Everything about Ryton Tyne And Wear totally explained
Ryton is a semi-rural small town near the western border of
Tyne and Wear,
England. Once an independent town in
County Durham it became incorporated into the metropolitan county of Tyne and Wear in 1974, and then the
Metropolitan Borough of Gateshead in 1986.
Location
Ryton lies midway between
Crawcrook and
Blaydon, both in Tyne and Wear.
History
Traditionally, Ryton's economy was built upon
agriculture and
coal mining. It is thought that coal-mining was taking place as early as
Roman times, however it wasn't until
1239 when
King Edward II granted that coal may be mined outside the walls that mining became extensive. The agriculture industry on Ryton was mixed and included both
pastoral farming and
arable farming.
As well as its coal industry, Ryton formerly contained the lead-smelting
reverberatory furnaces of the
Ryton Company, whose mines were on
Alston Moor. This business was amalgamated into the
London Lead Company in
1705.
Ryton soon became a place of migration for the wealthy, who wanted to escape the
urban sprawl of the
Industrial Revolution in
Gateshead and
Newcastle-Upon-Tyne.
A reminder of Ryton's affluent past is found in some of the old mansions at old Ryton village, a place rich in rural qualities because of its proximity to Ryton willows on the banks of the
River Tyne.
After the decline of the coal industry during the second half of the
twentieth century Ryton became increasingly suburbanised and is now used as a commuter village for those that work in the more urban areas of
Tyneside.
Local politics
In
local government, Ryton is located in the 'Ryton, Crookhill and Stella ward'. The ward is in the outer west of the borough. The ward is served by three councillors, all
Liberal Democrats. Gateshead Council is
Labour controlled.
Ryton is located within the
parliamentary constituency of
Blaydon. Its current MP is Labour's
Dave Anderson.
Geography
The neighbouring village of Crawcrook is a nexus of
coal mining nostalgia also. Remnants of several old pits across Ryton and Crawcrook, including Emma, Clara and Addison can still be found. Within a couple of hundred
metres of both Crawcrook and Ryton main street there's rich countryside.
Perhaps the most impressive section of this countryside is Ryton Willows Local Nature Reserve located on the banks of the Tyne, just past Old Ryton Village. It consists of 43 hectares of
grassland, ponds, woodland and locally-rare rare species of
flora and
fauna. Because of this it has been designated as a
site of special scientific interest.
Other areas of countryside include nearby Stargate pond and Addison and Hedgefield woods. It is at Addison woods that
Alexander Graham Bell made one of his pioneering telephone calls.
Further up the Tyne Valley, past the village of Crawcrook and into the border of
Northumberland, there are rural market towns such as
Prudhoe,
Corbridge and
Hexham.
Ryton today
A relatively affluent area of Gateshead, Ryton has experienced
suburbanisation in recent years and is now used as a
commuter area for those that work in the more urban areas of
Tyneside.
Despite being a
provincial suburb, Ryton remains a vibrant area, with a variety of local amenities. In the more central part of Ryton these include a
Somerfield supermarket, a Sainsbury's Local store and a selection of independent shops such as Dominic Pizza's, Coffee Johnny's, a small bookshop and a Deli as well as a
chiropodist,
dentist and various hair and beauty salons. Ryton also boasts several restaurants and six
public houses, four of which are located away from Ryton Main Street, in Ryton Village. The nearby village of Crawcrook offers more services, including a doctor's surgery, two
veterinary surgeries, another chiropodist, another dentist and a restaurant.
Ryton also has an extensive
Edwardian park which includes children's playing equipment, a
bowling green and an
aviary.
Away from the town centre there's a country club hotel and two
golf courses, Tyneside golf club at Ryton, and Ryton golf club in nearby Clara Vale. Both are situated in tranquil areas, near the banks of the Tyne.
Ryton is home to three schools, Ryton Infant's School, Ryton Primary School and Ryton
Comprehensive School, all of which occupy the same site in the town. Nearby Crawcrook offers two more
primary schools. Crookhill primary is also nearby.
Sport also plays a role in the local community. Apart from its golf facilities and its Edwardian park, Ryton has its own
Football (soccer) club,
Ryton F.C. who play at Crawcrook, its own
Rugby union team, Ryton Rugby Football Club $at nearby Barmoor. There is also a
judo club located in Crawcrook.
Ryton also benefits from good public transport with regular bus services to Crawcrook, Prudhoe and Hexham to the west, and the
MetroCentre, Gateshead and Newcastle to the east.
Other features of Ryton
The earliest record of a church in Ryton is in
1112. However, the oldest surving church is the The Holy Cross church, the oldest building in Ryton that dates back to
1220. The most striking feature of the church is its
13th century broach
spire which is 36 m tall. Other well known artefacts include a 13th century Frosterly
marble effigy of a
deacon holding a book.
There have been a number of prominent
rectors of Ryton. These include
Thomas Secker (
1727), later the
Archbishop of Canterbury.
Charles Thorp (
1807) Virtual Founder and first warden of the
University of Durham and The Hon. Richard Byron (
1769) brother of
William Byron, 5th Baron Byron and great-uncle of
Lord Byron.
Ryton's
village green has a rich history with religious and social significance. It is at this green that both
John Wesley and
Charles Wesley preached. The green, like many greens in similar villages, played host to an annual vibrant fair which would include
jugglers,
dancers and local stalls.
The old
pinfold dates back to the
12th century. During the second half of the twentieth century the pinfold was restored.
The annual
Ryton Music Festival
, held over February and March, has been held in the village for more than sixty years. It offers a variety of music and drama including choral singing and
mime.
There is also the Ryton Summer festival, held at the local comprehensive school. Activities here usually include live music, sport and arts and crafts stalls. This year it's being held on the 7th June, rasing money for a charity trip to help those in Ethopia.
External links and References
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