Kirkhaugh

For Kirkheugh, see Church of St Mary on the Rock.

Kirkhaugh is a very small village and former civil parish, now in the parish of Knaresdale with Kirkhaugh, adjacent to the River South Tyne in Northumberland, England. The village lies close to the A689 road north of Alston, Cumbria. In 1951 the parish had a population of 79.^[1]

Kirkhaugh
River South Tyne from Kirkhaugh Bridge
Kirkhaugh Location within Northumberland
OS grid reference	NY696499
Civil parish	Knaresdale with Kirkhaugh
Unitary authority	Northumberland
Ceremonial county	Northumberland
Region	North East
Country	England
Sovereign state	United Kingdom
Post town	ALSTON
Postcode district	CA9
Dialling code	01434
Police	Northumbria
Fire	Northumberland
Ambulance	North East
UK Parliament	Hexham
List of places UK England Northumberland 54.843°N 2.473°W / 54.843; -2.473

 

Governance

Kirkhaugh is in the parliamentary constituency of Hexham. On 1 April 1955 the parish was abolished to form Knaresdale with Kirkhaugh.^[2]

Railways

Although the Standard Gauge Alston Line from Haltwhistle to Alston passed through Kirkhaugh, there was no station here when normal British Rail passenger services operated. The line opened in 1852 and closed in 1976.

Since 1983 a narrow-gauge railway has opened on part of the original trackbed. The railway, known as the South Tynedale Railway, is a 2-foot (0.61 m) gauge line and runs 5 miles (8.0 km) from Alston to Slaggyford, through a station at Kirkhaugh, and includes a viaduct over the River South Tyne.

Religious sites

The church, rebuilt in 1869, is thought to be the only English church dedicated to the Holy Paraclete (that is, the Holy Spirit).^[3]

Church and old Rectory at Kirkhaugh, Northumberland February 2014

See also

• Alston Line, the railway from Haltwhistle to Alston
• Kirkhaugh cairns, an archaeological site at Kirkhaugh
• South Tynedale Railway