Education

Social History

The ponds are situated in the Upper North Tyne valley, where hamlets and farms sit alongside the vast Forest and Reservoir of Kielder. A century ago it was a remote valley with nothing but a few scattered hill sheep farms, Plashetts village and the nearby coal mine.

The planting of Kielder Forest began in 1926 and grew quickly. It is now the largest commercial forest in England and one of the largest man-made forests in Europe.

Before this, the Border Counties Railway line ran from Scotland down through Kielder, Plashetts and Falstone, continuing down to Bellingham and Hexham. The route is clearly visible beside the far pond, marked by the straight path and railway hut.

As part of a movement to modernise the British Railway system Dr. Beeching decided that many of small rural routes should be axed in order to ÔMake the Railways PayÕ. In advance of this the line closed in 1958 and today the disused path can be seen disappearing into Kielder Water and emerging at the other end of the giant reservoir.

To find out more see:

• Upper North Tynedale - A Northumbrian valley and its people
  Beryl Charlton - 1987
• North Tyne Traveller 1912 - 1937: The Photographs of W.P. Collier of Bellingham
  Selected by S.F. Owen - 1988
• Bellingham North Tynedale & Redesdale
  Ian Roberts & Moira West - 1998