Piper Quarry - Piper Woods - ??

[Alan Edgar (Eggy1948)]

Part of a news paper article posted on Facebook group Bygone Bedlington by John Krzyzanowski and John asked :-

'Has anyone heard this one before. Pipers Quarry. Was the rock ever found ? This was printed in 1950.'

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Pipers' Quarry & Piper's Woods I have never heard of. The Bedlington Terrier dog, named Piper, I have (that's in the Bedlington Time.

1816 Joseph Ainsley of Bedlington was a mason by trade purchased a dog named "Peacham" from a William Coxon of Rothbury.

1818 He bred "Peacham" with Christopher Dixon's "Phoebe" from Longhorsely.

1818 They kept a pup and named it "Piper" & it was sold to a James Anderson of Longhorsely. The dog was liver in colour

1820 J Howe of Alnwick went to visit a friend in Bedlington and brought with him a terrier bitch named "Phoebe" that belonged to Andrew Riddell of Longframlington and left it with Edward Coates at the vicarage. The bitch was a gift as Coates had a keen interest in dogs. The bitch was then referred to as "Coate's Phoebe" by the people of Bedlington

1825 Coates decides to experiment a little further with the breed and mates "Coate's Phoebe" with Anderson's "Piper" So we have a bit inbreeding here

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The Newspaper cutting :- 

The comments that have been posted in response are :-  

Vic Thompson I have come across an inscription stone in the quarry part of the Bluebell Woods, although memory serves me that the writing had worn away.
Where is Piper’s Quarry anyway? I love a mystery!!

 

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Allan Kidd I always thought that the woods between Attlee Park and Humford MIll were The PIper Woods.

 

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Margaret Speller The Piper Woods are opposite Atley Park. 
You cross the bridge, go up the hill at the top just before you turn to go to Horton on the right hand side is the way into the Piper. 
My mam and dad used to take us through on Sunday walks. ...See more

 

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John KrzyzanowskiGroup admin I thought pipers quarry was on the left going down the bank towards attlee park. You can see next to the stone wall where it has been quarried. I could be wrong as I don't know where I got that from. I think I read it somewhere ? I also read somewhere that that was where the first Bedlington terrier was born ? I am probably talking a load of rubbish but it is all somewhere in the back of my head.

 

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Allan Kidd Piper was the name of the first Bedlington Terrier As far as I am aware...is the wall not on the right going down the bank John Krzyzanowski?

 

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John KrzyzanowskiGroup admin You are correct. 

 

 

 

 

 

Brian Jenkinson Obviously not Bedlington, but Pipers Pitch cafe near Craster is situated in an old quarry! Piper woods sound more likely, but where was the quarry there?

 

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Margery Dixon Henderson I remember finding this with my friends as a boy in the 1950's.It was just past the house at the entrance to the "happeny" woods on the left and up on the sheer rock face.It was not rough but well inscribed,although I can't remember what was inscribed.We were told a rider,his horse and Piper his dog had fallen over the rock face.

Margaret Speller I have also heard the same story.

Edited November 25, 2017 by Eggy1948

[James]

In Stephen Martin’s booklet “Bedlington”, there is a map of the town that shows the location of Piper’s Quarry and on page 12 there is an explanation of how it got it's name.

 

[Alan Edgar (Eggy1948)]

2 hours ago, James said:

In Stephen Martin’s booklet “Bedlington”, there is a map of the town that shows the location of Piper’s Quarry and on page 12 there is an explanation of how it got it's name.

 

 

Cheers @James - I will post your findings for John Krzyzanowski to see.

Looks like I might have to add to my limited set of Evan Martin books 

[HIGH PIT WILMA]

Thanks for that info,James,I played down the free woods and in the river,from age 5 yrs ,Circa 1949-ISH....and when I grew too old for "playing",went down frequently for walks with my family/friends/etc...later on in recent years with my Little Black Jess.[Lab x].Noo for years,from being a wee kid in short pants,we aal referred to the stretch of woods on the Humford Baths side,from the steppy-stones up-owa,ti thi controversial dam[!],as "The Piper" woods.We smaa kids aalwis thowt that thi woods were so-named 'cos of the two huge pipes that spanned the river next ti thi dam.Ah weel.....!....ignorance is bliss!!The woods that lead ti thi left of the bridge,on thi Bedltn side of the waata,as yi tek the bend,where the tunnel entrances are,we aal caaled the "Battery".We nivvor thowt aboot it,it was just a nyem,but noo that we are on thi subject,wud it have been caaled that 'cos of an WW2 Artillery battery station being there at the wood-head? ,[what used ti be a bandstand],where the Salvation Army Brass Band used to give recitals on a Sunday mornings?