The pretty northern town home that's home to England's oldest gaol
Where is the oldest purpose-built gaol in England? A port with a colourful history? A city that was a hot-bed of revolution? Surprisingly, it’s a prosperous market town in a Northumbrian river valley.
Welcome to Hexham! Sitting high above the soft fields and meadows of the Tyne valley, dominated by its handsome abbey and leafy parks, and with a mix of independent shops and quirky tea-rooms, it doesn’t exactly set out to nab the tourists. It just does what it does rather well – an excellent programme at its Queens Hall Arts Centre, for example, and a scenic racecourse – and if you want to drop by, that’s fine.
If you choose to do so over the first weekend in November (1–3), you’ll also have to chance witness Europe’s biggest mass-participation caneing event, Tyne Tour (tynetour.co.uk), when some 600-plus water-nuts swoosh down the River North Tyne to Hexham. There are novice and expert classes, plus a ceilidh, refreshments, and a huge camp-site beside the river.
So, Hexham folk are a pretty unruly crowd, then?
Well, Hexham sits handily close to Hadrian’s Wall, so it was the usual Scottish/English argy-bargy in 1330 that led the Archbishop of York, the Lord of Hexhamshire at the time, to order the gaol to be built. You can learn all about it in the museum (museumsnorthumberland.org.uk; adult £5; child free), complete with dungeons to explore and a short film depicting the recreation of a border raid.
Tucked off the Market Place, the gaol is one of a group of historic buildings and streets that sit at the top of the steep roads that lead up from the River Tyne and form the core of Hexham. Nearby is the medieval Moot Hall, a fortified tower where the poor unfortunates were tried, and which now makes atmospheric surrounds for a glass artist’s gallery (artstudioofglass.com). Across the small Market Place is the abbey while running off are narrow streets where interesting shops beckon.
Hexham Abbey (hexhamabbey.org.uk; free, donations welcome) is a modest affair by many abbey standards, but all the more friendly for that, and dating largely from the 12th and 13th century. Seek out its medieval wooden panel paintings – the Dance of Death is especially gruesome – and the excellent Big Story Exhibition, where you can have a go at writing script as the monks did; not as easy as it looks. Hopefully, a friendly volunteer will unlock the steep steps down to the Anglo-Saxon crypt.
This remnant from the original church lay hidden under the graveyard until an 18th-century workman loosened the surface soil and tumbled down. It’s an atmospheric place where, if you look closely, several stones are inscribed with Roman decorations. Pillaged from the nearby Roman settlement of Corbridge, they show recycling is nothing new.
Ah, the Romans. How do we see this famous Wall?
One of the best-preserved sections of the 73-mile long Hadrian’s Wall is 20 minutes west, at Steel Rigg. If you don’t fancy the uphill hike – and parts of the Wall around here are precipitous though exhilarating – nearby Vindolanda (vindolanda.com; adult £8.25, child £5) is equally fascinating. A vast Roman frontier site (pre-dating the Wall), archaeologists have revealed gems such as a Commanding Officer’s residence with a heated bathroom. Star billing goes to the Vindolanda Tablets, extraordinary examples of hand-written letters and documents – including a birthday party invitation – displayed in the superbly absorbing museum.
I’ve had my fill of history. Did you say something about interesting shops?
I did, but first take a look inside Wetherspoon’s pub just off Hexham’s Market Place. Originally the stalls of the 1930s-built Forum cinema, it has retained the classic art deco features of geometric decorations, intricate grill-work panels, Egyptian-style columns and a magnificent proscenium arch. Upstairs, a thriving community-owned cinema uses the original Circle for screenings.
From here, you can spend an absorbing hour or two discovering Market Street’s shops: Mr Wolf (mrwolf.uk.com), a treat of children’s toys; Penfax (penfax.co.uk), a class act from quill pens to handmade paper; Gaia (3 Market Street), a colourful collection of New Agey items; and Twenty First Century Herbs (twentyfirstcenturyherbs.com), run by a third-generation herbalist with strong ethical vibes.
Save some time for browsing Cogito Books (cogitobooks.com) in St Mary’s Chare, where the enthusiastic booksellers offer personal consultations to help you choose. Recover with tea and cakes – courgette and lime, perhaps, or blackcurrant crumble slice – at Small World Café (thesmallworldcafe.com) in a cracking people-watching spot by the Market Place.
Now I need another walk!
Head to the handsome 18th-century stone-arched bridge across the river, turning upstream before crossing, and through the splendid avenue of lime and sycamore trees in Tyne Green park. Keep the railway line on your left and the river on your right. After a couple of miles, and after you’ve dipped under a road bridge, you’ll come to a magical spot where the North Tyne meets the South Tyne in a dancing foam of water – at its best in the late afternoon when the setting sun sparkles off the water.
What’s on offer for supper?
Bouchon Bistrot (bouchonbistrot.co.uk; mains from £16.50) serves punchy French-country dishes such as seared tuna niçoise, cassoulet Toulousain and crispy duck confit with gratin Dauphinois, plus proper apple tarte tatin, all in a convivial atmosphere and run by a French team.
For Modern English food with flair – lamb with gingerbread purée for example, or hake with borlotti beans and mussels – try Beaumont Hotel’s open-plan bar-restaurant (thebeaumonthexham.co.uk; mains from £14).
Anywhere interesting to stay?
Hexham Town B&B (telegraph.co.uk/tt-hexham-town-bed-and-breakfast-hotel; doubles from £60), a Victorian three-storey house in a quiet residential street, offers five airy rooms that mix vintage and modern pieces in a cool, breezy style. Owner Julia Caris is a local girl with a wealth of information on walks, attractions and places to eat.
Opposite Hexham Abbey, The Beaumont Hotel (telegraph.co.uk/tt-the-beaumont-hotel; doubles from £110) is beautifully positioned. The handsome stone Victorian hotel has been given a smart makeover to give it 21st-century townhouse looks.
More information:visitnorthumberland.com
