Felton

A1-The Great North Road

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Felton

“Felton comprises an area of 12,830 acres. Population in 1851, 1,574 souls. The soil of this parish is various but chiefly incumbent upon strong clay, and is well suited for grain crops. There are some coal seams here, but they are not much worked.” History, Topography, and Directory of Northumberland, Whellan, 1855.

A straggling village well to the east of the present A1, approximately 9 miles south of Alnwick, around an ancient stone bridge across the River Coquet. A second bridge was built in???, pre-cast concrete evidently being more suited to modern traffic. How can we combine beauty with strength? The English barons met here in 1215 to plan the transfer of their allegiance from King John to King Alexander of Scotland, a rash decision, for which King John had the village burned down as punishment.

Now it is more famous for the Felton loaf. Here’s the recipe:

Ingredients Serves 4

Butter - 110g (4 oz)
Sugar - 110g (4 oz)
Eggs - 2
Ground almonds - 50g (2 oz)
Self raising flour - 110g (4 oz)
Mixed spice - ½ tsp
Candied peel - 50g (2 oz), finely chopped
Sultanas - 175g (6 oz)
Milk - a little

Method

Set the oven to 190 °C / 375 °F / Gas 5.

Cream the sugar and butter together in a bowl until light and fluffy, then beat in the eggs one at a time. Fold in the ground almonds. Sift together the flours and mixed spice and fold into the mixture. Stir in the peel and sultanas and add sufficient milk to give a soft dropping consistency.

Turn the mixture into a well-buttered roasting tin, and smooth the surface. Bake for 30-40 minutes. Cool for 5 minutes in the tin, then turn out on to a wire rack. Serve sliced, plain or very lightly buttered.

Thanks to The Giant British Cookbook

Before we look at the village lets follow the Vagabond’s advice and explore the river.

“…it would be a pity to cross the ancient Felton Bridge and not become acquainted with such a famous river as the Coquet. Between Weldon Bridge and Felton bridge there are four miles of exquisitely beautiful sequestration where botany, bird-life and animal life find perfect situation.

“Now in Felton itself, as old as the Great North Road, the traveller may contemplate with perfect serenity the fact that he is more welcome than any of the kings, queens, army commanders, princes and princesses who arrived there. There intentions wee not always honourable. The irascible King John burnt the place to the ground because he did not like the Felton folk.

“But do take a look into Felton Park. Resist temptation, however, unless you have time to be enticed along alluring footpaths into closer communion with wild nature in settings almost beyond description. It is scarcely credible that so much London-Edinburgh traffic by road or rail should run within a few hundred yards of some of the most lavish and delicately sensitive gestures of the spirit of Creation.”

So much traffic, did he say? This was written in the 1940s, by which time a second bridge had been built alongside the old stone one, pre-cast concrete evidently being more suited to “so much” traffic. But now the A1 doesn’t go through the village at all leaving a lot of bridge for a little local traffic. The woods of Felton Park, past the little church, are certainly worth a wander through, particularly if you’re interested in ferns.

James Alder's picture from Wills' 1947 book.

Here’s Charles Harper’s 1901 drawing of Felton Bridge looking upstream. The A1 now crosses the Coquet in a different style.

The newer bridge stands in the foreground of Harper’s view so my picture of the old bridge is taken from the opposite direction. The furthest building in the old sketch is the Northumberland Arms. The other pub, the Stag’s Head, is up the road north of the bridge.

Old Bridge Newer bridge

Take the old road north out of Felton to join the A1 but cross over taking the little road sign-posted for Swarland. The old road runs parallel to the new for a couple of miles to Newton-on-the-Moor, but just after leaving the A1 there’s a strange obelisk on the west side of the road. The OS maps marks it “Mon 117”. Nelson’s Monument, erected in 1807, has the 117 metre benchmark embedded in its base. Inscriptions read:

ENGLAND EXPECTS EVERY MAN TO DO HIS DUTY

VICTORY 21^ST OCTOBER 1805

NOT TO COMMEMORATE THE PUBLIC VIRTUES

AND HEROIC ACHIEVMENT OF

NELSON

WHICH IS THE DUTY OF ENGLAND

BUT TO THE MEMORY OF PRIVATE FRIENDSHIP

THIS ERECTION IS DEDICATED BY

ALEXANDER DAVISON

SWARLAND HALL

Long overgrown and overlooked as little traffic now passes this northern Nelson’s column, the local authority has recently cleared away the undergrowth and repaired the iron railings as befits this dedicated erection. I've not seen them myself but according to Wills, "in Swarland Hall Park, behind the column, are a number of trees planted in conformity with the British Fleet in the Battle of Trafalgar." There is another Nelson's Monument at the north end of the Great North Road in Edinburgh, some gates at Thornton-le-Street and the Monument to French prisoners at Norman Cross are further reminders of Napoleon. Swarland Hall estate had a settlement for the unemployed in the 1930s.

Lets take a break for a song

Felton Lonnen

The kye's* come hyem*, but Aa see not me hinny;
wey, the kye's come hyem, but Aa see not me bairn;
the kye's come hyem, but Aa see not me hinny;
Aa'd rather loss aall the kye than loss me bairn.
Fair faced is me hinny, his blue eyes are bonny,
his hair in curled ringlets hung sweet ta' the sight;
O mount the aald pony, seek after me hinny,
and bring ta' his mammy her only delight.

He's always oot roamin' the lang summer's day through,
he's always oot roamin' away from the farm;
through hedges an' ditches an' valleys an' fellsides,
Aa hope that me hinny will come ta' nee harm.
Wey, Aa've searched in the meadow and in the far acre,
through stockyard and byre, but nowt could Aa find;
so off ye go, daddy, seek after yer laddie,
bring back ta' his mammy some peace ta' her mind.

Wey, Aa rode doon the beck and alang the owld lonnen
as far as the sheep stell, and up ta' Crag height;
Aa searched aal the way, but Aa still havent't foond him,
but divn't ya fret, mother, Aa'm sure he's aalreet.
He could in woods after Robson's horse chestnuts
or pickin' crab-apples on Laidler's Fell,
or mebbies he's somewhere aboot in the buildings;
he'd not leave withoot saying, you knaa very weel

Wey, look you here, Mother, we foond the wee rascal
you'll nivor guess where the young devil he got-
asleep in Ben's manger with Jess and her puppies,
as safe and as snug as he does in his cot.
He left aall the floowers he'd pick on the wallend
and the other treasures Aa found there as weel;
a deed butterfly and some pheasant's tail feathers,
some purple sloe berries and a blackbird's eggshell.

The kye's come hyem, and Aa found me wee laddie;
the kye comes hyem, and Aa found me wee bairn.
Thank goodness he's safe, me wee precious jewel,
tucked up in the stable and come to nee hairm.
Noo sit ye doon, Daddy, tuck in to yer supper,
it's your favourite bait, hot tayties and meat,
and a bit for the bairn, to grow like his Daddy;
now me family's safe and hyem for the neet.

Kye = Cow; Hyem = home

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