Ponteland 4.76

Ponteland is a parish in Northumberland, situated 61 km (38 miles) south of the nearest Scottish Border crossing with Scotland and 15 km (9 miles) north of Newcastle upon Tyne, England. The name means 'island in the Pont', named for the river that flows through the village.Ponteland's first settlement concentrated around solid ground within the marshland near St. Mary's church and the old bridge. Most of Ponteland's marshland is now drained to make way for housing. The River Pont flows from west-to-east and joins the River Blyth further downstream, before flowing into the North Sea. During the industrial era, Ponteland village enlarged to include residential developments in Darras Hall. It is home to many of the region's footballers and CEOs and is part of the North East's only safe Conservative parliamentary seat.HistoryThere has been nearly a thousand years of Christian worship in Ponteland. This traditionally concentrated around St Mary’s the Virgin, the prominent Church of England church near Ponteland's village green. St Mary's traces its first construction to the Norman period in the twelfth century and is still an active church. Ponteland has parish registries dating from 1602 and has been recorded in Bishops transcripts as an important place of religion since 1762. Fuller details of Ponteland’s varied church records are available through the Northumberland Collections Service.Christian worship in Ponteland has expanded to other denominations in recent centuries. The Ponteland Methodist Church opened in 1841. An 1848 review appreciated Ponteland also hosted places of worship for Scottish Presbyterians and a Wesleyan Chapel.