Wingates

Wingates is a small village in Northumberland, located about 3 miles west of Longhorsley and 2 miles north-east of Nunnykirk. The village and surrounding farms were once part of a larger township and estate. Chirm Well, located just outside the village was a medicinal spa which attracted many visitors in the late 18th century. It was restored in 1864, but later the spring dried up as a consequence of local mining. The village hall was built in 1915 by the estate owner, JH Straker, to commemorate the 21st birthday of his daughter, Edith Helen Straker. Many of the houses in Windgates were originally built for the estate workers. When the estate was broken up in 1959, the estate houses and farms were offered for sale to their respective tenants. Rev. Robert Morrison, the distinguished missionary and oriental scholar, was born at Wingates on the 5th of January 1782.