BLAYDON is a manufacturing village, situated on the south bank of the river Tyne and on the road from Hexham to Newcastle, and forms part of the ecclesiastical parish of St. Cuthbert Stella, being 280 miles from London, 4 ½ west from Newcastle and 5 from Gateshead, with a station on the Newcastle and Carlisle section of the North Eastern railway, in the Chester-le-Street division of the county, Winlaton parish, east division of Chester ward, Gateshead union and petty sessional division, Newcastle county court district, rural deanery of Ryton and archdeaconry and diocese of Durham. There is a suspension bridge over the Tyne connecting Blaydon with Newcastle. The Local Government Act, 1858 (21 and 22 Viet. c. 98), was adopted here September 24, 1861, and the district was extended by 38 and 39 Viet, c. 75 (1875) and 40 and 41 Viet. c. 77 (1877): the Sanitary Act, 1866 (29 and 30 Viet. c. 90), was adopted as to sec. 35 (lodging houses), September 20, 1871. The district is governed by a Local Board of 15 members. The church of St. Cuthbert, erected in 1844, is a building of stone in the Early English style, consisting of chancel, nave of three bays, north aisle, south porch and a lofty embattled western tower, with four pinnacles, containing 6 bells, hung in 1876; the tenor bell was given by Capt. Sir H. A. Clavering bart. R.N. of Axwell Park, the rest by subscription: the clock, which has three dials, was given by J. B. Simpson esq. J.P. of Hedgefield. The register dates from the year 1844. The living is a rectory, tithe rent-charge £27, gross yearly value £300, with house, in the gift of the Bishop of Durham and the Crown alternately, and held since 1877 by the Rev. Matthew Greene M.A. of Durham University. There are Wesleyan, Wesleyan Reformed and Primitive Methodist chapels. A cemetery has been formed about a quarter of a mile east of the village, with two mortuary chapels; it is controlled by a Burial Board of 7 members. There are saw mills, sanitary pipe, bottle, chemical manure and fire brick works, iron foundries and collieries. The Mechanics’ Institute, erected in 1852, is a building of stone, comprising a reading room, library and lecture hall; the news room is well supplied with the leading papers and periodicals, and the library contains upwards of 2,000 volumes; it is the property of the Blaydon. District Industrial and Provident Society Limited and is free to members. The trustees of the Townley estate are lords of the manor and chief landowners. The soil is clay and loam; subsoil, various. The chief crops are wheat, barley, oats and pasture. The population of the Local Board district in 1881 was 10,687; the rateable value is taken with Winlaton.

Schools

National (mixed & infants), for 450 children; average, attendance, 450.

Catholic (mixed), erected in 1871, for 240 children; average attendance, 205.