The 'nail.'

[Alan Edgar (Eggy1948)]

Maggie & Canny Lass - posted today on the Sixtownships History Group site were 2 old pictures of the Market Place Cross. With the permission of the originators of the posts here are the photos, side by side. You can see the church tower + clock in both photos but the phoot on the right shows no buildings to the right of the cross.

Is the one on the right, genuine, and the oldest you have seen?

 

[Maggie/915]

I believe they moved the nail at some stage.

New mortar and no buildings maybe a clue.

[Canny lass]

I Believe it's been moved twice. I Think it originally stood somewhere around the site of the war memorial where, I Believe, the old market was . The market cross was moved to the (?new) market Place but not in it's present position. It stood further down towards where tesco's is now and stood outside of what was once the post office. I can vaguely remember it here. I Think the Picture to the right show's this move taking Place. Look at the ground around it. They seem to be bedding it down in Earth/gravel or something of that nature. Looking further down the road the Surface doesn't seem to be tarmac.

 

I can't see the Church Tower in the lefthand Picture.This is the market cross in it's present position.

[John Fox (foxy)]

Canny Lass,

                      I've had a scratch around my old pics of the Nail,  I have eight or nine different ones dating back to the turn of the century and they all show it to be in the same place as it is now.  

[Vic Patterson]

In the book "The people's history Bedlingtonshire remembered†by Evan Martin it states "According to the Swan family (formerly Hirst Head Farm) papers, the Market Cross was erected on its present site in 1782.â€
In another book by Evan Martin "The Archive Photographs series Bedligtonshire†there is a photograph from 1906 titled "Sunday Best†of six miners posing on a Sunday morning in their Sunday best.
On that photograph the ground is disturbed and the paving stones are identical to the picture on the right posted above by Eggy!

[mercuryg]

This is a subject that has always puzzled me, as many people have told me it has been moved. I have a number of postcards from across the years - back to the late 19th century - that show it in the same place as it is now. Perhaps it was moved prior to then, but if so, why? It's certainly an interesting construction. Maybe it's evidence of Ancient Aliens. Yes, that's the obvious conclusion.

[keith lockey]

No, no, no, Merc'. It was ancient Egyptians who visited Bedlington, (Or maybe one of the wandering tribes of Egypt) Look, here is the evidence...uncanny.

 

[mercuryg]

But Keith, you miss the point (pun intended): http://www.outerworlds.com/likeness/aliens/aliens.html

[Canny lass]

Well I'm not that old Foxy! But I've vague recollections of playing on it outside the post office and I thought that the po was further down. However, if you look at the placement of the stones, especially the base and the lower third of the obelisk you can see that it's been rebuilt as they are not laid in the same pattern, which suggests that it's been taken down and rebuilt.

[Vic Patterson]

In 1938 it was in very poor condition and needed extensive repairs, I have a photo but I cannot get it to post!

[Vic Patterson]

In 1938 it was in very poor condition and needed extensive repairs, I have a photo but I cannot get it to post!

[John Fox (foxy)]

Well I'm not that old Foxy! But I've vague recollections of playing on it outside the post office and I thought that the po was further down.

 

 

[Canny lass]

That must be me in the White pinny, Foxy. My Destiny was being outlined even then! Seriously, don't you Think the market cross is much nearer the Buildings on the left of the Picture than it is today? I' taken a copy of this Picture because somewhere or other I've one of those William Ward postcards with a Picture of the cross taken from this same angle. It'll be interesting to see if there are any deatails to be compared. I have Another recollection of seeing the market cross covered in White painted numbers, one number on every stone. That would be in my early childhood. They usually do this when they are about to take an antiquity to pieces so that it can be reassembled in the same way. Anybody else have any such memory?

Keith 1? You used to live very near to it as a child.

[Vic Patterson]

I still cannot post a photo but did manage to put it on my profile picture

[Canny lass]

It's changed a bit! The plinth's not quite so high now.

[Symptoms]

Looking at various historical maps and applying a bit of basic trigonometry on each of them, it would appear to be in the same place.  The variation in the road grading over time would account for the change in the plinth height.  Even comparing those juxtaposed photos the cross appears to be in the same place ... curve of road, chimney and gable of that distant building, telegraph pole.  Blame the Market Place Club for obscuring the church tower but looking at modern OS maps the sightlines look right.  I think what has happened is that Front St must have been slightly re-aligned at some stage and that might have created the impression that the cross had moved.

 

 http://communities.northumberland.gov.uk/Bedlington_C14.htm#006188

[Canny lass]

Or I'm having Another of my "senior moments". Thanks Symptoms.

[mercuryg]

Or I'm having Another of my "senior moments". Thanks Symptoms.

 Lol I don't think so; I have heard from many sources tales of the Nail being moved, but believe Symptoms has it right and, in fact, the street is not quite as it was back then.

[Alan Edgar (Eggy1948)]

A question on the sixtownships history site :- "Does anyone know where the blue plaque off the nail in Bedlington has gone?" - The only view I have had of The Nail over the last 15 years is 3 sides of it (no plaque on those sides) via Google Street view, and have never seen the plaque that the English Heritage site says there is. Anyone know what has happened? 

[Malcolm Robinson]

Possibly Eggy get back to you on that one.......

[Alan Edgar (Eggy1948)]

Possibly Eggy get back to you on that one.......

Any luck Malcolm, or is there a department or person I can ring? 

[Malcolm Robinson]

Just sent the question again Eggy. I will find it!!!!!!!!!

[Alan Edgar (Eggy1948)]

I have never seen the Blue Plaque that used to be on The Nail. Finally found a photo of the Blue Plaque on The Nail - An Adam Hogg posted on the Bygone Bedlington Facebook site a video, published on May 2, 2012, he found on YOUTUBE explaining how Tesco were going to help regenerate Bedlington and this shot was in the video.

[Alan Edgar (Eggy1948)]

New the nail had been restored in th1970's but just found some further restoration work was carried out in 2010 so it's possible the plaque was removed for the work to be carried out and it has not been put back.

 

[Malcolm Robinson]

I have just once again asked the person who oversaw that project Eggy!  

 

You keep on at me and I will keep on at him until we get an answer!