Haydon Bridge trip planner

Haydon Bridge is a village in Northumberland, England, with a population of about 2000, the civil parish(Haydon) being measured at 2,184 in the Census 2011. Its most distinctive features are the two bridges crossing the River South Tyne; the picturesque original bridge for which the village was named (now restricted to pedestrian use) and a modern bridge which used to carry the A69 road. A bypass was completed in 2009 and the A69 now bypasses the village to the south.The modern village is divided in two by the River South Tyne, whereas the old village (Haydon) was to the north, on the hill overlooking the river; all that remains is a Norman church now reduced in size from the original, which used stone taken from nearby Roman Hadrian's Wall. The A686 road joins the A69 just to the south east of the village, linking Haydon Bridge with Alston and Penrith.HistoryIn 1323, a Charter was granted for a market and fair to be held in the village, but as these gatherings so often ended in brawls between various families, they did not add to the peace of the district.GovernanceHaydon Bridge is in the parliamentary constituency of Hexham. It has been held by the Conservatives since the early part of the twentieth century but not always with a majority of the votes cast and sometimes by a very slim margin.EconomyThe village has four pubs: The Railway, The Anchor, The General Havelock, and Haydon Bridge's Working Men's Club. There are two schools: Shaftoe Trust First School and Haydon Bridge High School. The Reading Rooms has been converted into a Bed and breakfast, offering visitors to Haydon Bridge accommodation within the village. The Railway Hotel has recently been refurbished and the old Railway Inn is now part of the hotel which also provides visitor to the village with accommodation, a bistro restaurant and beauty salon.