5. Corbridge Town & St Andrew's Church

 Scenes in Northumbria - Northumberland

  North East Index , see also

The Roman Fort of Corbridge

A walk from Corbridge to Hexham

The town of Corbridge has been an important crossing point over the River Tyne for at least 2000 years and a major Roman site can be visited not far from the town centre.

A history of the town of Corbridge

Corbridge has had something of a stormy history e.g. in AD 796 King Ethelred of Northumbria was killed in Corbridge and in 918 King Regnald the Dane defeated the English and Scots armies here. In 1138 King David I of Scotland occupied Corbridge town and in 1201 it was 'searched' (whatever that means!?) by King John of England. Corbridge was burned three times by Scots from the north, by Wallace in 1296, by Robert Bruce in 1312 and again in 1346 by King David II of Scotland.

[Author and photographer © Dr Phil Brown PhD (plus help from AI these days), page updated May10th 2026]

* Doc Brown's Science Website biology chemistry physics *

The handsome modern road bridge over the River Tyne at Corbridge.

Corbridge Town: The handsome stone road bridge over the River Tyne at Corbridge which divides Co. Durham and 'old' Northumberland. The bridge is of seven arches built in 1674. The present bridge at Corbridge was built in 1674 and was the only Tyne bridge to survive the great floods of 1771.

 

Looking east down the River Tyne from the bridge at Corbridge.

Looking east down the River Tyne from the bridge at Corbridge.

 

The sturdy buttresses of the bridge.

Corbridge Town: The sturdy buttresses of the of the bridge.

 

One of the main, but quiet streets of Corbridge. On the right is a good old traditional pub The Black Bull dating from 1765.

Corbridge Town: One of the main, but quiet streets of Corbridge. Corbridge was an important town in the Middle Ages and received a Charter in 1201.

On the right is a good old traditional pub 'The Black Bull' dating from 1765.

On the right is a good old traditional pub The Black Bull dating from 1765.

Corbridge

The 18th century building of the Black Bull, Middle Street, Corbridge

Corbridge

 

Corbridge Corbridge

Left: Massey's homemade cooking is decent cafe in Middle Street, Corbridge.

Right: Tea & Tipple Cafe on Market Square

 

The centre of Corbridge, Market Square, St Andrew's Parish Church and the market cross.

Corbridge Town: The centre of Corbridge, Market Square, St Andrew's Parish Church and the market cross.

Corbridge

 

Corbridge

The Angel Inn in Main Street for good local food and a fine restaurant

 

Corbridge

Lloyds Bank, Middle Street

 

The Pele Tower by St Andrew's Parish Church, Corbridge, was built around 1300 as a fortified house for the vicar and his family when threatened by attack from?

Corbridge Town: The Pele Tower by St Andrew's Parish Church, once the medieval vicarage of Corbridge, was built from Roman stones from Corstopitum, around 1300 as a fortified house for the vicar and his family when threatened by attack from 'wild' cattle raiding border people. It continued in use and lived in as a fortified vicarage until the early 17th century!

Corbridge

 

Set in the west wall of the churchyard on Watling Street is the Kings Oven, built around 1300, where villagers baked their meat and bread until about 1710.

Corbridge Town: Set in the west wall of the churchyard on Watling Street is the Kings Oven, built around 1300, where villagers baked their meat and bread until about 1710.

 5. Corbridge Town - part 2 - St Andrew's Parish Church

Corbridge

The church was restored in the 11th and 12th centuries including the construction of the Anglian tower. This is a wonderful church to visit and please purchase the excellent guide to the church and its history to help with the upkeep of this historic treasure.

St Andrew's Church, Corbridge: The church was restored in the 11th and 12th centuries including the construction of the Anglian tower. This is a wonderful church to visit and please purchase the excellent guide to the church and its history to help with the upkeep of this historic treasure. The Saxon church was monastic, and the lower parts of the west tower probably date from before AD 786, the year in which a bishop was consecrated in the Monastery of Corbridge.

PLEASE LEAVE A DONATION FOR THE UPKEEP OF THIS WONDERFUL BUILDING.

Corbridge

 

In the modern porch of the south door entrance, you enter the church via the chevron carved Norman archway. The dark stains on the stonework testify to the turbulent history of the town!

St Andrew's Church, Corbridge: In the modern porch of the south door entrance, you enter the church via the chevron carved Norman archway. The dark stains on the stonework testify to the turbulent history of the town!

 

Looking eastwards down the nave to the great chancel arch (12th century) and alter. The nave and aisles show the basic shape and size of the church derived from the building work of the 13th century.

St Andrew's Church, Corbridge: Looking eastwards down the nave to the great chancel arch (12th century) and altar. The nave and aisles show the basic shape and size of the church derived from the building work of the 13th century. The three light east lancet windows can be seen above the altar.

 

St Andrew's Church, Corbridge

Looking east down the nave of St Andrew's Church, Corbridge.

 

Corbridge

?

 

The north aisle and organ.

St Andrew's Church, Corbridge: The north aisle and organ.

 

Looking east down the north aisle.

St Andrew's Church, Corbridge: Looking east down the north aisle - at the end, the curved arch (Romanesque style) of an early Norman 'doorway' built from Roman stones. The small west widow in the tower is Saxon in origin.

 

St Andrew's Church, Corbridge St Andrew's Church, Corbridge

Left: Looking west down through the chancel arch into the nave of St Andrew's Church, Corbridge.

Right: Looking east down through the chancel arch into the chancel and altar of St Andrew's Church, Corbridge.

 

Corbridge

Details of the 'Romanesque' curved arched doorway at the west end of St Andrew's Church.

Corbridge

 

St Andrew's Church, Corbridge

Looking from the north transept across the nave to the south transept of St Andrew's Church, Corbridge.

 

One of the stained glass windows of St Andrew's. The first church was probably built around 674 AD by St Wilfrid's artisans and monks using stone from the ruins of Corstopitum (Roman Corbridge).

St Andrew's Church, Corbridge: One of the stained glass windows of St Andrew's. The first church was probably built around 674 AD by St Wilfrid's artisans and monks using stone from the ruins of Corstopitum (Roman Corbridge).

 

Corbridge Corbridge

19th and 20th century stained glass windows in St Andrew's, Corbridge

St Andrew's Church, CorbridgeSt Andrew's Church, Corbridge

On the right the 2000 Millenium stained glass window given by the Corbridge Parish Council.

 

Corbridge

A pair of shears or scissors along with a cross carved into a coffin lid (cross-slab tombstone), now used a as window lintel in St Andrew's Church. Did this depict the trade of the 'occupant'?

A history of the town of Corbridge

Corbridge is one of the most historic small towns in Northumberland — a place where Anglo‑Saxon, medieval, and post‑medieval layers sit visibly in the streetscape, centred on the remarkable St Andrew’s Parish Church, one of the oldest continuously used churches in England. What follows is a structured, fully grounded account of the town, its history, architecture, and St Andrew’s Church, with only a brief mention of the Roman fort, as you requested.

1. Corbridge: Historical Overview

Early origins

  • Corbridge developed beside the Roman town of Corstopitum, a major supply base on Dere Street, but the medieval town grew slightly to the east around the church.

  • By the 7th century, the area was part of a Northumbrian royal estate.

Anglo‑Saxon and Viking Age

  • St Wilfrid sent monks to Corbridge c. AD 674–786 to establish a church or monastery.

  • Corbridge suffered repeated attacks:

    • AD 875: raided by Danes.

    • 914 & 918: battles between Scots, Danes, and Northumbrians.

Medieval town

  • Received a town charter in 1201, confirming its importance as a market centre.

  • Burned multiple times by Scottish armies:

    • 1296 (William Wallace)

    • 1312 (Robert Bruce)

    • 1346 (David II of Scotland)

  • Despite devastation, the church remained the focal point of settlement.

Post‑medieval development

  • The stone bridge of 1674 became the main Tyne crossing and the only bridge to survive the great flood of 1771.

  • Georgian and Victorian buildings define much of the present streetscape, especially around Market Place, Middle Street, and Main Street.

2. Architectural Character of Corbridge

Corbridge is notable for its honey‑coloured sandstone, narrow lanes, and preserved medieval street pattern.

Key architectural features

  • Market Place: framed by historic inns, shops, and the church.

  • The Black Bull Inn (1765): a classic 18th‑century coaching inn.

  • King’s Oven: a communal medieval bakehouse built c. 1300, set into the west churchyard wall.

  • Vicar’s Pele Tower (c. 1300): a fortified vicarage built from Roman stone, used until the early 17th century.

The town’s architecture reflects its borderland history: fortified structures, thick‑walled houses, and reused Roman masonry.

3. St Andrew’s Parish Church: History and Development

St Andrew’s is the architectural and historical heart of Corbridge — a palimpsest of Saxon, Roman, Norman, Early English, and later medieval work.

3.1 Anglo‑Saxon origins

  • First church founded by monks sent by St Wilfrid in the late 7th century.

  • Surviving elements include:

    • Saxon window at the west end.

    • Remains of an 8th‑century church (c. 774–786).

3.2 Roman stonework

  • The church incorporates substantial masonry from nearby Corstopitum (Roman fort).

  • Most striking is the Roman tower arch, a complete Roman structure dated to c. AD 150, reused as the base of the tower.

3.3 Norman and medieval phases

  • Early 12th century: rebuilding under Henry I’s chaplain Richard d’Orival; insertion of the Norman doorway with zig‑zag moulding.

  • 13th century: major remodelling:

    • Rebuilt chancel

    • Added north nave aisle and north chancel aisle

    • Constructed Early English chancel arch

  • 11th‑century belfry tower sits above the west porch.

3.4 Later history

  • Stones around the Norman doorway are stained pink — traditionally said to be from the 1296 fire during Wallace’s raid.

  • The church has undergone multiple restorations, including modern reordering and the installation of the Millennium Window by Rob Robertson.

4. Interior Highlights of St Andrew’s

Roman tower arch

A unique survival in any English parish church — tall, narrow, and unmistakably Roman.

Saxon features

  • West‑end window

  • Original Saxon entrance in the tower’s west wall

Medieval carvings

  • Shears carving marking a woman’s grave (north transept).

  • 13th‑century grave slab of Hugo son of Aslin.

  • Fragmentary stones inscribed “Here lies Eric”.

Associated structures

  • Vicar’s Pele Tower (14th century): fortified residence for clergy.

  • Hearse House and Lych Gate War Memorial (18th–20th centuries).

5. Why Corbridge Matters

Corbridge is significant because:

  • It preserves a continuous settlement history from the early medieval period.

  • Its streetscape retains medieval and post‑medieval character.

  • St Andrew’s Church is one of the most architecturally layered parish churches in northern England, with:

    • Saxon origins

    • Roman structural elements

    • Norman and Early English work

    • Medieval fortifications

see also

The Roman Town of Corbridge

A walk from Corbridge to Hexham

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