View source for Corbridge

{{Short description|Village in Northumberland, England}}
{{Distinguish|Cobridge}}
{{Lead too short|date=October 2023}}
{{Use British English|date=May 2016}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=May 2016}}
{{Infobox UK place
| static_image_name = Corbridge, pant in Market Place 099.jpg
| static_image_caption = Market Place, Corbridge town centre
| static_image_alt = <!-- see [[WP:ALT]] -->
| label_position = left
| country = England
| official_name = Corbridge
| coordinates = {{coord|54.975|-2.017|display=inline,title}}
| population = 3672
| population_ref = (2011)<ref>{{cite web |title=Parish population 2011 |url=http://www.neighbourhood.statistics.gov.uk/dissemination/LeadKeyFigures.do?a=7&b=11122306&c=NE19+2LA&d=16&e=62&g=6453404&i=1001x1003x1032x1004&m=0&r=0&s=1435425306198&enc=1 |access-date=27 June 2015}}</ref>
| shire_district = 
| region = North East England
| shire_county = [[Northumberland]]
| website = www.visitcorbridge.co.uk
| constituency_westminster = [[Hexham (UK Parliament constituency)|Hexham]]
| civil_parish = Corbridge
| post_town = CORBRIDGE
| postcode_district = NE45
| postcode_area = NE
| dial_code = 01434
| os_grid_reference = NY990646
}}
'''Corbridge''' is a village in [[Northumberland]], England, {{convert|16|mi}} west of [[Newcastle upon Tyne|Newcastle]] and {{convert|4|mi|0}} east of [[Hexham]]. Villages nearby include [[Halton, Northumberland|Halton]], [[Acomb, Northumberland|Acomb]], [[Aydon]] and [[Sandhoe]].

==Etymology==
Corbridge was known to the [[Roman Britain|Romans]] as something like ''Corstopitum'' or ''Coriosopitum'', and wooden writing tablets found at the Roman fort of [[Vindolanda]] nearby suggest it was probably locally called ''Coria'' (meaning a tribal centre). According to Bethany Fox, the early attestations of the English name ''Corbridge'' "show variation between ''Cor''- and ''Col''-, as in the earliest two forms, ''Corebricg'' and ''Colebruge'', and there has been extensive debate about what its etymology may be. Some relationship with the Roman name ''Corstopitum'' seems clear, however".<ref>{{cite journal |author=Bethany Fox |title=The P-Celtic Place-Names of North-East England and South-East Scotland |journal=The Heroic Age |volume=10 |year=2007 |url=http://www.heroicage.org/issues/10/fox.html}} ([http://www.heroicage.org/issues/10/fox-appendix.html Appendix].)</ref>

==History==
===Roman fort and town===
[[File:corbridge stangate.jpg|thumb|upright=1.2|left|The [[Stanegate]], Corbridge Roman Site]]
{{main|Coria (Corbridge)}}
Coria was the most northerly town in the [[Roman Empire]], lying at the junction of the [[Stanegate]] and [[Dere Street]], the two most important local [[Roman road]]s.

The first [[fort]] was established ''c.'' AD 85, although there was a slightly earlier base nearby at Beaufront Red House. By the middle of the 2nd century AD, the fort was replaced by a town with two walled military compounds, which were garrisoned until the end of the Roman occupation of the site. The best-known finds from the site include the stone [[Corbridge Lion]] and the [[Corbridge Hoard]] of Roman armour and sundry other items. In [[Rudyard Kipling]]'s ''[[Puck of Pook's Hill]]'', the town of Hunno on the Wall is probably based on Corstopitum.

The Roman Town is now managed by English Heritage on behalf of HM Government. The site has been largely excavated and features a large museum and shop. The fort is the top-rated attraction in Corbridge and is open daily between 10 and 6 in the summer and at weekends between 10 and 4 in the winter.

===Buildings===
[[File:St Andrews Corbridge 08.jpg|thumb|left|St Andrew's parish church, showing at centre its reused Roman arch, thought to have been brought from the nearby [[Coria (Corbridge)|Coria]] Roman town.]]
[[File:Town Hall and shops, Princes Street, Corbridge - geograph.org.uk - 1727648.jpg|thumb|The former [[Corbridge Town Hall]]]]
The [[Church of England parish church]] of [[Saint Andrew]] is thought to have been consecrated in 676. Saint [[Wilfrid]] is supposed to have had the church built at the same time as [[Hexham Abbey]]. It has been altered several times since, with a [[Norman architecture|Norman]] doorway, and a [[lychgate]] built as a [[First World War]] memorial. The Church is built largely from stone taken from [[Hadrian's Wall]] to the north, and the entrance to the Church is through glass doors given by [[Rowan Atkinson]] (known for ''[[Blackadder]]'' and ''[[Mr. Bean]]'') and etched in memory of his mother, a parishioner.

There are only three fortified vicarages in the county, and one of these is in Corbridge. Built in the 14th century, the [[Corbridge Vicar's Pele|Vicar's Pele]] is to be found in the south-east corner of the churchyard, and has walls 1.3 metres (4&nbsp;ft) in thickness. The register for St Andrew's dates from 1657. Later on in the town's history, Wesleyan, Primitive and Free [[Methodism|Methodist]] chapels were all built too.
[[File:Low Hall (Corbridge).jpg|thumb|Corbridge Low Hall]]
Even older than the Vicar's Pele is Corbridge Low Hall, dating from the late 13th or early 14th century, with one end converted to a [[Peel tower|pele tower]] in the 15th century. The main block was remodelled in the 16th and 17th centuries, and the building restored {{circa|1890}}.<ref>[http://www.britishlistedbuildings.co.uk/en-239918-low-hall-corbridge Corbridge Low Hall], British Listed Buildings Online</ref> [[Corbridge Town Hall]] was designed by [[Frank Emley]] and completed in 1887.<ref name=listed>{{NHLE|desc= Town Hall with shops|num= 1044757 |access-date=16 March 2022}}</ref>

A number of fine Victorian mansions were developed on Prospect Hill to house successful industrialists and local businessmen in the late 19th century, after the arrival of the railway facilitated commuting to Newcastle.

===Border warfare===
Corbridge suffered, as did many other settlements in the county, from the border warfare which was particularly prevalent between 1300 and 1700. Raids were commonplace, and it was not unusual for the livestock to be brought into the town at night and a watch placed to guard either end of the street for marauders. A bridge over the Tyne was built in the 13th century, but this original has not survived. The [[Corbridge Bridge|present bridge]], an impressive stone structure with seven arches, was erected in 1674.

== Governance ==
Corbridge is in the [[House of Commons of the United Kingdom|parliamentary]] constituency of [[Hexham (UK Parliament constituency)|Hexham]], [[Joe Morris (politician)|Joe Morris]] of the [[Labour Party (UK)|Labour Party]] is the [[Member of Parliament (United Kingdom)|Member of Parliament]].

Prior to [[Brexit]], for the [[European Parliament]] its residents voted to elect [[Members of the European Parliament|MEP]]'s for the [[North East England (European Parliament constituency)|North East England]] constituency.

For [[Local Government]] purposes it belongs to [[Northumberland County Council]] a [[unitary authority]]. An [[Wards and electoral divisions of the United Kingdom|electoral ward]] of the same name exists. This ward includes Corbridge and [[Sandhoe]]. It had a total population taken at the 2011 census of 4,191.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Ward population 2011 |url=http://www.ukcensusdata.com/corbridge-e05008035#sthash.ZQSa80QV.dww2agY6.dpbs |access-date=27 June 2011}}</ref> 
The Parish itself is run by Corbridge Parish Council which elects 10 [[Councillor|Councillors]] on 4 year terms; one of them is selected by members of the council to be [[Chairperson|Chairman]] and Vice Chairman respectively on 1 year terms. They meet on the fourth Wednesday of every month. The Meetings take place at Corbridge Parish Hall.<ref>{{cite web |title=Corbridge Parish Council Website |url=https://corbridge-pc.gov.uk/ |access-date= |website=Corbridge Parish Council}}</ref>

==Transport==
[[File:Corbridge Railway Station.jpg|thumb|Corbridge railway station]]
Corbridge is [[bypass (road)|bypassed]] to the north by the [[A69 road]], linking it to [[Newcastle-upon-Tyne|Newcastle]] and [[Carlisle, Cumbria|Carlisle]]. It is also linked to [[Newcastle-upon-Tyne|Newcastle]] and the [[A1 road (Great Britain)|A1]] by the [[A695 road|A695]] which passes about {{convert|1|mi}} away on the south side of the [[River Tyne]].

;Buses
The 684, 685 and Tyne Valley 10 bus routes link the town to Newcastle and Hexham. Service 685 also provides a link to Carlisle 

;Railway
The town is served by [[Corbridge railway station]] on the [[Newcastle & Carlisle Railway]], also known as the [[Tyne Valley line]]. The line was opened in 1838, and links the city of [[Newcastle upon Tyne]] in Tyne and Wear with {{rws|Carlisle}} in [[Cumbria]]. The line follows the course of the [[River Tyne]] through [[Northumberland]].

Passenger services on the Tyne Valley Line are operated by [[Northern (train operating company)|Northern]]. The line is also used for [[freight]].

The railway station is about {{convert|1|mi}} away on the south side of the [[River Tyne]].

==Fairs and shows==
Stagshaw Bank Fair, traditionally held on 4 July, was one of the most famous of the country fairs. It included a huge sale of stock, and was proclaimed each year by the [[bailiff]] to the [[Duke of Northumberland]]. The [[Northumberland County Show]], an agricultural event, was held in the fields outside Corbridge each year before moving to [[Bywell]] in 2013.

The Corbridge Steam Fair and Vintage Rally is held every year in June to celebrate steam engines. There are also classic cars, trucks and tractors.

Corbridge Festival has taken place since 2011 and is usually held on the last weekend of June or the first in July.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Corbridge Festival extends after fallow year |date=8 November 2018 |url=https://www.hexham-courant.co.uk/news/17211193.corbridge-festival-extends-after-fallow-year/}}</ref> Headliners have included [[The Coral]] and [[Fun Lovin' Criminals]]. The festival now includes three stages and up to 50 bands.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Corbridge Festival 2019: A magical weekend of adventure, discovery and inspiration |date=May 2019 |url=https://www.chroniclelive.co.uk/special-features/corbridge-festival-2019-magical-weekend-16207753}}</ref>

''A Midsummer’s Evening in Corbridge'' marks the [[summer solstice]] each year with performers, stalls and late night shopping in the village from 4pm to 9pm.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Corbridge celebrates summer solstice |date=19 June 2018 |url=https://www.hexham-courant.co.uk/whats-on/16613375.corbridge-celebrates-summer-solstice/}}</ref>

Each year on the first Monday in December, the village hosts ''Christmas in Corbridge'' with carol singing, food stalls and late night shopping.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Christmas in Corbridge |date=6 December 2016 |url=https://www.hexham-courant.co.uk/news/16619424.christmas-in-corbridge/}}</ref>

==Notable people==
;Born in Corbridge
* [[Alan Brown (English footballer)|Alan Brown (footballer)]] (1914–1996), professional footballer and manager
* [[Graham Carr]] (born 1944), professional footballer, manager and scout
* [[Mary Flora Bell]] (born 1957), woman who at age 11 was convicted of the manslaughter of two younger boys
* [[Steve Bruce]] (born 1960), professional footballer and manager
* [[John Blackburn (author)|John Blackburn]] (1923–1993), thriller writer
* [[Maggie Telfer]] (1959–2023), health activist
;Lived in Corbridge
* Dame [[Catherine Cookson]] (1906–1998), author
* [[Carol Malia]], [[BBC Look North (North East and Cumbria)|BBC Look North]] presenter<ref>{{Cite news |last=Needham |first=Jenny |date=26 May 2017 |title=TV: Carol Malia celebrating 20 years as presenter of Look North |work=The Northern Echo |url=https://www.thenorthernecho.co.uk/leisure_all/15311642.TV__Carol_Malia_celebrating_20_years_as_presenter_of_Look_North/ |access-date=1 October 2018}}</ref>
* [[The Unthanks|Rachel Unthank]], Folk Musician<ref>{{Cite episode |title=At Home with Rachel Unthank| series=Folk at Home| network=BBC| station=Radio 3| url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/play/m000j2qy| date=12 May 2020}}</ref>
* [[Ruth Ainsworth]] (1908–1984), children's writer of the "Rufty Tufty Golliwog" series

==References==
{{reflist}}

==External links==
{{Commons category|Corbridge}}
{{Wikivoyage |Corbridge}}
*{{cite EB1911|wstitle=Corbridge |volume=7 |short=x}}
*[https://web.archive.org/web/20040814200802/http://sine.ncl.ac.uk/view_structure_information.asp?struct_id=71 Vicar's Pele Tower]
*[https://web.archive.org/web/20040902140535/http://www.cycle-routes.org/hadrianscycleway/section_04/corbridge_xings.html Corbridge's river crossings]
*[http://www.roman-britain.co.uk/places/corstopitum/ Corstopitum]
*[https://web.archive.org/web/20070113120331/http://www.corbridge.gov.uk/ Corbridge Parish Council]
*[http://communities.northumberland.gov.uk/Corbridge.htm Northumberland Communities] <small>(Accessed: 10 November 2008)</small>
*[https://web.archive.org/web/20090528100211/http://www.roman-empire.net/tours/empire/corbridge.html Roman empire.net article on Roman Corbridge]
*[http://www.totalecology.com/ Ecology in Corbridge]

{{Northumberland}}
{{alt text missing|England|Northumberland|Unclassified}}

{{authority control}}

[[Category:Corbridge| ]]
[[Category:Villages in Northumberland]]
[[Category:80s establishments]]
[[Category:1st-century establishments in Roman Britain]]
[[Category:Populated places established in the 1st century]]
[[Category:Civil parishes in Northumberland]]
[[Category:Northumberland places with etymologically Brittonic names]]