Cleadon
| Cleadon | |
|---|---|
 Cleadon
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| Cleadon shown within Tyne and Wear | |
| Population | 8,427 (2011. South Tyneside ward of Cleadon and East Boldon) |
| OS grid reference | NZ384624 |
| Metropolitan borough | |
| Metropolitan county | |
| Region | |
| Country | England |
| Sovereign state | United Kingdom |
| Post town | SUNDERLAND |
| Postcode district | SR6 |
| Dialling code | 0191 |
| Police | Northumbria |
| Fire | Tyne and Wear |
| Ambulance | North East |
| EU Parliament | North East England |
| UK Parliament | |
Cleadon is a suburban village in South Tyneside, North East England in the county of Tyne and Wear, and the historic County Durham. In 2001 the population of Cleadon was 4,795, increasing for the South Tyneside ward of Cleadon and Boldon at the 2011 Census to 8,457. Nearby villages or population centres include East Boldon, Whitburn, and Jarrow. The village is around 5 miles from the city of Sunderland and 10 miles from the city of Newcastle.
There has been a village on the site of Cleadon for over a thousand years. Cleadon has a traditional village pond which is the remnants of an ice age lake and dates to Roman times, and an early history of South Shields suggests that there may have once been a Roman watchtower or turret on Cleadon Hills. The name of the village is derived from 'Cliffa-dun' meaning a hill with a cliff, which over years became Clevendona, Clyvedon (recorded in 1280), Clevedon, and in the 17th century Cleydon. The village was first mentioned in print in the Boldon Book, a survey of the local area completed in 1183.
The oldest houses in the village, one of which contains a priest hole, date to the 15th century. Located on the main north—south road of England, Cleadon was a popular rest spot for those passing back and forth from London to Scotland. During the 19th century, Charles Dickens reportedly stayed for a time in Cleadon House on Front Street. A story he was told by resident George Cooper Abbs was a possible inspiration for the character Miss Havisham in Great Expectations.
Cleadon village and its environs suffered some bomb damage during the Second World War. Bombs fell in Whitburn Road, Bywell Road and on Boldon Flats, some of these incidents resulting in fatalities. A 'stick' of bombs fell on a line between Underhill Road and the Whiteleas Isolation Hospital. In another incident a bomb fell on Cleadon Farm and some livestock were killed, the Cleadon Cottage Homes also suffered some damage. The bombing of the village, on some occasions at least, could have been due to its proximity to a 'Hedgehog', a decoy designed to simulate burning buildings that was situated at Welland's Farm, at the foot of Cleadon Hills in nearby Whitburn. A container of propaganda leaflets was also found on Cleadon Hills during the war years that had been dropped from an enemy aircraft.
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Wikipedia