Hello and welcome to the web page for Fenham. We want to make this page both an interesting and useful place to visit time and again. Once you have looked at the information please get in touch with the Communities Officer if you feel that there is something we have missed out, if you have a news story for us or would like to promote your group or organisation.
This site gives you the opportunity to 'have your say' and find out what is going on in your local area.
An Overview of Fenham
If you would like to find out more information about the Fenham Police team please click here. The Fenham Police Team work hard to tackle crime and community safety issues in your area. Make sure you always phone 999 if it is an emergency. If it is not an emergency you can telephone the Police Non Emergency Line on 101.
Fenham has a monthly meeting of local officers who look at ways of resolving local crime and community safety issues. The key crime and community safety messages from SNAPS are:
Use our online map to find your nearest libraries and schools. You can also find out where your nearest recycling site is and find leisure services, such as swimming pools, and heritage information, such as listed buildings and ancient monuments.
The name “Fenham” translates as, “at the marches”. This is due to the nature of the soil. The land has been used for agriculture and small scale mining. The road that is now called “Two Ball Lonnen” was an ancient lane (Lonnen) predating the construction of the West Road in 1751. The West Turnpike was built to enable the commander-in-chief of the British Army, General Wade to plan a quick response to a planned French invasion and move his equipment to Carlisle, along the course of Hadrian's wall. The Fox and Hounds public house on the West Road, was a coaching inn and dates from around this time, although the present building was put up in the early 1930s.
It was the threat of a Napoleonic victory that led to Newcastle city leasing 11 acres of the Town Moor as a site for barracks in 1806, a site which grew over time and had housing for soldiers and their families. Fenham was once described as a small township of 420 acres in the parish of St Andrews and the manor of Elswick. Much of the land still has restrictions on the building of any licensed premises, due to the religious links to previous owners.
In 1185 this land was presented to The Knights Templar, a Christian military order created during the Catholic Crusades to Jerusalem and when they were disbanded ownership transferred to the Hospital of St John of Jerusalem. By the time of the civil war it belonged to the Royalist supporter, Sir Thomas Riddell and the land was confiscated by the crown.
This land was recovered by the Riddells, but then sold in 1695 to John Ord. It was in the ownership of John’s brother William when he became High Sheriff of Northumberland in 1768. These lands pass on through his family line. He built Fenham hall in 1745 and they owned most of the land in this area until the early 1900s. The Hall itself wasn’t always their only home and for a time (1810-1835) it was home to the Clarkes, the grandparents of the poet, Elizabeth Barrett Browning. The Hall was bought in 1905 by the Society of the Sacred Heart and became St Mary’s training college. In 1904 the area was incorporated into the city of Newcastle upon Tyne.
The Ord family also bought the ancient Manor and estate at Whitfield, Northumberland. William Ord made his fortune developing lead and silver mining at Whitfield and coal mining at Benwell and Fenham. His eldest son, William (1752–1789), also went on to become High Sheriff of Northumberland in 1777.
It was not until the 20th century that the area of pretty countryside became a residential area. In 1898, when it was sold to “The Northern Allotment Society”, it was described as; inferior to Jesmond because of the lack of transport links, but superior because of the cleaner air, due to its elevated position above the city. The Allotment Society became the limited company “Fenham Estates” and in 1907, when the tram line was extended from Central Station via Barrack Road, housing was built on a large scale. Fenham continued to grow as transport links improved with trolley buses and bus links to Westerhope. It’s first public building was St Monica’s church on Wingrove Road (1905) and the first shops were on Nuns Moor Road (1906-1909). Many of Fenham’s larger properties were built at this time, mainly by the wealthy middle classes. Moorside North shows Art Nouveau tendencies mingling with traditional British cottage architecture by the 1930s. The church of St. James and St. Basil was built by Sir James Knott, a wealthy Newcastle shipowner, in memory of his two sons, James and Basil, who were both killed in the First World War. The area expanded further with housing being built between the two World Wars as part of the government push to build homes for heroes.
Are you part of a group or organisation with an interest in the local heritage of Fenham? If you are and you have information about the area please contact the Communities Officer.
You can also find out what other local heritage information is available across our website.
The newly constituted Friends of Newcastle Trees takes over the work of the Newcastle Tree Wardens as set up by the Newcastle City Council Tree Strategy. Friends of Newcastle Trees Information Sheet (101kb)
Tree Wardens from Friends of Newcastle Trees act as a ‘neighbourhood watch’ over the trees where they live. Looking out for problems like; vandalism, storm damage, disease, dead trees and reporting protected trees being damaged or under threat. You could also help find places to plant more trees in your area and join in with tree, hedgerow and woodland projects. To find out more please contact Tel: Edwina Symmons 0191 2778950 Email: newcastletrees@ymail.com
Newcastle, the UK’s most sustainable city, has launched a new interactive website packed with energy saving tips and ways to do your bit to reduce carbon emissions. The website gives practical advice on how we can all play a part in reducing carbon emissions. You can also view a new online map showing aerial thermal imaging data for Newcastle which provided a heat loss profile for every property in the city.
This report (pdf 1MB) highlights short, medium and long term traffic management and highways schemes in the ward as well as information on road traffic accidents and utilities work.
The work listed will be subject to further discussions with Members and will form the basis of the monthly Ward Report that is sent out to Elected Members. If you have any questions or comments you can email the Communities Officer, come to the Fenham Ward Committee or contact your local councillors.
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