Hexham Walk: Town Centre【4K】

Located in the county of Northumberland, and around 20 miles west of Newcastle, is the town of Hexham.

The town's history dates from 674 AD when Wilfred, Bishop of York founded a monastery in the area. In the 9th century, Hexham was plundered by the Danes who destroyed most of the town including the abbey. In the 12th century the abbey was rebuilt, and has stood at the town centre ever since.

Due to its relative proximity to the Anglo-Scottish border, Hexham was subject to multiple attacks from the Scots during the medieval era. In 1138 King David I of Scotland launched an attack on the town. Richard of Hexham described the attackers as "an execrable army, savager than any race of heathen yielding honour to neither God nor man". In 1296 Scottish raiders set fire to the priory, and one year later in 1297, William Wallace (a.k.a. Braveheart) attacked the priory again, destroying what remained after the 1296 raid. In 1312 Robert the Bruce demanded and received £2,000 from the town and monastery to spare another attack from the Scots. And in 1346 the priory was once again sacked by Scottish raiders led by King David II.

In 1464 the Battle of Hexham took place during the Wars of the Roses. The Yorkists scored a decisive victory over the Lancastrians, allowing them to gradually gain control of northern England. The Lancastrian commander, the Duke of Somerset, was subsequently executed in Hexham market place.

Throughout the 18th and 19th centuries, Hexham was a centre of the leather trade, particularly renowned for making gloves known as Hexham Tans. At its height, over a thousand people were employed in the leather industry in the town.

Today, Hexham is a popular town as a base for hikers in particular, with Northumberland National Park and the North Pennines situated on either side of the town, north and south respectively. The River Tyne runs just north of the town centre and Hexham Racecourse lies to the southwest for horse racing fans.

Famous people from Hexham include Peter Beardsley, Robson Green and Pete Doherty.

On the 24th of November 2021, Hexham was named the happiest place to live in Britain according to Rightmove's "happy at home index" which asks more than 21,000 people across the country how they feel about where they live.

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Filmed: 25th September 2021

Link to the walk on Google Maps: https://goo.gl/maps/AaCTwzRiU6wYQAeY9

Filmed on a Sony FDR-AX700 with a Zhiyun Crane 2 and a Sony ECM-XYST1M Stereo Microphone.

TIMESTAMPS:

0:00 Priestpopple
2:36 Fore Street
4:02 Meal Market
4:22 St Mary's Chare
6:03 Battle Hill
7:40 Lieutenant-Colonel George Elliott Benson Statue
7:47 Beaumont Street
9:08 Hexham Abbey
9:27 Beaumont Street
10:13 Market Place
11:00 Hallgate
12:35 Bank Head
13:25 Hallgate
14:47 Market Place
15:45 Market Street
17:07 Cowgarth