In 1870-72, John Marius Wilson's Imperial Gazetteer of England and Wales described Ovingham like this:
OVINGHAM, a village and a township in Hexham district, and a parish partly also in Castle Ward district, Northumberland. The village stands on an eminence, sloping to the N bank of the river Tyne, ¼ of a mile N of Prudhoe r. station, 2 S of the Roman wall, and 10 E of Hexham; was anciently called Ofingasham; was once a market-town; is now a small but pretty place, contrasting brightly to collier villages in its vicinity, and commanding a fine near view of the verdant slopes, theruined fortress, and the wooded heights of Prudhoe; and has a post-office under Prudhoe Station, Northumberland, and fairs on 26 April and 26 Oct. ...
The township includes the village, and comprises 523 acres. Pop. in 1851, 330; in 1861, 277. The parish contains also the townships of Wylam, Horsley, Nafferton, Spittle, Welton, Whittle, Ovington, Eltringham, Mickley, Prndhoe, Prndhoe-Castle, Dukers-Hagg, Hedley, Hedley-Woodside, Harlow-Hill, and Rouchester, the two last in Castle Ward district, all the others in Hexham district. Acres, 15, 740. Real property, £33,078, of which £3, 420 are in mines. Pop. in 1851, 3, 962; in 1861, 5,014. Houses, 940. The increase of pop. was chiefly in Mickley and Prudhoe Castle townships, and arose there from the extension of collieries. The manor belongs to the Duke of Northumberland. A priory of black canons was founded at Ovingham, by one of the Umfravilles; and was a cell to Hexham abbey. A castle was founded at Nafferton, in the time of King John, by Sir Philip D' Ulecote; was built out of materials from the Roman wall; and consists of a keep, 20 feet square, and two outer baileys. An ancient building stood in Whittle dean; is said to have been theabode of robbers, during the wars of the Roses; and has left some remains among thickets. Prndhoe Castle is a grand feature, but will be noticed in its own alphabetical place. Coal is largely worked; and there are an iron-foundry, dye-works, bleach-grounds, and a brewery. The living is a p. curacy in the diocese of Durham. Value, £146.* Patron, Lieut.-Col. Bigge. The church is cruciform and early English; was restored in 1857; has a fine lofty triplet E window, recently filled with stainedglass, peculiar and striking features in the transepts, and a pre-Norman low W tower, built of large stones; and contains trefoil-headed sedilia, and part of a sepulchral cross. The churchyard contains the grave of the celebrated engraver Bewick. The p. curacy of Mickleyis a separate benefice. There are two Wesleyan chapels, a United Free Methodist chapel, a national school, and charities £15. Mabel Carr, mother of George Stephenson, was a native.
Ovingham through time
Ovingham is now part of Tynedale district. Click here for graphs and data of how Tynedale has changed over two centuries. For statistics about Ovingham itself, go to Units and Statistics.
GB Historical GIS / University of Portsmouth, History of Ovingham, in Tynedale and Northumberland | Map and description, A Vision of Britain through Time.
URL: https://www.visionofbritain.org.uk/place/9598
Date accessed: 23rd April 2024
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