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Matfen
Matfen is a village and a civil parish in Northumberland, England, near the towns of Hexham and Newcastle upon Tyne. It is an example of a 19th-century planned estate village. It was the birthplace of a Premier of British Columbia, William Smithe.
History
Matfen is just a few miles north of Hadrian's Wall, and about half way between the two there is a prehistoric standing stone called Stob Stone, adjacent to Standing Stone Farmhouse. The stone is about seven feet high and decorated with cup marks.
The place-name 'Matfen' is first attested in the Pipe Rolls for 1159, where it appears as Matefen. The name means 'Matta's fen'.
Landmarks
Matfen Hall is operated as a hotel and country club. The Grade II* listed building was built c.1828 by Sir Edward Blackett to replace an earlier 17th Century house.
The Devil's Causeway passes the village less than to the west. The causeway is a Roman road which starts at Port Gate on Hadrian's Wall, north of Corbridge, and extends northwards across Northumberland to the mouth of the River Tweed at Berwick-upon-Tweed.
Notable people
- Thomas Bates (1775–1849), eminent stockbreeder, born in Matfen.
- William Smithe (1842–1887), 7th premier of British Columbia, born in Matfen.
- Lorna Hill (1902–1991), prolific writer for children, wife of the rector of Matfen.
from Geograph (geograph)
Footbridge over watercourse, Matfen Village Green
Pinned by Simon Cotterill
Co-Curate Page
Historic Buildings and Monuments in Maften Civil Parish
- Listed buildings and scheduled monuments in Maften Civil Parish, Northumberland, from the National Heritage List for England[1]. Use the Search (below) if looking for a specific building / monument. Structure …
from Geograph (geograph)
Footbridge over watercourse, Matfen Village Green
Pinned by Simon Cotterill
