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Front Street East, BEDLINGTON, NE22 5DS

A Victorian post box located in the wall of a building on Front Street East in Bedlington.

A Victorian terrace of stone built houses on Front Street East in Bedlington.

Due to their links with the Bedlington Iron Works, the Gibsons were well known in the town. They were nail makers and, at their peak in the late 18th century, up to 12 men would sit astride anvils, cutting split iron from the works to make nails. One of the women of the family would carry a sack of nails 5 miles to market in Morpeth. The Market Cross in the town is often referred to as the nail, both due to its shape and in recognition of the importance of that this trade was to the town. Later, the Gibson’s dealt in hardware and even banking. Parts of the smart shopfronts, some of which have been converted for housing, survive in this sand-built terrace.

This wall mounted box dating from the early part of the reign of Queen Victoria (1837-1901) is one of the oldest post boxes in Northumberland, and Bedlington is an important part of British postal history. The first adhesive stamp, the Penny Black, and the official stationery, the Mulready wrapper, came into official use on 6 May 1840, but had gone on sale on 1 May. On 2 May, a letter was sent to an A. W. Blenkinsop at the Bedlington Iron Works using a Mulready wrapper, making it the earliest known use of a pre-paid adhesive stamp in Britain. Ironically, Mr Blenkinsop had died 9 years earlier so the letter was forwarded, with a 4 May postmark to his family in Carlisle. Mulready stationery describes the postal stationery letter sheets and envelopes that were introduced as part of the British Post Office postal reforms of 1840. The Mulready name arises from the fact that William Mulready, a well-known artist of the time, was commissioned to illustrate the part of the letter sheets and envelopes which corresponded with the face area. The plaque above the post box forms part of the Bedlington Heritage Trail.

Whilst alterations have been made over time to this stretch of Front Street East, not least to the house nearest to the photographer which appears to have originally been a shop, the terrace retains much of its original charm.

This plaque, which forms part of the Bedlington Heritage Trail, is affixed to the building that was once the Gardener's Arms. The town of Bedlington is known the world over for the breed of terrier that bears its name. They were first bred here in the early 1800s, and were popular for sport. By the mid 20th century, the terriers were the sixth most popular dog in the USA. The Gardener’s Arms was at one time owned by a Ned Metcalf, who was a famed Bedlington Terrier breeder and, ironically, the property is currently occupied by Robson & Prescott Veterinary Surgeons.

The Gardeners Arms once belonged to a breeder of Bedlington terriers by the name of Metcalf. It was converted into a Veterinary practice in 1968.

Taken from outside a hairdresser for dogs, looking towards Blyth.