Steeped in rich Anglo-Saxon history and perfectly positioned between some of the North East’s best-loved hot spots for business and tourism, Bedlington is fast-becoming one of the region’s top towns from which to work and play.
Small town charm
Nestled in the heart of Northumberland, yet within touching distance of the region’s breathtaking coastline, renowned seaside villages and some of its most exciting cities, Bedlington remains somewhat of a hidden gem, blessed with medieval good looks, bags of community spirit and all the amenities you need for a memorable and convenient stay.
Its historic Front Street – which still retains its classic sloping high street design – is home to a handful of independent shops and boutiques, cosy pubs and restaurants, along with a traditional, family-run butchers, a small bakery, a men’s barber shop, a petrol station and more.
And there’s good news elsewhere, too. Now, Bedlington’s town centre is enjoying an influx of investment – most notably from Advanced Northumberland, which is currently leading in the delivery of a major scheme to reposition the town as a retail destination, providing locals and visitors with a bigger and better variety of stores and supermarkets.
Well connected
Located less than half an hour away from Newcastle and Newcastle International Airport by car, a stay in Bedlington means business travellers – including those visiting from other parts of the country and the world – are well placed for meetings, training sessions, projects and more in Newcastle’s bustling city centre and surrounding towns. The town will also soon become one of six new train stations on the Northumberland Line.
Bedlington also lies a 10-minute drive away from the small seaside town of Blyth – which has recently received £20.7 million in investment as part of a regeneration programme – as well as Blyth Port, a buzzing business and education hub for alternative technologies, offshore energy and green initiative companies.
Popular by-the-sea villages, including Whitley Bay, Tynemouth, Amble, Seahouses and Cresswell – where you’ll find the beginning of the Northumberland Coastal Path – are also all within easy reach, giving families, friends and couples in search of adventure-packed days out, filled with great walks, fresh sea air and stunning scenery, plenty of choice.
Did you know?
The town’s Front Street follows a ridge from the River Blyth to the A1068 roundabout. Most of the buildings you’ll find here date back to the 18th, 19th and 20th centuries and still retain their original architectural features – and the archaeology beneath.
Bedlington has its own conservation area in the centre of town.
In the late 18th and 19th centuries, Bedlington’s Dene Park was of worldwide importance in the production of railway lines and steam locomotives. Sir Daniel Gooch, the famous locomotive engineer, was born in Bedlington in 1816.
An 18th century stone obelisk marks the site of the town’s historic Market Place.
The first recorded use of a Penny Black stamp – the world’s first adhesive postage stamp – was on a letter sent to Bedlington Ironworks in 1840.
The town has its own breed of dog – the Bedlington Terrier. It’s believed that a man called Joseph Ainsley, of Bedlington, owned the first known breed.
The town’s VR red wall post box is one of the oldest in Northumberland.
