Since it seems to me that I am hopelessly lost in identifying existing or prior pubs in Bedlington, perhaps one of the experts in the field, can enlighten me as to the construction date of the existing Bank Top pub!

In a couple of Bedlington maps, what I think is the Bank Top Hotel, is shown under two different names on the same site. As the "Puddlers Arms" in 1897, and then as the "Bank Top Hotel" in 1936!

Was the Puddlers Arms renamed as the Bank Top Hotel, or was it built as a totally different building?

And if so, when did the change or new building occur? My feeling is that perhaps the Puddlers Arms was converted into part of the Craggs row cottages and two story housing project.

As a kid, I occasionally wondered why some of Craggs row was a series of cottages which appeared to be built onto the two story units which each contained four apartments divided by a central stairway?

Not earth shattering stuff, but who knows, I might just have one of my childhood questions answered after all!

Regards,

Joe

Puddling was a laborious method for creating wrought iron. The molten iron was stirred, or

'puddled', to remove the carbon which made the iron brittle, and to rake off the !*!@# . The

resulting 'blooms' of iron were then forged together so they could be rolled to any useful

length or shape. Wrought iron was used to make girders and rails.

So an obvious connection to the Iron Works just down the bank.

Since it seems to me that I am hopelessly lost in identifying existing or prior pubs in Bedlington, perhaps one of the experts in the field, can enlighten me as to the construction date of the existing Bank Top pub!

In a couple of Bedlington maps, what I think is the Bank Top Hotel, is shown under two different names on the same site. As the "Puddlers Arms" in 1897, and then as the "Bank Top Hotel" in 1936!

Was the Puddlers Arms renamed as the Bank Top Hotel, or was it built as a totally different building?

And if so, when did the change or new building occur? My feeling is that perhaps the Puddlers Arms was converted into part of the Craggs row cottages and two story housing project.

As a kid, I occasionally wondered why some of Craggs row was a series of cottages which appeared to be built onto the two story units which each contained four apartments divided by a central stairway?

Not earth shattering stuff, but who knows, I might just have one of my childhood questions answered after all!

Regards,

Joe

i dont know about the bank top but i notice your living in calgary ,was there earlier this year , on R and R from med hat with the 1RRF battle group , its a big ole town. felt quite ill looking up at them sky scrapers !! never made it to hooters . gettin back to the bank top ,when i was a kid there was a coven of witches down there, well that was the word anyway. We used to suspect anyone hanging round down there of casting hexes, Now harry potters all the rage , how times change haha

In a couple of Bedlington maps, what I think is the Bank Top Hotel, is shown under two different names on the same site. As the "Puddlers Arms" in 1897, and then as the "Bank Top Hotel" in 1936!

Was the Puddlers Arms renamed as the Bank Top Hotel, or was it built as a totally different building?

And if so, when did the change or new building occur? My feeling is that perhaps the Puddlers Arms was converted into part of the Craggs row cottages and two story housing project.

There is a map in Evan Martins booklet "Bedlington Iron and Engine Works" dated 1858 indicate a building where the Bank Top is but doesn't identify it. Places of note are the "Railway Inn", Puddlers Row and Keelmans Row. For those whose interests stretch beyond Hooters this may prove of interest.