Hindley is a small hamlet, comprising around 20 residences. It is in the parish of and is just to the south of in Northumberland with Broomley to the west and Whittonstall to the east. It is south of the river Tyne. Hindley is composed of a large house, Hindley Hall (now split up into three houses and four flats), a farm (now converted into residences) and a post box.
Hindley is likely to have developed from a farm due to its close proximity to Dere Street (a Roman road between York and into Scotland, passing through nearby Corbridge). Local records have that in 1296 there were two poll-tax payers, a Shepard and a Smith.
The first dated reference to Hindley is dated 25 April 1232, and is an agreement between Sir William de Hindley and Robert de St. Jerman regarding land near Midhope.
In 1256 at the Northumberland Assizes, Hindley is mentioned again in reference to the death of a woman, and the Vills of Hindley were presented for not pursuing marauders after the robbing of someone's house. The land at Hindley has passed through several local families, Boutflower, Ridley, Surtees, and it is clear that there has never been large settlement in Hindley, from Parish records, which began in 1663.
It is not known how Hindley passed into the possession of Mr. Edward Montagu of Denton and of Allerthorpe in Yorkshire (grandson of 2nd Earl of Sandwich, although it is possible he acquired the land through the will of John Rogers. It was sold by his widow, Mrs. Elizabeth Montagu, the famous 'blue stocking', on 12 May 1787, to George Potts of Netherton, in Bedlingtonshire, who by his will, dated 29 November 1797, gave it to his only son, Matthew Potts. At this time Hindley was regarded to be in the Township of Old Ridley.
The 1841 census indicates two families living in Hindley. George Angus, a farmer with four agricultural workers and three female servants, living with his family, presumably in the farmhouse. Hindley Farmhouse was used for Baptist meetings for 150 years until 1863, when it burnt down. Also mentioned in the census is John Surtees, a surgeon, living with his family of four children. John Surtees is related to the famous R. S. Surtees, author of the Jorrocks Stories.