Longbenton

History

The name Longbenton probably means "long (i.e. large) bean town", to distinguish it from the smaller village of Little Benton to its south-east.

Longbenton has a long history of coal mining. Meadow Pit, Dyke Pit and First and Second Engine Pits were in operation by 1749. In 1774 an "experimentally-determined" model of the Newcomen atmospheric engine, designed by John Smeaton, was installed there. It was rated at 40 horsepower and used for drainage. In the 1860s Long Benton or Benton Colliery stood at OS grid reference NZ 27093 67438, where Benton Road crossed the Coxlodge Waggonway, a site now occupied by housing on Ferndene Grove.

Transport

Main article: Transport in Tyne and Wear

Coal was exported from Longbenton via the Coxlodge Waggonway to the Coxlodge Staithes on the Tyne at Wallsend. Later, between 1901 and 1930, much of the route was converted into a tram line operated by the Tyneside Tramways and Tramroads Company.

Demography

Longbenton had a population of 10,617 in 2011. The figure is given as a ward because the Longbenton Urban Subdivision also encompasses its larger neighbour, Killingworth as well as parts of neighbouring areas. Details are as follows:

Education

Two secondary schools are located in the township, Longbenton Community College and St Mary's Catholic School, Newcastle upon Tyne, along with four primary schools. The four primary schools are Benton Dene Primary School, Balliol Primary School, St Bartholomew's, and St. Stephen's Primary School. Nurseries offering childcare in Longbenton include Leigh's Nurseries.

Longbenton Football Club is an FA-affiliated team and as of 2012/13 season play in the Northern Alliance Division 2.

Churches

Longbenton is served by St. Mary Magdalene (Church of England) on West Farm Ave, the Methodist church at one end of Chesters Ave and The King's Castle (independent) at the other end of Chesters Avenue.

The parish church is St Bartholomew's Church, Long Benton.

Business

Longbenton is the site of BT's Newcastle call centre. Balliol Business Park is located in Longbenton where a Greggs production site and, until recently, two large Sitel call centres were located. The UK production site for the Findus frozen food brand was based in Longbenton until mid-January 2009 when, through cost-cutting and fire damage, the factory was closed, with the loss of around 400 jobs. Following the award of a grant from Regional development agency One North East the factory was repaired and reopened as Longbenton Foods in 2010.

Government agencies

HM Revenue & Customs and Department for Work and Pensions share a major base on the Longbenton/City of Newcastle upon Tyne border, known as Benton Park View.

Notable residents

Footballer Peter Beardsley grew up in Longbenton and attended Longbenton High School.

Thomas Addison, 19th-century physician and scientist and discoverer of, among others, Addison's disease and Pernicious anaemia, was born and educated in Longbenton. He is widely regarded as one of the leading lights of 19th-century medicine, and was famous for his brilliant lecturing style, compassion and empathy for patients (not common among doctors at the time) and devotion to furthering medical science. He has a bust in his old place of work, Guy's Hospital, London.

Writer and poet Michael Roberts lived nearby in Jesmond in the 1930s, and he included Longbenton in his poem Hymn to the Sun.

References

References

1. "North Tyneside ward population 2011".
2. [http://www.statistics.gov.uk/statbase/Expodata/Spreadsheets/D8271.xls Office for National Statistics : ''Census 2001 : Urban Areas : Table KS01 : Usual Resident Population''] {{webarchive. link. (2007-02-08 Retrieved 2009-08-26)
3. "Longbenton Built-up area sub division".
4. "Shiremoor, Longbenton and Killingworth".
5. (14 October 2015). "Longbenton, Meadow Pit".
6. (14 October 2015). "Longbenton, Dyke Pit".
7. (14 October 2015). "Longbenton, First and Second Engine Pits".
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10. "Durham Mining Museum - Longbenton Colliery 1860s".
11. "Coxlodge Wagonway".
12. "Longbenton Ward (as of 2011)".
13. "North Tyneside Local Authority".
14. "Benton Dene Schools - Home".
15. "Leigh's Nurseries".
16. {{usurped
17. "Longbenton". Church Search.
18. Briggs, G. W. D.. (1985). "St. Bartholomew's Church". Potts Printers Limited.
19. "Jobs boost Sitel new office". The Journal.
20. "Findus factory refurbishment will create more than 300 jobs". News Guardian.
21. "Benton Park View: HM Revenue and Customs". Government Buildings.
22. Chronicle, Evening. (1 January 2012). "Six interesting facts about Longbenton".
23. "Bust of Thomas Addison in profile, courtesy of Guy's Hospital, London". Wellcome Foundation.
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