Ninebanks is a small village in south west

Northumberland Northumberland () is a county in Northern England, one of two counties in England which border with Scotland. Notable landmarks in the county include Alnwick Castle, Bamburgh Castle, Hadrian's Wall and Hexham Abbey. It is bordered by land on ...

, England in the

North Pennines The North Pennines is the northernmost section of the Pennine range of hills which runs north–south through northern England. It lies between Carlisle to the west and Darlington to the east. It is bounded to the north by the Tyne Valley and ...

Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty north-east of Alston by road. It is noted for the early sixteenth century Ninebanks Tower, sometimes described as a

pele tower Peel towers (also spelt pele) are small fortified keeps or tower houses, built along the English and Scottish borders in the Scottish Marches and North of England, mainly between the mid-14th century and about 1600. They were free-standing ...

, but possibly built as a watchtower. It is made of sandstone and has four floors, the lowest of which is now below the level of the road. There is an independently run Ninebanks Youth Hostel, which is actually in nearby Mohope.

Religious sites

The first St Mark's Church on the present site in Ninebanks was consecrated in 1764. The church was rebuilt in 1871. Windows were given by Mr R Lee in 1880.West Allen Story: Ninebanks and Carrshield by Rev A F Donnelly (1964) Ninebanks gravestone detail

Notable people

Isaac Holden, was born at Redheugh, Mohope around 1804 and baptised nearby at St Mark's Church, Ninebanks in 1805. He was a local philanthropist and a

Methodist Methodism, also called the Methodist movement, is a group of historically related denominations of Protestant Christianity whose origins, doctrine and practice derive from the life and teachings of John Wesley. George Whitefield and John's b ...

. His working life began in the lead mines of Mohope and the West Allen, later on he became an itinerant tea seller around the North Pennines. It was a livelihood he combined with community fund raising by selling poems, tracts and even his own portrait. Evidence of his contribution to community life can be seen in the old hearse house at Ninebanks. This was built to keep the "Holden hearse", which he presented to the people of the West Allen valley in 1856. It was his final act of generosity, as he died the following year. The stone-built hearse house can still be seen past St Mark's Church and the old school at Ninebanks and on the same side of the road to Carrshield. There is also a commemorative memorial to Isaac Holden in St Cuthbert's churchyard in Allendale. The Isaac's Tea Trail is a circular walk named after him
Isaac's Tea Trail
This passes near the hamlet of Ninebanks.

References

External links

(accessed: 26 November 2008) Villages in Northumberland {{Northumberland-geo-stub