Dinnington Civil Parish

Dinnington (village)

There are also a number of hamlets and farms in the parish, including Brenkley, North Farm, Gardener's House Farm, and along the Old Great North Road are South Shotton Edge and Seven Mile House.

2,361  (2021 Census)

1,636  (2011 Census)

1,710  (2001 Census)

Historical

Dinnington Township

Townships became civil parishes in their own right in 1866 (see below).

Dinnington Parish  (St Matthew)

The parish covered a wider geographical area compared to todays civil parish of Dinnington and was comprised of the townships of Dinnington, Mason, Brenkley; Horton-Grange, Woolsington, the eastern moiety of Prestwick.

The Parish of Dinnington was created in 1834 from parts of the parish of Ponteland.

Ancient parishes refer to the parishes before the split between ecclesiastical (church) and civil parishes in the 19th century. They had a parish church and often were composed of multiple townships and chapelries. In many cases, townships and parishes were originally based on the territory of manors from the feudal system during medieval times. Civil parishes were created following the Poor Law Amendment Act 1866, in which Church of England parishes, extra-parochial areas, townships and chapelries, became "civil parishes" which could set their own poor rate (tax). Then the reforms of Local Government Act 1894 established elected civil parish councils (or parish meetings for parishes with less than 300 residents) and created urban and rural districts. Boundaries of parishes and civil parishes may have changed over time.

Castle (ward)

Castle Ward Poor Law Union, formed in 1836.

Castle Ward Poor Law Union Workhouse intitally used an existing workhouse at Heddon-on-the-Wall; Heddon Square, built in 1796, which had been previously used to house mine workers and Huguenot refugees (French Protestants who fled from the French Catholic government in the 17th century). A new and larger workhouse, designed by John and Benjamin Green, was built in Ponteland in 1848, which could house 120 inmates. This was later extended.

Under the Poor Law Amendment Act of 1834 parishes were grouped into Unions, each of which had to build a workhouse if they did not already have one. It ended the old system of locally provided poor relief which had come under strain as numbers out of work grew, following increasing mechanisation of agriculture and the economic downturn after the Napoleonic Wars, along with changing social attitudes. The workhouse provided those unable to support themselves financially with accommodation and work. Inmates were generally segregated into men, women, boys and girls. 

The workhouse system was abolished by the Local Government Act 1929, but many workhouses lived on as ‘Public Assistance Institutions’ until the National Assistance Act 1948.

Northumberland, until 1974, then:

Tyne & Wear, which was created on the 1st of April 1974, following the Local Government Act 1972.

Tyne and Wear County Council (1974 - 1986), based at Sandyford House.

The council was abolished in 1986 along with the other metropolitan county councils in England by the Local Government Act 1985. However, it remains a ceremonilal county.

District Council:

Newcastle City (metropolitan borough)

Since 1986 Newcastle City Council has functioned as a unitary authority (responsible for both district and county-level functions).

Major Boundary Change

On 1st April 1955 changes to Dinnington Civil Parish boundaries included:

• Enlarged by the abolition of Brenkley Civil Parish 
• Enlarged by the abolition of Mason Civil Parish
• Enlarged by the abolition of Horton Grange Civil Parish
• Reduced by the creation of Hazelrigg Civil Parish
• Reduced by the creation of Brunswick Civil Parish

Note: the southern part of Horton Grange CP was transferred to Dinnington CP. The northern part, including the hamlet of Horton Grange was transferrd to Stannington CP.[1]