Halfpenny Woods

[Canny lass]

Read with interest of the new exercise equipment in the Halfpenny Woods and prompted by Brian's question " is it the Halfpenny Woods or the Free Woods," I'm now wondering how it came to be called The Halfpenny Woods. Anybody got any ideas?

[Adam Hogg]

Read with interest of the new exercise equipment in the Halfpenny Woods and prompted by Brian's question " is it the Halfpenny Woods or the Free Woods," I'm now wondering how it came to be called The Halfpenny Woods. Anybody got any ideas?

The free woods is called that because years ago it used to be free to go in, but halfpenny woods used to cost you a halfpenny to get in so that is why they are called halfpenny woods and free woods, or so i hear.

[Canny lass]

Thanks Adam! Another question - I know where the Halfpenny Woods are but where in Bedlington are the Free Woods? I've never heard the expression before.

[Adam Hogg]

I think the free woods are the ones beside Atlee Park on the Bedlington side. Also they may be called the free woods because Mr. Humphries went walking about them, Shouting "I'M FREE!"

[Malcolm Robinson]

That wasn't Mr Humphries Adam................

[Canny lass]

Dare I ask - Who is Mr. Humphries? Or would I be better off not knowing?

[Vic Patterson]

I think that would be Mr. Humphries from the TV show "Are you being servedâ€

[Canny lass]

Aha! That Mr. Humphries.

[Malcolm Robinson]

Thanks Adam! Another question - I know where the Halfpenny Woods are but where in Bedlington are the Free Woods? I've never heard the expression before.

Just for you Cannylass............quite a saucy song if you listen to the lyrics!

If I can get everything sorted in time this should have an outing next Friday!

[Canny lass]

Thanks Malcolm. I loved it!!

[Keith Scantlebury]

I think the free woods are the ones beside Atlee Park on the Bedlington side. Also they may be called the free woods because Mr. Humphries went walking about them, Shouting "I'M FREE!"

Free woods Bedlington side of the river and Ha'penny woods on the other side. There used to be a toll (ha'penny) near the furnace bridge to use the path . I think that side was at one time owned by the Blagdon Estate (Lord Ridley)

[John White]

Thanks Malcolm. I loved it!!

Canny Lass.

Had the pleasure of interviewing Michael Goonan during our broadcast.

Please find attached mp3 where I posed the questions about the Happeny/Free Woods.

He has a couple of albums available with many Northumbrian tunes on & he is an accomplished landscape photographer:

http://www.scenicphotos.ltd.uk/

Michael Goonan.mp3

[Adam Hogg]

Just for you Cannylass............quite a saucy song if you listen to the lyrics!

If I can get everything sorted in time this should have an outing next Friday!

Nice photos in the video, would have liked to gotten some in the snow myself, but we had no snow last year

[Canny lass]

Canny Lass.

Had the pleasure of interviewing Michael Goonan during our broadcast.

Please find attached mp3 where I posed the questions about the Happeny/Free Woods.

He has a couple of albums available with many Northumbrian tunes on & he is an accomplished landscape photographer:

http://www.scenicphotos.ltd.uk/

I must have missed that one John. Thanks for sharing it.

[keith lockey]

Hello all, just new and curious about some things. When I was a youngin' I was never away from "The Woods" - that's all I ever knew it by. (Though my mam called it the halfpenny Woods.) There were three of us who practically lived down there, me, Jimmy Hunter & Bob Baron. Part of our initiation was to touch the plaque where the hunstman came to grief many many decades before. It is still there - near the bottom of the Hairpin Bend - but it is totally unreadable. Does anybody know any history about the event - who it was and when it happened. Cheers.

[Keith Scantlebury]

He just got too close to the edge and cowped owa.

[Malcolm Robinson]

Part of our initiation was to touch the plaque where the hunstman came to grief many many decades before. It is still there - near the bottom of the Hairpin Bend - but it is totally unreadable. Does anybody know any history about the event - who it was and when it happened. Cheers.

Now that's a local story I would be interested in recording if I can swing the funding I'm after.

[Keith Scantlebury]

I think he whent over with his horse and a few hounds...... not the fox. Most of us had a go at that stone over the years. Its on the cliff beside where the seven sisters were.

[Keith Scantlebury]

Now that's a local story I would be interested in recording if I can swing the funding I'm after.

You still swinging Malcolm?

[keith lockey]

Hello Malcom, here is a photo of the plaque. I remember in the sixties / seventies you could actually read this. But now it is worn away.

[keith lockey]

Seven Sisters, Keith! What kind of trees were they again?

[keith lockey]

What names we had for the different locales in the woods! Seven Sisters, Monkey's Island, Giant's Footsteps. Anymore?

[Alan Lockey]

To brother Keith and other Keith. The story i was told, was the huntsman was indeed chasing a fox. It jumped over the cliff, and safely into an overhanging tree, whilst the rider and hounds fell to their death. Like all "folk lore " tales, im sure it has been fabricated as time has gone by. Somewhere in the back of my mind, i tend to remember the name of GRANT being the rider who perished. Whether this was his surname, or christian name, i really cant be certain. Another thing i seem to remember from this tale, was this " GRANT " had something to do with land ownership in Bedlington and was on the local council....but DONT quote me on any of this. Im SURE someone will find the truth, and make me look a fool :-(((

[Keith Scantlebury]

Seven Sisters, Keith! What kind of trees were they again?

Poplar trees, think they got a hammering in strong winds in the 80's (either that or cut down for firewood during the miners strike)

[Keith Scantlebury]

To brother Keith and other Keith. The story i was told, was the huntsman was indeed chasing a fox. It jumped over the cliff, and safely into an overhanging tree, whilst the rider and hounds fell to their death. Like all "folk lore " tales, im sure it has been fabricated as time has gone by. Somewhere in the back of my mind, i tend to remember the name of GRANT being the rider who perished. Whether this was his surname, or christian name, i really cant be certain. Another thing i seem to remember from this tale, was this " GRANT " had something to do with land ownership in Bedlington and was on the local council....but DONT quote me on any of this. Im SURE someone will find the truth, and make me look a fool :-(((

The Ha'penny side ( where it is) belonged to the Blagdon estate- Lord Ridley as far as I know so he would have been hunting with the Blagdon hounds. I bet if you whent to the Estate office there would be a record of the events.