The 18th - 19th Century Remodelling Of The Villages : Conclusions

By the latter half of the 19th century both Kirknewton and Westnewton were essentially centred on one or two large farms with associated rows of cottages for the farm's workforce. The development and functioning of this kind of integrated north Northumbrian farmstead, between the mid 18th- early 20th century, has recently been comprehensively analysed by the Royal Commission on the Historic Monuments of England (Barnwell & Giles 1997, 66-93).

Both villages were dignified by the presence a very large farmhouse or small country house set apart in its own grounds, but Kirknewton was clearly the more significant of the two settlements, a legacy of its long history as a parochial centre.

In addition to the church and the associated vicarage, there was a school and, from the early 20th century, a post office at the north-east corner of the village, making it very much the centre for this part of Glendale. As a result, the railway station on the Alnwick-Cornhill line, opened in 1887, bore Kirknewton's name, though in truth it was only marginally closer to Kirknewton than it was to Westnewton, and, by the standards of many other stations built in the same period, was relatively well sited to serve both communities (see The Alnwick and Cornhill Railway).