An introduction to Plenmeller with Whitfield

Open heather cloaked fells and moorland and deep, lush hidden valleys lie within the 24 square miles of the area. The parish is named after the two hamlets of the same name and a further small settlement of Bears Bridge nestles in the dale of the river West Allen. Plenmeller was known as “Playnmelor” in the 13th century and the name probably derives from the Celtic “blain+mel+brez” meaning “top of the bare hill” and Whitfield from the Old English for “white open land”.

Whitfield has a parish church, a C of E first school and nursery facilities. Whitfield post office and newsagent and an inn serving food are all located at Bears Bridge.

The rural parish offers traditional stone clad dwellings, farmhouses and farm conversions. Main activities in the area are now leisure, farming and management of the grouse moors. Mining was once the main industry and up until the late 1990s Plenmeller Moor was the site of a gigantic open-cast coal pit.

Selected Links

• The Hexham Courant [http://www.hexham-courant.co.uk/]
• Northumberland County Council [http://www.northumberland.gov.uk]
• Northumberland Tourist Board [http://www.ntb.org.uk]

Local Information Categories for Whitfield

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