Bingfield

Bingfield
Bingfield
Bingfield Bingfield shown within Northumberland
OS grid reference	NY975725
Unitary authority	Northumberland
Ceremonial county	Northumberland
Region	North East
Country	England
Sovereign state	United Kingdom
Post town	NEWCASTLE UPON TYNE (parts) and HEXHAM (parts)
Postcode district	NE19 and NE46
Dialling code	01434
Police	Northumbria
Fire	Northumberland
Ambulance	North East
EU Parliament	North East England
UK Parliament	Hexham
List of places UK England Northumberland 55°02′49″N 2°02′28″W / 55.047°N 2.041°W / 55.047; -2.041Coordinates: 55°02′49″N 2°02′28″W / 55.047°N 2.041°W / 55.047; -2.041

Bingfield is a village in Northumberland, in England. It is situated to the north of Corbridge, off the A68 road and includes some properties situated on the A68 (Dere Street).

Bingfield is in the parliamentary constituency of Hexham.

Bingfield likely developed from a farming community in the early 19th century, since most of the buildings date to that era. There were probably four farms: the present farm at the bottom of the road (now owned by the Whites and Sistersons); the Scott's farm, located about half a mile from Bingfield Combe Cottage, which consists of a massive farmhouse and several barn houses, now converted into homes. There is a smaller farm fifty yards opposite from the original farmhouse at the bottom of the hill, which was owned by the Scotts and Bingfield east quarter. There was also a school in Bingfield, and a church which dates to the late 18th/early 19th century. As there is no church in Hallington (the next village along) their population would also have used this church and school. It is not clear when the school closed, but area octogenarians Nicholas White and Keith Scott attended the school.

Bingfield remained largely unchanged from the mid 19th century until after the Second World War. The change began with mechanisation. In the 1960s many farmers in England fell on hard times. It was then that the Whites, who owned the smaller farm at the bottom of Bingham hill sold off half their farm to Cuthbert Sisterson. The Suddes (a local family run farm around two miles (3 km) away) had to sell their farm house, but the son (Michael) has managed to buy it back in recent times. Since the 1970s there was a period of farmers selling off redundant farm buildings to be converted into houses.

Going further back in time, Bingfield was an ancient settlement. There are the remains of an ancient medieval village in the field in front of the church, uncovered during an oil excavation.

Bingfield Hall was in the hands of the Story family for many years. John Story of Bingfield Hall (1648-1725) emigrated to Ireland, perhaps during the Williamite plantation of Scots in Ulster (1680s-1690s), and settled as a major landowner at Corick House, near Clogher, Co. Tyrone. This family expanded its influence and in 1745 a house called Bingfield was built by Joseph Story, Archdeacon of Kilmore Cathedral, about a mile away – a house which was to become influential in Irish society.