Morpeth, Northumberland

History

Morpeth was founded at a crossing point of the River Wansbeck. Remains from prehistory are scarce, but the earliest evidence of occupation found is a stone axe thought to be from the Neolithic period. There is a lack of evidence of activity during the Roman occupation of Britain, although there were probably settlements in the area at that time. The first written reference is from 1080 when William de Merlay was rewarded for his part in suppressing a rebellion in Northumbria with "the Barony of Morthpeth stretching from the Tyne to the Coquet". The name derives from Old English morð pæð and literally means "murder path"; writing in 1666, the antiquarian John Stainsby attributed this moniker to "the many robberies and murders in those parts committed".

The barony of Morpeth was granted to the de Merlay family in around 1080, and by 1095 a motte-and-bailey castle had been built by William de Merlay. It is uncertain whether there was any settlement at Morpeth at the time that the barony was created, and documents relating to the foundation of an abbey in 1137 refer to the "new town of Morpeth". Newminster Abbey, located on the outskirts of Morpeth, was founded in 1138 by William's son, Ranulf de Merlay, lord of Morpeth, and his wife, Juliana, daughter of Gospatric II, Earl of Lothian, as one of the first daughter houses of Fountains Abbey. King John granted a market charter for the town to Roger de Merlay in 1200. It became one of the main markets in Northern England by the mid-1700s and by the mid 18th century was one of the key cattle markets in England selling cattle driven by drovers over the border from Scotland; however, the opening of the railways made transport to Newcastle easier in the 19th century, and the market accordingly declined. The market is still held on Wednesdays.

The town was badly damaged by fire set by the barons in 1215 during the First Barons' War, in an attempt to block the military operations of King John. Whilst it is common report that the motte-and-bailey castle was burnt down by King John in 1216 and a new Morpeth Castle was built later in the 13th century by Ranulph de Merlay, to the south of Haw Hill, there is no firm evidence that King John destroyed the castle and an alternative narrative suggests that the second castle was in fact "completed by William de Merlay (the 2nd) in the year of his death" (). In the 13th century, a stone bridge was built over the Wansbeck in Morpeth, to the west of the current bridge, replacing the ford previously in use in Morpeth. For some months in 1515–16, Margaret Tudor (Henry VIII's sister) who was the Queen Consort of Scotland (James IV's widow), had laid ill in Morpeth Castle, having been brought there from Harbottle Castle. The only remains of the castle are the inner gatehouse, which was restored by the Landmark Trust, and parts of the ruined castle walls.

In 1540, Morpeth was described by the royal antiquary John Leland as "long and metely well-builded, with low houses" and "a far fairer town than Alnwick". During the 1543–51 war of the Rough Wooing, Morpeth was occupied by a garrison of Italian mercenaries, who "pestered such a little street standing in the highway" by killing deer and withholding payment for food. In 1552, William Hervey, Norroy King of Arms, granted the borough of Morpeth a coat of arms. The arms were the same as those granted to Roger de Merlay, but with the addition of a gold tower. In the letters patent, Hervey noted that he had included the arms of the "noble and valyaunt knyght ... for a p'petuall memory of his good will and benevolence towardes the said towne".

Morpeth was a borough by prescription, but received its first charter of confirmation from Charles II. The corporation it created was controlled by seven companies: the Merchant Tailors, the Tanners, the Fullers and Dyers, the Smiths, the Cordwainers, the Weavers and the Butchers. This remained the governing charter until the borough was reformed by the Municipal Corporations Act 1835. During the Second World War, RAF Morpeth, an air-gunnery training school, opened at nearby Tranwell.

The town and the county's history and culture are celebrated at the annual Northumbrian Gathering. The gathering is held over a weekend in mid-April and includes the Border Cavalcade and Pageant. The 50th gathering took place in 2017.

Governance

Morpeth has two tiers of local government.

The lower tier is Morpeth Town Council, which has 15 members. Morpeth is a civil parish with the status of a town. For the purposes of parish elections the town is divided into three wards: North, Kirkhill and Stobhill, each returning five town councillors. Each ward also elects one County Councillor. In May 2021, the political make up of the Town Council was ten Conservatives, two Liberal Democrats, two Green and one Labour member.:

The upper tier of local government is Northumberland County Council, which meets at County Hall in Morpeth. Since April 2009, the county council has been a unitary authority. Previous to this there was an intermediate tier, the non-metropolitan district of Castle Morpeth, which has been abolished along with all other districts in the county. The county council has 67 councillors, of whom three represent Morpeth, one each from the electoral wards of Morpeth Kirkhill, Morpeth North and Morpeth Stobhill. The 2017 and 2021 County Council elections both elected three Conservative councillors for the three wards.

Climate

Cockle Park, located slightly north of Morpeth, contains a Met Office weather station, founded in 1897. |Jan record high C = 13.8 |Feb record high C = 15.6 |Mar record high C = 20.0 |Apr record high C = 22.1 |May record high C = 24.1 |Jun record high C = 27.8 |Jul record high C = 29.6 |Aug record high C = 32.6 |Sep record high C = 25.1 |Oct record high C = 21.7 |Nov record high C = 17.2 |Dec record high C = 14.6 |year record high C = 32.6 |Jan record low C = -12.0 |Feb record low C = −12.8 |Mar record low C = −8.9 |Apr record low C = −6.1 |May record low C = -2.7 |Jun record low C = 0.1 |Jul record low C = 3.3 |Aug record low C = 2.8 |Sep record low C = 0.0 |Oct record low C = -2.4 |Nov record low C = −9.0 |Dec record low C = −11.6 |year record low C = −12.8

2008 and 2012 floods

Main article: 2008 Morpeth flood

On 6 September 2008, Morpeth suffered a severe flood, causing damage to 1,000 properties and leading 400 residents to be evacuated. The town's flood defences were breached after 12 hours, when a month's worth of rain fell on Morpeth.

In September 2012, flooding occurred again, causing damage to properties, although floodwaters were reportedly 3 ft shallower than in 2008.

Flood defences

Work on flood defences started in 2013 in response to the 2008 floods. New flood defences were built in the town centre and a dam with a storage reservoir was built on the Mitford Estate. A second £27million dam was completed in May 2017 to reduce flooding from the Cotting Burn and marked the completion of the Morpeth flood defence plan.

Transport

Roads

The A1, the longest numbered road in the UK, used to pass through the town until the Morpeth Northern Bypass was opened in 1970. This was a project to decrease traffic congestion in the town centre and decrease journey times from Pegswood, Ashington and Newbiggin to the A1 and beyond. It follows on from the Pegswood bypass at Whorral Bank Roundabout, continuing to St George's Roundabout, Northgate Roundabout and St Leonard's A1 Junction. The project was completed in 2017, which has allowed increased connectivity to south-east Northumberland and beyond.

Other roads that pass through the town are: A192, A196, A197, B1337, B6343 and the B6524.

Railway

Morpeth's railway station is a stop on the East Coast Main Line, which connects and . It is served by five train operating companies: CrossCountry, London North Eastern Railway, Lumo, Northern Trains and TransPennine Express; these connect the town with destinations across England and Scotland.

To the south of the station is a sharp curve which has been the scene of several train crashes. A non-passenger line operates between Morpeth and Bedlington. A former line, closed in 1966, ran west from Morpeth to Scots Gap (from where there was a branch line to Rothbury), then west to Redesmouth and lastly south to Hexham.

Buses

Arriva North East is the main operator of bus services in the town, with services connecting the town with Pegswood, Guide Post, Ashington, Bedlington, Newcastle, Alnwick, Amble, Berwick and Widdrington.

Education

The local state school, King Edward VI School, was originally founded as a chantry school in the early 14th century and was located in the Morpeth Chantry. The school was refounded in 1552 by royal charter as the Free Grammar School of King Edward the Sixth, being commonly referred to as the Morpeth Grammar School by locals. The school was renamed to King Edward VI Grammar School by 1947 and in the 1970s lost its grammar-school status, becoming a comprehensive under the current name.

The town has two middle schools, Newminster and Chantry, which are built next to each other. It also has several first schools: Abbeyfields First School in Kirkhill, Morpeth First School in Loansdean to the south of the town, Stobhillgate First School in the Stobhillgate housing estate, and Morpeth All Saints' Church of England-aided First School in Lancaster Park, north of the town.These references are in order of their mention in the article:

• Additionally, St. Robert's R.C. First School, a primary school for Roman Catholics, is located in Oldgate, Morpeth.

Religious sites

Church of England

The ancient Church of England parish church of Morpeth is St Mary's at High Church, which was the main Anglican place of worship in the area until the 1840s. The church is mostly in the 14th-century style. The grave of the suffragette Emily Wilding Davison lies in St Mary's graveyard.

In 1843 a public meeting was called to address the lack of attendance at the church, and it was found that the walk to the current church, then on the southern edge of the town, was too much for many of the parishioners. As a result of this meeting it was decided to build a new church in the town centre and accordingly the church of St James the Great was consecrated for worship on 15 October 1846. Benjamin Ferrey designed the church in a "Neo-Norman" style, based on the 12th-century Monreale Cathedral, Sicily.

A third parish church, St Aidan's, was founded as a mission church in 1957, on the Stobhill estate on the south-east of the town.

Roman Catholic Church

Morpeth's Roman Catholic Church, St Robert of Newminster Church, was built off Oldgate on land adjacent to Admiral Lord Collingwood's house. It was consecrated on 1 August 1850 by the Right Reverend William Hogarth, Bishop of Samosata (later Bishop of Hexham). Collingwood House is now the presbytery (residence) for the priest in charge.

United Reformed Church

Morpeth has had a Presbyterian ministry since 1693. Their first service was held in a tannery loft in the town in February 1693 and in 1721 a chapel was built in Cottingwood Lane, which still exists as a private home. The construction of St. George's United Reformed Church began in 1858 and the first service in the new building was held on 12 April 1860. The Church stands immediately to the north of the Telford Bridge and is in the style of the early English era, containing a stained glass rose window and an octagonal spirelet.

Methodist Church

The present Methodist Church in Howard Terrace was opened as a Primitive Methodist place of worship on 24 April 1905. Designed by J. Walton Taylor, it was built from local quarry stone. Although the Primitive Methodists were united with the Wesleyan Church to form the Methodist Church of Great Britain in 1932, a separate Wesleyan Church continued to function in Manchester Street until 1964, when the congregations were united at Howard Terrace. The former Wesleyan Church (built in 1883) is currently used as the Explorer Scout headquarters.

Sport

Morpeth Town A.F.C., Morpeth RFC and the Morpeth Golf Club play competitively within Morpeth. In addition, the Morpeth Harriers compete in athletics. The town also offers opportunities to play sport on a non-competitive basis through facilities such as Carlisle Park, the common for playing golf and football, and the Riverside leisure centre for swimming, indoor sports and fitness gym activities. Morpeth Town A.F.C. was the 2016 winner of the FA Vase.

The Morpeth Olympic Games, a professional event consisting mainly of athletics and wrestling, were staged from 1873 until 1958, barring interruptions during the two world wars. The Games were held on the Old Brewery Field until 1896, then at Grange House Field until the First World War. After two years at the town's cricket pitch at Stobhill (1919–20), the Olympics moved to Mount Haggs Field until 1939, and then back to Grange House Field after the war until the end of the games in 1958.

In 1730, a racecourse was built for horse racing, which was used until 1854, when the racetrack was replaced with St. George's Hospital.

The town was the start point of the Morpeth To Newcastle Road Race. This road running race was held annually on New Year's Day from 1902 to 2004, when insurance and policing costs became prohibitively high, and winners included Commonwealth champion Jack Holden and Olympic medallist Mike McLeod.

Media

Local news and television programmes are provided by BBC North East and Cumbria and ITV Tyne Tees. Television signals are received from the Pontop Pike and local relay transmitters.

Local radio stations are BBC Radio Newcastle, Capital North East, Heart North East, Smooth North East, Hits Radio North East, and Koast Radio, a community based radio station.

The Morpeth Herald is the town's local weekly newspaper.

Landmarks

The historical layout of central Morpeth consisted of Bridge Street, Oldgate Street and Newgate Street, with burgage plots leading off them. Traces of this layout remain: Old Bakehouse Yard off Newgate Street is a former burgage plot, as is Pretoria Avenue, off Oldgate. The town stands right on what used to be the Great North Road, the old coaching route between London and Edinburgh.

Carlisle Park is located on the southern bank of the River Wansbeck in Morpeth. The park has the William Turner Garden, one of the only four floral clocks in England, a statue of Emily Wilding Davison, as well as other facilities and attractions. Morpeth's Mafeking Park, at the bottom of Station Bank, was unsuccessfully put forward by locals to be listed as the smallest park in the world in the Guinness Book of Records.

Other landmarks are:

• Morpeth Clock Tower, a free-standing 17th century clock tower
• Morpeth Town Hall, originally designed by Sir John Vanbrugh (rebuilt 1869)
• Collingwood House, the Georgian home of Admiral Lord Collingwood
• Morpeth Chantry, a 13th-century chapel that now houses the town's tourist information centre and the Morpeth Chantry Bagpipe Museum
• Morpeth Castle, which stands on a hill to the south, is now operated by the Landmark Trust as holiday accommodation
• A nuclear bunker located underneath Morpeth County Hall
• A gateway on High Stanners framed by a whale's jawbone
• Ruins of Newminster Abbey, a former Cistercian abbey about one mile to the west of Morpeth
• Morpeth Court, former courthouse and prison, now converted into apartments

Notable people

• Bill Rutherford (1955–), Professor and Chair in Biochemistry of Solar energy in the Department of Life sciences at Imperial College London.
• Lawrence William Adamson (1829–1911), High Sheriff of Northumberland, who died at Linden Hall near Morpeth in 1911
• Emerson Muschamp Bainbridge (1817–1892), founder of Bainbridge Department Store – the first such store in the world – in Newcastle upon Tyne, who, from 1877, lived near Morpeth at Eshott Hall
• Arthur Bigge, 1st Baron Stamfordham (1849–1931), born at Linden Hall, near Morpeth, who became private secretary to Queen Victoria and George V
• Robert Blakey (1795–1878), radical journalist and philosopher, born in Manchester Street, Morpeth
• Luke Clennell (1781–1840), engraver and painter, born in Morpeth
• Vice Admiral Cuthbert Collingwood (1748–1810), Royal Navy Admiral. He lived at Collingwood House in Oldgate and once said "Whenever I think how I am to be happy again, my thoughts carry me back to Morpeth".
• Emily Wilding Davison, a suffragette who was killed when she fell under the King's horse during the Epsom Derby in 1913. Following her funeral in London, her coffin was brought by train to Morpeth for burial in St Mary's churchyard.
• William Elliott, Baron Elliott of Morpeth (1920–2011), Conservative politician born in Morpeth
• John Cuthbert Hedley (1837–1913), Benedictine monk and Roman Catholic Bishop of Newport born at Carlisle House, Morpeth
• Charles Howard, 3rd Earl of Carlisle (1669–1738), MP for Morpeth in 1689–1692
• Robert Morrison (1782–1834), translator of the Bible into Chinese and first Protestant missionary in China, born in Buller's Green, Morpeth
• John Peacock (–1817), piper, born in Morpeth
• John Urpeth Rastrick (1780–1856), railway engineer, born in Morpeth
• William Turner (naturalist) (c. 1508 – 13 July 1568), an English divine and reformer, physician and natural historian. The William Turner Garden is situated in Carlisle Park, Morpeth.
• Dr N. T. Wright (born 1948), Anglican theologian and author, born in Morpeth

Sportspeople

• James (Jim) Alder (born 1940), athlete, who spent his childhood in Morpeth after being adopted by the Alder family
• Toby Flood (born 1985), rugby union player for Leicester Tigers and England, who attended Morpeth Chantry School
• Hamish Turnbull (born 1999), Cyclist representing British Cycling and Great Britain.
• Joe Robinson (1919–1991), footballer, born in Morpeth, who played for Blackpool in the 1948 FA Cup Final
• Walter Trevelyan (1821 – 1894), first-class cricketer and barrister, born in Morpeth

References

References

1. "Morpeth Parish".
2. "Morpeth Town Council Website".
3. "Morpeth Parish".
4. "Local History for Morpeth (Northumberland), Ref No N13457".
5. Gubbins, Bridget. "Juliana and Ranulph of Morpeth Castle".
6. Ekwall, Eilert. (1947). "The Concise Oxford Dictionary of English Place-Names". The Clarendon Press.
7. Mills, David. (2011). "A Dictionary of British Place Names". Oxford University Press.
8. Trevelyan, W. C.. (1844). "Observations in a Northern Journey, taken Hill. Vaccon. 1666, by John Stainsby, of Clement's Inn, Gent. From the original in Ashmole's MSS., Vol. 834, Art. 6.". The Society of Antiquaries of Newcastle.
9. "Cistercian Abbeys: NEWMINSTER". [[Sheffield University]].
10. (1741). "The English Baronetage Containing a Genealogical and Historical Account of All the English Baronets".
11. Henderson, Tony. (5 July 2016). "New book explores a young girl's journey to Morpeth and an arranged marriage". [[Chronicle Live]].
12. Vincent, Nicholas. (12 April 2021). "The Magna Carta Project".
13. "Gazetteer of Markets and Fairs in England and Wales to 1516".
14. Pohl, Benjamin. (2019-07-03). "An original charter of King John at Ushaw College, Co. Durham (Ushaw MS 66)". Northern History.
15. (2015). "Morpeth Markets".
16. Hall, Jane. (28 June 2017). "Why Morpeth's monthly farmers' market will be catering to those with a sweet tooth". Chronicle Live.
17. Daniel, Brian. (15 April 2008). "County town row grows". The Journal.
18. (1848). "A Topographical Dictionary of England". [[Samuel Lewis (publisher).
19. {{NHLE. (26 January 2000)
20. (4 November 2016). "Haw Hill (Morpeth)".
21. {{NHLE
22. (2 September 2012). "Crossing the Wansbeck". Morpeth Herald.
23. (21 July 2013). "Morpeth in the Middle Ages – and a Royal visitor calls". [[Morpeth Herald]].
24. McCabe, Stuart. (9 May 2016). "Queen Margaret Tudor: The Story of a Courageous but Forgotten Monarch". Mereo Books.
25. Weir, Alison. (25 February 2016). "The Lost Tudor Princess: A Life of Margaret Douglas, Countess of Lennox". [[Random House]].
26. {{NHLE
27. "Morpeth Castle: Restoration".
28. (1888). "12th Report & Appendix, Duke of Rutland". Historical Manuscripts Commission.
29. Fox-Davies, A. C.. (1915). "The Book of Public Arms". T.C. & E.C. Jack.
30. (1847). "The Parliamentary Gazetteer of England and Wales". A. Fullarton and Company.
31. (13 October 2015). "A hole lot of history about meeting place". Morpeth Herald.
32. "RAF Morpeth - Regiment History, War & Military Records & Archives".
33. (7 March 2002). "The flyers who never lived to see their homeland free again". Morpeth Herald.
34. Johnson, George Johnny. (4 June 2015). "The Last British Dambuster: One Man's Extraordinary Life and the Raid That Changed History". [[Random House]].
35. "Morpeth Northumbrian Gathering".
36. (25 April 2014). "A special gathering at Morpeth". [[Northumberland Gazette]].
37. Black, David. (13 April 2012). "Morpeth's Olympics links recalled at Northumbrian Gathering.". The Journal.
38. (20 April 2015). "Abundance of characters in Gathering pageant". Morpeth Herald.
39. (15 April 2017). "Morpeth is all set for a golden Gathering". Morpeth Herald.
40. (16 November 2017). "Barn dance to bring to an end golden year celebrations". Morpeth Herald.
41. "Northumberland Parish Map (Morpeth is 113)".
42. "Statistical Profiles and Census Fact Sheets: Northumberland Towns".
43. (5 May 2017). "Northumberland local elections results IN FULL - council held by Tories in 'straw draw' drama".
44. Muncaster, Michael. (18 January 2018). "The £17m vision for Northumberland County Hall is unveiled - which you'll be paying for". Chronicle Live.
45. (6 June 2018). "Cancelled Northumberland County Council HQ move cost £5.5m". [[Hexham Courant]].
46. (5 December 2007). "Green light for five flagship Unitary Councils". Northumberland County Council.
47. (25 July 2007). "District councils to be abolished". [[BBC News]].
48. {{Cite legislation UK. (2008)
49. (5 May 2017). "Local elections Results". Northumberland County Council.
50. "County councillor information". Northumberland County Council.
51. "Councillors". Morpeth Town Council.
52. "Northumberland County Election Results 2017". Northumberland County Council.
53. Graham, Hannah. "Northumberland County Council local election results 2021: How every candidate scored".
54. "UK Surface Data - Detailed List of Met Office surface stations".
55. "UK climate - Synoptic and climate stations". MET Office.
56. "Morpeth Climate". [[KNMI (institute).
57. "Météo climat stats #124; Moyennes 1991/2020 / Données Météorologiques Gratuites".
58. (23 October 2008). "Flooding (Morpeth)". [[Parliament of the United Kingdom]].
59. (8 September 2008). "Flood damage to cost 'tens of millions'". The Guardian.
60. (29 October 2012). "Heavy rainfall early September 2008". The MET Office.
61. (7 September 2008). "Morpeth a 'scene of devastation'". BBC News.
62. (26 September 2012). "Morpeth: Anger over second flood in four years". BBC News.
63. (6 January 2016). "Why did flood defences in Morpeth hold out while those in Corbridge failed?". Evening Chronicle.
64. (20 July 2017). "Work on £27m Morpeth flood defence scheme has been completed". Evening Chronicle.
65. (21 July 2017). "Final part of Morpeth's multi-million flood defences are complete". [[ITV News]].
66. (January 2015). "A1 Morpeth Bypass northeastern cutting slope failure, preventative maintenance". ICE Publishing.
67. (April 2017). "Morpeth North Bypass".
68. "Morpeth new St Leonard's Junction".
69. (31 October 2017). "Tracking the history of town's railway". Morpeth Herald.
70. (25 June 1984). "Railway Accident (Morpeth)".
71. (April 2009). "Rail freight assessment". Tyne and Wear Freight Partnership.
72. Morton, David. (14 August 2013). "Remember When: Battle to bring railway to Morpeth". Chronicle Live.
73. Henderson, Tony. (2 June 2010). "Wannie Line celebrated in exhibition at Bellingham". [[The Journal (Newcastle upon Tyne newspaper).
74. (14 April 2005). "Rail historian recalls the old Rothbury line". [[Northumberland Gazette]].
75. "Bus travel in Morpeth".
76. Kennedy, G.. (November 1951). "The Story of Morpeth Grammar School". The Old Boy's Association.
77. Kennedy, G.. (November 1951). "The Story of Morpeth Grammar School". The Old Boy's Association.
78. (22 November 2001). "Morpeth historian dies at 81". Morpeth Herald.
79. (6 October 2010). "Friends from the school yard to 50". Morpeth Herald.
80. Daniel, Brian. (13 January 2014). "Fears for safety of Morpeth schoolchildren as pupils cross busy road unaided". The Journal.
81. "St Robert's Roman Catholic Voluntary Aided First School".
82. (2009). "Morpeth: Northumberland Extensive Urban Survey". Northumberland County Council.
83. "The Parish Church of St Mary the Virgin". Parish of Morpeth in the Diocese of Newcastle.
84. Hodgson, J.. (1832). "A History of Northumberland: Part 2". Newcastle-upon-Tyne, Printed by T. & J. Pigg.
85. {{NHLE
86. (2009). "Morpeth: Northumberland Extensive Urban Survey". Northumberland County Council.
87. (20 June 1913). "Miss Davison's Funeral". Votes for Women.
88. (1988). "One-way Ticket to Epsom: Journalist's Enquiry into the Heroic Story of Emily Wilding Davison". Bridge Studios.
89. (16 June 1913). "Miss Davison's Funeral: Impressive London Procession". The Manchester Guardian.
90. "History of St James the Great".
91. Turrill, J.. (1844). "Events of the Month: Northumberland".
92. (1847). "Local Events of the Year 1846: October".
93. (2009). "Morpeth: Northumberland Extensive Urban Survey". Northumberland County Council.
94. (1846). "Anglo-Norman Church Built at Morpeth, Durham".
95. "The Architect: The Church of St James the Great".
96. (2004). "The Church of St. James the Great in the Parish of Morpeth". Morpeth Parochial Church Council.
97. "St Aidan's Church". Parish of Morpeth in the Diocese of Newcastle.
98. (13 March 2014). "Church plans a new 'beacon'". Morpeth Herald.
99. Coulson, Andrew. (30 January 2016). "Church revamp proves a big hit". Morpeth Herald.
100. (16 August 1850). "Local Intelligence - New Catholic Church of St Robert at Morpeth". North & South Shields Gazette and Northumberland and Durham Advertiser.
101. (2009). "Morpeth: Northumberland Extensive Urban Survey". Northumberland County Council.
102. {{NHLE
103. {{NHLE
104. {{NHLE
105. "Our history". St George's United Reformed Church Morpeth.
106. McParlin, Pete. (15 August 2011). "The Lambton Worm: The Definitive Guide to Angling in North East England". Amberley Publishing Limited.
107. "St. George's United Reformed Church, Morpeth". St. George's United Reformed Church, Morpeth.
108. (2009). "Morpeth: Northumberland Extensive Urban Survey". Northumberland County Council.
109. Calder, Sandy. (14 December 2017). "The Origins of Primitive Methodism". The English Historical Review.
110. "History of the Methodist Church in Morpeth.". Morpeth Methodist Church.
111. (28 December 2014). "Fascinating history of the brigade hall". Morpeth Herald.
112. (2009). "Morpeth: Northumberland Extensive Urban Survey". Northumberland County Council.
113. Gibson, Sean. (22 May 2016). "Morpeth Town's 45-year-old Chris Swailes becomes oldest scorer in a Wembley cup final, two years after 'being killed three times'". [[The Daily Telegraph.
114. (12 December 2013). "Morpeth juniors bags Land Rover Cup finals spot at Twickenham". [[Evening Chronicle]].
115. (27 April 2011). "Morpeth hoping to be lucky in the Longhirst Sevens". The Journal.
116. (13 October 2013). "Trophies for club's successful juniors". Morpeth Herald.
117. (24 May 2014). "Getting ladies on the greens". Morpeth Herald.
118. (2 January 2003). "Morpeth Harriers in top 50 list". Morpeth Herald.
119. Black, David. (16 July 2012). "Morpeth Harriers finally get their own synthetic track". The Journal.
120. "Morpeth Neighbourhood Plan". Northumberland County Council.
121. "Morpeth Neighbourhood Plan". Northumberland County Council.
122. Daniel, Brian. (19 November 2014). "Northumberland County Council unveils multi-million pound spending plans". The Journal.
123. "Morpeth come back to win FA Vase and crush Hereford's Wembley dream". The Guardian.
124. (16 June 2011). "When Morpeth had its very own Olympics". Morpeth Herald.
125. Henderson, Tony. (30 April 2011). "Sport event to recall Morpeth Olympic Games". The Journal.
126. (1 January 2012). "Ten interesting facts about Morpeth". [[Evening Chronicle]].
127. (4 November 2016). "Race Course (Morpeth)". Keys to the Past.
128. (18 August 2008). "Morpeth hospital's fascinating history". Morpeth Herald.
129. "Longest Running Road Races". [[Association of Road Racing Statisticians]].
130. "Morpeth to Newcastle Half Marathon". [[Association of Road Racing Statisticians]].
131. (1 May 2004). "Full Freeview on the Pontop Pike (County Durham, England) transmitter".
132. (1 May 2004). "Freeview Light on the Morpeth (Northumberland, England) transmitter".
133. "Koast Radio".
134. (8 June 2014). "Morpeth Herald".
135. (2009). "Morpeth: Northumberland Extensive Urban Survey". Northumberland County Council.
136. Harper, Charles George. (1901). "The Great North Road: The Old Mail Road to Scotland".
137. (24 June 2018). "Launch event to mark reinstated floral clock in park". Morpeth Herald.
138. Graham, Hannah. (11 September 2018). "The story behind the new statue of Morpeth's suffragette hero". Chronicle Live.
139. Coltman, Jane. (11 November 2018). "GALLERY: New statue honours Morpeth heroine". [[Northumberland Gazette]].
140. "Northumberland County Council: Parks & Gardens".
141. Duke, Simon. (24 June 2018). "When is Morpeth paddling pool open? Outdoor visitor spot set to be popular this summer". [[Chronicle Live]].
142. (14 October 2018). "Refurbished courts are looking ace". Morpeth Herald.
143. "Park Mafeking South Africa 1899-1902 Station Bank: Memorial Details".
144. "All Saints Chantry (Morpeth)".
145. "Morpeth Castle".
146. (3 April 2013). "Some triumphant and tragic tales of the sea". Morpeth Herald.
147. (2009). "Morpeth: Northumberland Extensive Urban Survey". Northumberland County Council.
148. {{NHLE
149. {{NHLE
150. Rogerson, Kristina Robyn. (May 1990). "Longhorsley, Past and Present".
151. {{subscription required Anne Pimlott Baker, [http://www.oxforddnb.com/view/article/56163 Bainbridge, Emerson Muschamp (1817–1892)] in the ''[[Oxford Dictionary of National Biography]]'' (Oxford University Press, 2004), accessed 24 April 2008.
152. {{subscription required William M. Kuhn, [http://www.oxforddnb.com/view/article/31883 Bigge, Arthur John, Baron Stamfordham (1849–1931)] in the ''Oxford Dictionary of National Biography'' (Oxford University Press, 2004; online edition, Jan 2008), accessed 24 April 2008.
153. Hawkins, Roger. "Blakey, Robert (1795–1878)".
154. Hawkins, Roger. (24 June 2017). "Tale of a talented and keen artist ends in tragedy". Morpeth Herald.
155. Jackson, Chris (host). (28 February 2005). "BBC Inside Out North East: Collingwood - Forgotten Hero".
156. (29 December 2004). "Salute to Morpeth hero". Morpeth Herald.
157. Thorpe, Vanessa. (26 May 2013). "Truth behind the death of suffragette Emily Davison is finally revealed". The Guardian.
158. (26 May 2011). "A kind and courteous man". Morpeth Herald.
159. {{subscription required Alban Hood, [http://www.oxforddnb.com/view/article/48462 Hedley, John Cuthbert (1837–1915)] in the ''Oxford Dictionary of National Biography'' (Oxford University Press, 2004), accessed 24 April 2008.
160. Duncan, Andrew I. M.. (1981). "A Study of the Life and Public Career of Frederick Howard, Fifth Earl of Carlisle, 1748-1825". [[University College, Oxford]].
161. {{subscription required R. K. Douglas (revised Robert Bickers), [http://www.oxforddnb.com/view/article/19330 Morrison, Robert (1782–1834)] in the ''Oxford Dictionary of National Biography'' (Oxford University Press, 2004; May 2007 online edition), accessed 23 April 2008.
162. Pendlebury, Celia. (February 2015). "Jigs, Reels and Hornpipes: A History of "Traditional" Dance Tunes of Britain and Ireland". Department of Music, [[University of Sheffield]].
163. (1991). "Northumbrian Piper's Society Magazine". Northumbrian Piper's Society.
164. {{subscription required G. C. Boase (revised M. W. Kirby), [http://www.oxforddnb.com/view/article/23153 Rastrick, John Urpeth (1780–1856)] in the ''Oxford Dictionary of National Biography'' (Oxford University Press, 2004; Jan 2008 online edition), accessed 23 April 2008.
165. {{subscription required Whitney R. D. Jones, [http://www.oxforddnb.com/view/article/27874 Turner, William (1509/10–1568)] in the ''Oxford Dictionary of National Biography'' (Oxford University Press, 2004; Jan 2008 online edition), accessed 23 April 2008.
166. Smith, Anna. (13 April 2015). "Friendship for a famous son to raise funds and awareness". Morpeth Herald.
167. (26 April 2008). "Happy birthday to the 'father of botany'". [[Evening Chronicle]].
168. (12 February 2003). "Our friend from the North". [[Northern Echo]].
169. (28 April 2010). "Bishop of Durham Dr Tom Wright to retire". The Journal.
170. (16 February 2014). "The Sunday Post's Hon Man gave Scots marathon hero his family back". [[The Sunday Post]].
171. Turnball, Simon. (11 October 1998). "Athletics: Morpeth's man of steel". [[The Independent]].
172. "Toby Flood England profile". RFU.com.
173. (15 January 2010). "FA Cup medal stolen from Blackpool player's family". BBC News.
174. "Soccerbase: Joe Robinson".
175. Welch, Reginald Courtenay. (1957). "The Harrow School Register, 1801-1893". Longmans, Green.