Ford, Northumberland

Ford
Northumberland
Ford
Location
Grid reference:	NT945375
Location:	55°37’55"N, 2°4’48"W
Data
Population:	493  (2011)
Post town:	Berwick-Upon-Tweed
Postcode:	TD12
Dialling code:	01890
Local Government
Council:	Northumberland
Parliamentary constituency:	Berwick-upon-Tweed

Ford is a small village in Northumberland, about 13 miles from Berwick-upon-Tweed. Ford shares a parish with Etal.

History before 1513

Very little is known of the history of the area before the Norman Conquest in the 11th century, but Bronze Age rock carvings in the area suggest that there might have been some settlement at that time.

It is thought the shallow crossing of the River Till (a ford) which gave the village its name, was probably a crossing place for monks and nuns travelling between the monasteries at Iona and Lindisfarne during the Anglo-Saxon period, or so the romantic imagination insists.

Parsons Tower, Ford

Written records for Ford begin after the Norman Conquest in 1066, when the manor of Ford was held by the Heron family. A substantial stone castle was built at Ford in 1287, in order to protect the manor from the constant border warfare waged between the Scots and the [[English during the Middle Ages. South-west of the castle are the remains of the Parson's Tower, a mediæval pele tower which was once the home of the local parson.

In 1513, King James IV of Scotland made his base at Ford Castle, prior to the Battle of Flodden, at which James was slain in the field, along with 9,000 of his men.

History after 1513

After Flodden, peace came to the area and by the 19th century Ford was a thriving agricultural and forestry community. Ford Castle had been rebuilt in the 1760s and, in 1859, Louisa, Marchioness of Beresford inherited Ford Estate on the death of her husband, the 3rd Marquess (who in turn, had inherited it from his mother, Susanna, Marchioness of Waterford). Lady Louisa Waterford, a gifted amateur watercolourist with an interest in the welfare of the tenants on the estate, rebuilt the village. A new school was built which today is the Lady Waterford Hall, decorated with wall paintings by Lady Waterford (opens daily at 10.30am). The 12th century church of St Michael and All Angels was restored.

The estate was bought by the Joicey family in 1907 and it remains in their ownership today. The castle was used as a convalescent hospital by the Red Cross during the Second World War and is now leased by the Northumberland Council who use it as an educational camp. The castle is not open to the public except on special open days.

A mill on the Till

Today

Much employment in Ford is connected in one way or another with the Ford and Etal Estate. There is a primary school, Hugh Joicey Church of England First School, and a village shop, which doubles as a Post Office. There are also a number of businesses connected with tourism, such as plant nurseries, a gift shop, a second-hand book dealer and some bed and breakfast establishments.

Outside links

("Wikimedia Commons" has material about Ford, Northumberland)

• Ford Castle
• Northumberland Towns and Villages
• Lady Waterford Hall
• Heatherslaw Light Railway
• Northumberland Communities: Ford
• Photos
• Information on Ford, Northumberland  from GENUKI