Secret Hexham & Corbridge

The picturesque and historic town of Hexham is situated within a few miles of Hadrian’s Wall and though there was probably no Roman settlement here, only three miles away was a large Roman supply base at Corbridge called Corstopitum.Visitors to Hexham today will discover many notable buildings as well as the impressive abbey, including an eighteenth-century covered market, a historic jail (now a museum), a moothall and a fifteenth-century gatehouse. Corbridge began as an outpost on the Roman push north where a succession of forts were built from about AD85 to guard one of the main routes across the River Tyne.Later, when Hadrian’s Wall was built, it became one of only two substantial towns in the area and remained a vibrant urban community until the last days of Roman Britain. The fort and original town are now under the care of English Heritage. In this book, author Andrew Graham Stables seeks out the lesser-known and hidden heritage of Hexham and Corbridge.He explores the sites of the early history of the towns and how being situated on the Anglo-Scottish border both increased prosperity and led to a severe downturn in fortunes across the centuries due to successive conflicts and raids. ‘Secret Hexham and Corbridge’ reveals how history manifests in the urban landscape and some of the important characters from the turbulent past who contribute to the story of these two communities. Illustrated throughout, the book will be of immense interest to residents and visitors in this area.