England & Wales Hardwicke Marriage Index
Marriages 1754 - 1837
Hexham St Andrew

The Parish

The parish of Hexham lies in southwestern Northumberland, indeed it forms part of the border with neighbouring County Durham. Hexham is a large market town and one of the major centres of population of the Upper Tyne valley. Hexham sits on a bluff overlooking the River Tyne which runs to its north. It sits at a significant crossing point over the Tyne where a bridge carries the A695 road, which has followed the southern side of the valley from Gateshead, across to join the A69 road which leads from Carlisle to Newcastle upon Tyne and closely follows the line of Hadrian's Wall. Hexham's origins probably date back to Roman times, it probably served as a rest & recuperation centre behind the immediate boundary line of The Wall. It grew steadily to become the market town for the area supporting a hinterland which is dominated by pastoral farming and, nowadays, forestry. At Hexham's heart grew up the Abbey of St Andrew (the Abbey church becoming in time the parish church), which held most of the land and economic activity in the area. The River Tyne, which skirts the town to its north, is headed eastwards through Newcastle upon Tyne to the North Sea. Hexham is sited some 20 metres above the river at about 50 metres above sea level but lands rises to the west into the Pennine range where local heights top 40 metres on Hexhamshire Common. Hexham parish, typically of an upland parish in northern England was extensive, at over 4,600 acres (much was termed waste) it would have supported almost 6,000 parishioners. The parish also included within it the chapelry of Whitley which carries its own page in this project. There is no mention of Hexham in Domesday book, the Normans failing to colonise this area of northern England.

The Church

The Abbey church of St Andrew dominates the heart of Hexham, its eastern end looming over Hexham's market place. A church has occupied this site since the 7th century although nothing of that building remains above ground - the crypt does remain and is largely intact. The main church building has a cruciform structure with a central crossing tower. Other than the crypt the chancel (excluding it eastern end), the tower and transepts are the earliest portions remaining. These structures are datable to 12th and 13th centuries as is the southern wall of the nave and the cloisters. The northern wall and eastern end were renewed by the Victorians and there work has a mixed impact on Pevsner, he describes the east front as "disappointing". The church stands in an open site and is open to the pavements surrounding it. Given its immense size and urban setting it is tricky to get adequate views to photograph the structure well.