Blyth versus Cowpen

[Michael Dixon]

  Please regard this as a non-scientific contribution to the topic of origin of name of Cowpen!

  Just like cowpenexile I remember Father Dunne giving us local history info from his pulpit- this in mid-late 1940s. But in my memory he declared that Cowpen was named after Copenhagen. I  think us kids liked this source better than cowping and salt pans.!

 I have mislaid my handy book " Goodwife Hot- The History of Northumberland in its Place Names"
                       
 And unfortunately my book " A Dictionary of English Place-Names" by A.D Mills, has no entry for Cowpen, but includes one for Cowpen Bewley, near Stockton-On-Tees. Cowpen pronounced same as Cowpen near Blyth.
                                         __________________________________
" Cowpen Bewley, Cleveland, "cupum" c1150 = place by the coops or baskets ( for catching fish)
Old English cupe "

Before Cowpen and Blyth merged in 1907 , Cowpen's territory covered the River Blyth's riverside from Bebside to just behind Blyth modern day bus station.

[winshipstreetlad]

Having lived at all three place s ie Cowpen Newsham and Blyth at various times, I have some interesting memories of all three. I remember when as a boy around 1950 ish watching when they pulled down the old wooden workingmans club in Newsham, thousands of rats ran from underneath it. They ran over the railway crossing and went under the old Plaza cinema.
I do enjoy reading all your coments of how the area has been developed over the years.

[Phodgetts]

For those interested in old pictures of Cowpen and Blyth, I have just got myself an old picture postcard of the Sidney Arms at Cowpen from about 1898 - 1900. A lovely picture with loads of detail and the backs of Tweedy Street showing too.

I have scanned it at 1200dpi and a cropped section of the image at 2400dpi. You can see it here;

https://www.flickr.com/photos/51893012@N05/15711274052/sizes/l

https://www.flickr.com/photos/51893012@N05/15709830365/sizes/l

The Sidney Arms was originally called The Duke of York and showed up as such on the 1865 map of the time.

Wonderful stuff. Enjoy.

P

[Michael Dixon]

 Philip,

 Great fotos, as usual !

  Sidney Arms, my father's local after he fell out with the Foresters Arms (now named Keitty Brewster Hotel.

  About 50 yrs after the foto, Tyneside Drive was opened on right of foto as first entrance into Cowpen Estate. Our family moved to 8 Weardale Ave.   The first 50 houses or so were let to folk
 from the west end of Bebside colliery village and Bebside Furnace community.

 Before St Cuthbert's RC church was built, c1840, mass was sometimes celebrated in the Duke of York.

Michael

[Phodgetts]

I always look forward to your posts Michael. Thanks for sharing that.

As for Mass at the pub, where ever the spirit goes, there you will find me. Hick! 

P

[pityackafromblyth]

Blyth pubs.  I have just spent far too much time on the web looking into the history of H.M. Submarine Seahorse, and its connection with Blyth and also the Astley Arms, at Seaton Sluice. The penny has just dropped, and I assume that I am correct in thinking that The Seahorse pub on Plessey Road, was named after the submarine ??
And as a result of trawling the web I have learned that of all the submarine bases in the UK during WWII, Blyth suffered the greatest losses.
Is the Seahorse still open ?

[Phodgetts]

Check this out pyfb

http://www.theseahorseblyth.co.uk/

P

[cowpenexile]

Pit yacka Last time I was up in Blyth I had a carvery at the Astley (vg by the way) and in the lounge there are a load of press cuttings, artefacts and memrobilia re submariners in Blyth during ww2 I take it the Wind Mill is now gone but my favorite was always the Odd Fellowes always reckoned it was the best pint in Blyth. Im surprised theres not much comment on here re the CIU filleted clubs in the town as memories of Carlin Sunday Xmas draws and bands at the Duke and Band Room etc do bring back some memories .Rue and the Rockets Tex Leon and the Tyne Siders The Sixteen Strings (lad from my class at St Wilfrids in them)  all provided the back ground music to hopeful dances and painful knock backs

[dolly dimples]

  Re the Windmill pub, not gone but closed, went past it yesterday and there is scaffolding around it. Not heard what it is going to be, but something going on .. another butchers I wonder?
                      watch this space,  Dolly x