated by Arriva Northumbria and there are regular services to Newcastle as well as the other main towns in the south of Northumberland and the surrounding areas of Blyth. A small number of services are operated by Go North East.
Blyth has many lively bars, pubs and clubs, including Nikis (formerly Beejays) and The Quay. Blyth once boasted 4 cinemas, but with the closure of the Wallaw in 2004 it now has none. The others - The Central, The Essoldo and The Roxy - were all closed down in the 1960s and 1970s.[7] Close to the town centre is a small, 300 seat theatre called the Phoenix Theatre where several local drama groups perform. It also hosts travelling companies, rock bands and comedy shows.[8]
Blyth Sports Centre offers a wide range of facilities including two swimming pools, a sports hall, squash courts, fitness suite, saunas, outdoor skate park, and more.[9] Blyth Golf Club is situated on the outskirts of the town at New Delaval, and has an 18 hole course with a par of 72.[10]
Ridley Park was created on land handed over by Viscount Matthew White Ridley and was opened on 27 July 1904. It has recently undergone a £602,000 regeneration project, which has seen the installation of interactive water features and upgrading of existing children's play areas. Further redevelopment is planned in future. The Quayside has undergone major redevelopment in recent years. Once a centre of Blyth's industry, where coal would be loaded from trains onto boats for export, it is now a clean and peaceful area overlooking the river.[11] Blyth's largest and most natural open space is its beach, which stretches from the mouth of the river all the way down to Seaton Sluice.
The town is home to one of England's best-known non-league football clubs, Blyth Spartans, who currently play in the Conference North. Founded in 1899, they are probably best remembered for their giant-killing feats in the FA Cup.[12] Also based in Blyth are Blyth Town who were established in 1995 and play in the Wade Associates Northern Alliance Premier Division.[13]
Prior to their demolition, the four chimneys of Blyth Power Station were generally considered to be Blyth's most notable landmark. Two were 550ft high and the other two were 440ft high and they were used for navigation by ships and aircraft.
The "High light" lighthouse is one of Blyth's oldest structures. The lower half was built in 1788, with extra stories added in the 1820s and in 1896.
The "Spirit of the Staithes" sculpture on Blyth's quayside was unveiled by Princess Anne on 28 May 2003. As part of the overall regeneration of the quayside, it was commissioned by Blyth Valley Council in conjunction with Northern Arts and created by the artist Simon Packard.[14][15]
- ^ SINE Project, Structure Details for Blyth A and B Power Station. sine.ncl.ac.uk. Retrieved on 2007-02-04.
- ^ Blyth's giants are felled. www.bbc.co.uk. Retrieved on 2007-02-04.
- ^ Blyth Offshore Wind Turbines. www.power-technology.com. Retrieved on 2007-02-03.
- ^ Keel Row Shopping Centre web site. www.keelrow.co.uk. Retrieved on 2007-02-04.
- ^ Blyth Market web site. www.blyth-market.com. Retrieved on 2007-02-04.
- ^ Blyth Community College case study. www.cabe.org.uk. Retrieved on 2007-02-03.
- ^ The GOULD GAZETTEER of Provincial Cinemas, Music Halls, and Theatres. www.merciacinema.org.uk. Retrieved on 2007-02-04.
- ^ Phoenix Theatre web site. phoenixtheatre1.homestead.com/PhoenixTheatre.html. Retrieved on 2007-02-04.
- ^ Blyth Sports Centre details. www.blythvalley.gov.uk. Retrieved on 2007-02-03.
- ^ Blyth Golf Club web site. www.blythgolf.co.uk. Retrieved on 2007-02-04.
- ^ Blyth Quayside projects. www.blythregeneration.co.uk. Retrieved on 2007-02-03.
- ^ BLYTH SPARTANS AFC – A BRIEF HISTORY. www.blythspartansafc.co.uk. Retrieved on 2007-02-04.
- ^ Webteams home page of Blyth Town FC. www.webteams.co.uk. Retrieved on 2007-02-04.
- ^ Spirit of the Staithes. www.blythregeneration.co.uk. Retrieved on 2007-02-03.
- ^ Princess Royal unveils 'The Spirit of the Staithes' Statue. www.wortech.ac.uk. Retrieved on 2007-02-03.
- Bob Balmer, Images of England: Blyth, Tempus Publishing, 1997. ISBN 978-0-7524-0773-9
- Bob Balmer & Gordon Smith, Images of England: Blyth volume II, Tempus Publishing, 2004. ISBN 978-0-7524-3349-3
| Major settlements in Northumberland |  |
|---|---|
| Alnwick | Ashington | Bamburgh | Bedlington | Berwick-upon-Tweed | Blyth | Cramlington | Haltwhistle | Hexham | Morpeth | Newbiggin-by-the-Sea | Ponteland | Prudhoe | Rothbury | Seahouses | Wooler | |