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Akeld is a village and civil parish in Northumberland, England. It is situated around to the west of Wooler and from the border with Scotland at Coldstream. The village lies on the northern limit of Northumberland National Park and on the foot of the Cheviot Hills massif. It is overlooked by Akeld Hill and Harehope Hill to the south. In 2001 Akeld had a population of 82, increasing at the 2011 Census to 221, although this was partly due to the parish merging with that of Kirknewton. The burn which runs through the village and down to the Milfield Basin also bears the name Akeld. The economy of Akeld has historically been focussed on agriculture. The position of the village between the English and Scottish borders has meant it often suffered at the hand of border raids. In the 19th century, Akeld was served by a railway station which made the village less isolated. The closure of the railway in the 20th century, combined with declining agricultural employment, has led to a reduction in the village's size and population.


Etymology

The name "Akeld" may derive from the Old West Scandinavian ''kelda'', meaning well or spring. There is not much evidence for Scandinavian settlement in Northumberland, so Akeld would represent one of only a few examples of place-names in this area with Scandinavian origin. Alternatively, the name may derive from the
Old English Old English (, ), or Anglo-Saxon, is the earliest recorded form of the English language, spoken in England and southern and eastern Scotland in the early Middle Ages. It was brought to Great Britain by Anglo-Saxon settlement of Britain, Anglo ...
''achelda'' (''ā + helde'') meaning "oak-tree slope". The spelling of Akeld has changed over time, being recorded as ''Achelda'' (1169), ''Hakedla'' (1176), ''Akekeld'' (1246), ''Akil'' (1255), ''Ak''(''h'')''ille'' (1320), ''Akyld'' (1428), ''Akell'' (1694), and ''Yakeld'' (1733).


History


Origins of the settlement

The earliest evidence of human occupation in Akeld dates back to the Mesolithic period in the form of a microlith – a small flint tool – discovered in the north of the parish. The slopes of the Cheviots to the south of Akeld would have been wooded during the Mesolithic period, so would have likely been used by hunting or foraging parties.AN, 2004: 25 A Neolithic henge was discovered on flat land to the north of the River Glen and is probably part of a larger collection of monuments found in the Milfield Basin. The Milfield Basin was likely at least semi-permanently settled by the end of the Neolithic era. The purpose of the monuments within is unclear, but they may have been religious in nature.AN, 2004: 25 Evidence of Bronze Age and Iron Age habitation can be found in the Cheviot uplands to the south of the village, where there are many upstanding monuments constructed from local rocks. A prehistoric settlement, typical of the north Cheviots area, has been discovered at Houseledge East to the south of the village. The surviving remains consist of three early houses marked by circles of stone. A similar Early Bronze Age site was discovered at Houseledge West, consisting of over 12 house circles. Artefacts were also found at the site, which included Early Bronze Age pottery and a flint knife. Burial sites, including a
cairn A cairn is a man-made pile (or stack) of stones raised for a purpose, usually as a marker or as a burial mound. The word ''cairn'' comes from the gd, càrn (plural ). Cairns have been and are used for a broad variety of purposes. In prehis ...
in Black Law and a site near to Battle Stone, have been discovered in the area. Iron Age hillforts close to Akeld include those on
Humbleton Hill Humbleton Hill is a hill in Northumberland, England, about west of Wooler. It is the location of the Battle of Homildon Hill of 1402, between English and Scottish armies. There is an archaeological site on the summit, with remains of an enclosed ...
and Monday Cleugh, to the south of the village centre. A
promontory fort A promontory fort is a defensive structure located above a steep cliff, often only connected to the mainland by a small neck of land, thus using the topography to reduce the ramparts needed. Although their dating is problematic, most seem to da ...
at Glead's Cleugh, to the south-west of the village centre, was likely to have been in existence by the mid-first millennium BC. It stands in a defensive position overlooking Akeld Burn and is protected by double ramparts. The remains of stone huts at both Harehope Hill and Glead's Cleugh may indicate human habitation, but it is also possible that such buildings may have been used as animal enclosures, market places, trading stations, or community focal points. Not much is known about the early Medieval history of Akeld. However, 2 miles west of Akeld in Yeavering is the renowned site of ''Ad Grefin'', the Anglican palace complex. This was described in Bede's '' Ecclesiastical History of the English People'' as the centre of Bishop Paulinus of Antioch's mission to Bernicia. The complex was a major royal centre in both Bernicia and later Northumbria. During the early Medieval period, the parish of Akeld included the now deserted villages of Ewart and Humbleton. Akeld went through a troubled period during the later Medieval and Tudor periods. Glendale was particularly exposed to raids from the clans of Teviotdale, and it was also an invasion route for lrager Scottish forces. A
bastle Bastel, bastle, or bastille houses are a type of construction found along the Anglo-Scottish border, in the areas formerly plagued by border reivers. They are fortified farmhouses, characterised by security measures against raids. Their name ...
– a fortified farmhouse common on the Anglo-Scottish border – was built in 1522 in Akeld which held a garrison of 10 men. Two significant battles occurred near Akeld in the 15th century: the
Battle of Homildon Hill The Battle of Holmedon Hill or Battle of Homildon Hill was a conflict between English and Scottish armies on 14 September 1402 in Northumberland, England. The battle was recounted in Shakespeare's '' Henry IV, part 1''. Although Humbleton Hi ...
in 1420 and the Battle of Geteryne in 1415. In 1580, Akeld was wasted by the Scots, but 16 tenants still remained in the village.


Land-ownership history

Akeld was one of the constituent manors of the Barony of Wooler.AN, 2004: 31 In the 13th century, the township of Akeld was held by Robert Muschamp, Baron of Wooler. It was
subinfeudated In English law, subinfeudation is the practice by which tenants, holding land under the king or other superior lord, carved out new and distinct tenures in their turn by sub-letting or alienating a part of their lands. The tenants were termed m ...
to William of Akeld, and after Muschamp's death in 1250 his estate was divided to his granddaughters – the daughters of the Earl of Strathearn. By 1443, the township was no longer held in chivalry but by the manor of Wooler by socage. By 1480, the manor had been acquired by the Greys of Chillingham. Ownership of three quarters of the manor under the Greys continued into the 16th and 17th centuries. The township was recorded in 1541 as "of th'inherytaunce of ... Mr Graye of Chyllyngham." In 1663, Lord Grey was recorded as the only landowner in Akeld township. In 1733, three quarters of the manor of Akeld was offered for sale and was bought by Samuel Kettilby of Berwick for £4,200. It was sold again by his son in 1767 to George Sparrow, whose grandson sold the property to Matthew Culley, lord of Denton. The descendants of Culley held the property into the 20th century. The other quarter of Akeld manor had a separate history. The first holder was probably Thomas Haggerston, first mentioned in 1291. By the mid-15th century, the property was held by Robert Houpyn. It is likely that the Wallis family held the property during the 16th and 17th centuries. In 1713, Ralph Wallis of Knarsdale sold his property in the township for £1,250 to the Ogle family of Newcastle upon Tyne. The fields of the property had not been enclosed which caused trouble involving trespassing and diminished crops. Sir Chaloner Ogle and Samuel Kettilby (owner of the other three quarters of the manor) came to an agreement to resolve these issues. In 1830, the whole of the manor came into the hands of Matthew Culley.


Religious history

There appears to have been a chapel in Akeld by the first half of the 13th century. Robert of Akeld has responsible for keeping the chapel in repair and providing all necessary books and vestments in return for 10 shillings provided by the canons of Kirkham. By 1389, the chapel has fallen into disuse. The site of the chapel cannot be exactly located, but in 1737, Mr. Kettilby – the owner of three quarters of the manor – wrote a letter which referred to "about 54 acres of land called churchland" situated with the other quarter of the manor. In 1828, Archdeacon Singleton wrote about an old graveyard and noted that "there is a tradition of a parochial chapelyard at Akeld, but it seems now to be alienated, and I was told the high road to Wooler passed through it." The chapel may have been dedicated to the Virgin Mary due to the proximity of the 'Lady's Close' and 'Lady's Well'. Furthermore, during the ownership of Robert of Akeld, the canons of Kirkham obliged him and his heirs to attend the church on all the festivals of Our Lady. The location of the chapel is estimated to be roughly where the modern Akeld-Kirknewton road lies. Today, the nearest churches to Akeld are the Church of St Gregory the Great in Kirknewton, Milfield Methodist Church, and St Ninian's Catholic Church, the Evangelical Church, United Reform Church, and Cheviot Benefice churches in Wooler.


Economic history

The economy of Akeld has largely been focussed on agriculture throughout its history. The post-Medieval period saw a growth in agriculture in the area. Stone farmhouses, including Akeld Steads Farmhouse, were constructed at this time. In the 18th-19th centuries, Matthew and George Culley are well known for having improved Northumbrian agricultural practices. In Akeld, this likely led to the increase in yield of turnips, recorded in 1910. There is also evidence of watermills in the village from the 18th and 19th centuries. The population of Akeld township grew in the first half of the 19th century, from 153 in 1801 to 186 in 1851. One reason for the increase in population may have been due to the female workers, or bondagers, who were employed to work in the agricultural estates of Scotland and north Northumberland. The population of Akeld declined in the second half of the 19th century down to only 136 residents in 1901. This reduction may be due to a prolonged agricultural depression in the late 19th century and the cessation of the Bondage System. Throughout the 20th century, fewer people became employed in agricultural practices due to increased mechanisation and the decline in farming incomes. The size of individual farm tenancies increased, which led to many farm complexes becoming redundant. Akeld itself was made a redundant as a farming complex. Domestic service industries, which also employed many people in north Northumberland in the early 20th century, declined by the second half of the century. The closure of the railway line through Glendale also had a negative impact on the population of the area. Akled diminished in size as a village, and by the 21st century it was largely populated by retirees and commuters.


Demography

At the time of the
2011 UK Census A census of the population of the United Kingdom is taken every ten years. The 2011 census was held in all countries of the UK on 27 March 2011. It was the first UK census which could be completed online via the Internet. The Office for National ...
, Akeld Parish had 221 usual residents. 15.4% of residents were aged 0–19, and 28.6% were aged 65+. 99.5% of residents identified as white. The majority of residents (67.9%) were
Christian Christians () are people who follow or adhere to Christianity, a monotheistic Abrahamic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus Christ. The words ''Christ'' and ''Christian'' derive from the Koine Greek title ''Christós'' (Χρι ...
, with the remaining population having either "no religion" or no religion stated. 60% of residents were economically active with agriculture, forestry and fishing being the most common industry.


Governance

Throughout its history, Akeld has been incorporated into various territorial units. In the 19th century, the township of Akeld was one of 15 townships incorporated in the parish of Kirknewton. At , Kirknewtown covered the majority of the north Cheviots. Today, Akeld is a civil parish which comprises the former township of Humbledon and part of the Northumberland National Park. Akeld is in the parliamentary constituency of Berwick-upon-Tweed with Anne-Marie Trevelyan ( Conservative) as local MP. In the
2019 UK election The 2019 United Kingdom general election was held on Thursday, 12 December 2019. It resulted in the Conservative Party receiving a landslide majority of 80 seats. The Conservatives made a net gain of 48 seats and won 43.6% of the popular vote ...
, the seat was won with a majority of 14,835 votes. Prior to the
2015 UK General election The 2015 United Kingdom general election was held on Thursday, 7 May 2015 to elect 650 members to the House of Commons. It was the first and only general election held at the end of a Parliament under the Fixed-term Parliaments Act 2011. Local ...
, the seat was held by Alan Beith ( Liberal Democrats). In local government, Akeld is in the Wooler Ward and represented by Northumberland County Councillor Mark George Mather (Conservative).


Landmarks

Akeld consists of two main settlements – one centred on Akeld Manor in the village centre, and another near the former train station at Low Akeld to the north. Akeld and the surrounding area contain a number of listed structures and monuments.


Akeld Manor

Akeld Manor is a
Grade II listed In the United Kingdom, a listed building or listed structure is one that has been placed on one of the four statutory lists maintained by Historic England in England, Historic Environment Scotland in Scotland, in Wales, and the Northern Irel ...
18th or early 19th century six-bay farmhouse located in the village centre. It is rendered with
ashlar Ashlar () is finely dressed (cut, worked) stone, either an individual stone that has been worked until squared, or a structure built from such stones. Ashlar is the finest stone masonry unit, generally rectangular cuboid, mentioned by Vitruv ...
dressings and has a roof made of Scottish slate. Attached to the north of the Manor is a cottage, carriage house and gateway which are all also Grade II listed. The cottage was built in the late 18th century. Like the Manor, it also has ashlar dressings, but has a Lakeland slate roof. The carriage house is attached to the cottage on the left and the gateway is attached on the right. to the west of Akeld Manor are a range of farmbuildings. Two of these date from the late 18th and early 19th centuries. There is also an older section of cottages and four stables.


Akeld Bastle

Akeld Bastle is a Grade II listed building located to the south of Akeld Manor. It was built in the early 16th century.Pevsner & Richmond, 1992: 125 The earliest written reference to the bastle is from 1522 when
Lord Dacre Baron Dacre is a title that has been created three times in the Peerage of England, every time by Hereditary peer#Writs of summons, writ. History The first creation came in 1321 when Ralph Dacre, 1st Baron Dacre, Ralph Dacre was Hereditary peer# ...
proposed to station 10 men there for the defence of the Anglo-Scottish border. Dacre used the term "tower" to describe the building, but Bowes and Ellerker described it in their 1541 survey as "a lytle fortelett or bastle house without a barmekyn". The bastle was most likely in possession of the Wallis family throughout the 16th and 17th centuries as part of their portion of the manor. The structure was in a state of decay by the late 18th century, and the first floor was probably rebuilt in the early 19th century. The design of the bastle is not a common for those built in the county but is similar to a small group near the River Tweed. It is longer than most bastles at around . Akeld Bastle is now used as an animal shelter.


Railway station

The railway station in Akeld was designed by William Bell. The station was one of his line-style stations on the former Alnwick–Cornhill railway which opened in 1887. The constituent buildings consist of station offices, a goods shed, a weigh cabin house, and cottages. All are built out of red sandstone. All of the buildings on the line are renowned for their quality. The reason for such grand architecture for buildings on a relatively quiet railway line is possibly due to North Eastern Railway wanting to secure territory from their rival,
North British Railway The North British Railway was a British railway company, based in Edinburgh, Scotland. It was established in 1844, with the intention of linking with English railways at Berwick. The line opened in 1846, and from the outset the company followe ...
. The buildings were built to the same basic design with variations in size. Akeld station was one of the largest stations on the line, with only Wooler station being bigger. The Alnwick–Cornhill line continued in use until the slump in post- World War I passenger services, which in turn led to the closure of Akeld station in 1930. Akeld became an active train station again during World War II when it was used on the line towards a new Royal Air Force base in Millfield. Serious storm damage to the line between 1948 and 1949 led to the closure of the line again. The station subsequently became a holiday destination until the 1960s with carriages and waiting rooms rented out as self-catering accommodation. Akeld station has now been converted into a residential property.


Transport

The centre of Akeld village is located on the junction between the A697, which runs from Morpeth to Scotland, and the B6351, running east–west from Akeld to Kilham. A further road leads south-west from the village centre following the path of Akeld Burn. The village is served by the bus operators Glen Valley Tours and
Borders Buses Borders Buses operates both local and regional bus services in the City of Edinburgh, East Lothian, Midlothian and Scottish Borders, Scotland, as well as Cumbria and Northumberland, England. It is a subsidiary of West Coast Motors. History T ...
. There are two opposite bus stops in the village centre. The nearest train station is Berwick-upon-Tweed railway, around away. From 1887 to 1930 the village was served by
Akeld railway station Akeld was a stone built railway station serving the hamlet of Akeld in Northumberland, England. It was on the Alnwick to Cornhill Branch which ran from Alnwick to Cornhill Junction on the Kelso line near Coldstream. History Authorised in 188 ...
on the North Eastern Railway branch line, designed to serve north and central Northumberland.AN, 2004: 39 During this time the village became less isolated.


References


Citations


Bibliography

Where an abbreviation is used in the references this is indicated below in (brackets) at the end of the source name. When a source is available online, a link has been included. * * (AN) *


External links

{{authority control Villages in Northumberland Civil parishes in Northumberland