Editing Fenham

{{more citations needed|date=July 2016}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=July 2015}}
{{Use British English|date=July 2015}}
{{Infobox UK place
| static_image_name        = Church of the Holy Cross - geograph.org.uk - 1719596.jpg
| static_image_caption     = Church of the Holy Cross, Fenham
| country                  = England
| official_name            = Fenham
| map_type                 = Tyne and Wear
| coordinates              = {{coord|54.9848|-1.6553|display=inline,title}}
| population               = 10,954
| population_ref           = ''(2011.ward)''<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.neighbourhood.statistics.gov.uk/dissemination/LeadKeyFigures.do?a=7&b=13689603&c=Fenham&d=14&e=62&g=6358317&i=1001x1003x1032x1004&m=0&r=1&s=1436102529312&enc=1|title=Ward population 2011|access-date=5 July 2015|archive-date=14 July 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150714012729/http://www.neighbourhood.statistics.gov.uk/dissemination/LeadKeyFigures.do?a=7&b=13689603&c=Fenham&d=14&e=62&g=6358317&i=1001x1003x1032x1004&m=0&r=1&s=1436102529312&enc=1|url-status=dead}}</ref>
| metropolitan_borough     = [[Newcastle upon Tyne]]
| metropolitan_county      = [[Tyne and Wear]]
| region                   = North East England
| constituency_westminster = [[Newcastle upon Tyne Central (UK Parliament constituency)|Newcastle upon Tyne Central]]
| post_town                = NEWCASTLE UPON TYNE
| postcode_district        = NE4
| postcode_area            = NE
| dial_code                = 0191
| os_grid_reference        = NZ220656
}}
  
'''Fenham''' is an area of the west-end of [[Newcastle upon Tyne]], in the county of [[Tyne and Wear]], England. It lies to the west of the city centre, and is bounded on the north and east by a large area of open land known as the [[Town Moor, Newcastle upon Tyne|Town Moor]]. To the south lies [[Benwell]], West Denton lies to the west, [[Blakelaw]] and [[Cowgate, Newcastle upon Tyne|Cowgate]] to the north, and [[Arthur's Hill]] and [[Spital Tongues]] to the east. Until 1974 it was in [[Northumberland]].

As of 2018, the area covers two [[ward (politics)|ward]]s of Newcastle: Wingrove Ward, and West Fenham Ward.

Fenham grew up as a separate township from Newcastle, lying on the western outskirts of the city. Much of the land originally belonged to religious charitable institutions, and there are covenant restrictions on the building of any licensed premises.

==History==
Fenham was part of the manor of [[Elswick, Tyne and Wear|Elswick]] in the [[English feudal barony|Barony]] of [[Bolam, Northumberland|Bolam]] until the lands were passed into the ownership of the [[Knights Templar]] in 1185.<ref name="TWSmanor">{{cite web|title=Fenham grange or manor|url=http://twsitelines.info/SMR/1350|website=SiteLines|access-date=6 May 2017}}</ref> Following the suppression of the Templars in 1307 the manor of Fenham was transferred to the [[Knights Hospitaller]] in 1313. In the intervening years it is recorded that coal mines on the site were leased to the town's [[Newcastle City Council|Corporation]].<ref name="TWScoalmines">{{cite web|title=Fenham coal mines|url=http://twsitelines.info/SMR/1351|website=SiteLines|access-date=6 May 2017}}</ref>

Fenham was formerly a [[Township (England)|township]] in the parish of [[Newcastle-St. Andrew]],<ref>{{cite web|url=https://visionofbritain.org.uk/place/9157|title=History of Fenham, in Newcastle upon Tyne and Northumberland|publisher=[[A Vision of Britain through Time]]|accessdate=30 January 2024}}</ref> in 1866 Fenham became a separate [[civil parish]], on 1 April 1914 the parish was abolished to form Newcastle upon Tyne.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://visionofbritain.org.uk/unit/10315633|title=Relationships and changes Fenham CP/Tn through time|publisher=A Vision of Britain through Time|accessdate=30 January 2024}}</ref> In 1911 the parish had a population of 1049.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://visionofbritain.org.uk/unit/10315633/cube/TOT_POP|title=Population statistics Fenham CP/Tn through time|publisher=A Vision of Britain through Time|accessdate=30 January 2024}}</ref> It is now in the [[unparished area]] of Newcastle upon Tyne.

===Fenham Hall===
Fenham Hall has its origins in the 14th century. Surrendered by the Hospitallers to [[the Crown]] at the [[Reformation]], it was granted initially to the Riddell family before being acquired (along with much of the surrounding land) by the Ords in 1695. The present building was begun by John Ord in 1744; following his death the following year it was continued by his brother [[William Ord of Fenham|William]]. The Hall was expanded and rebuilt over subsequent decades, and now shows various stages of architectural development; the interior was gutted by fire in 1908.<ref name="NHLE">{{NHLE|num=1320395|desc=ST MARY'S TRAINING COLLEGE ADMINISTRATION BLOCK AND CHAPEL|access-date=12 November 2019}}</ref> (Three years earlier the hall had been purchased as a school.)

<gallery widths="200px">
File:Fenham Hall, later St Mary's College (South façade).jpg|South front (1748 by [[Daniel Garrett]]). The pediment displays the Ord family coat of arms.
File:Fenham Hall, later St Mary's College (North façade).jpg|North front, attributed to [[William Newton (architect, 1730–1798)|William Newton]] (late 18th or early 19th century).
File:Fenham Hall, later St Mary's College (East façade).jpg|East front (c.1850, architect unknown).
</gallery>

====St Mary's College====
[[File:St Mary's College, former lecture block.jpg|thumb|Fenham Hall: extension to the west by [[Leonard Stokes]] (1907, for St Mary's College).]]
In 1905 Fenham Hall was purchased by the [[Society of the Sacred Heart]] to house a secondary school and a Teacher Training College: St Mary's.<ref name="NHLE"/>  The hall itself accommodated the convent and dormitories; further buildings were added for the school and lecture rooms. The Training College closed in 1984, but [[Sacred Heart Catholic High School, Newcastle upon Tyne|Sacred Heart Catholic High School]] remains. Since the closure of St Mary's College the Hall and associated buildings have served as student accommodation for [[Newcastle University]].<ref>{{cite web|title=St Mary's College of Education, Fenham|url=http://www.tyneandweararchives.org.uk/DServe2/dserve.exe?dsqIni=Dserve.ini&dsqApp=Archive&dsqCmd=Show.tcl&dsqDb=Catalog&dsqPos=0&dsqSearch=(RefNo=%27E.NC82%27)|website=Tyne & Wear Archives Service|access-date=9 May 2017}}{{Dead link|date=April 2024 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}</ref>

===Fenham Barracks===
{{main|Fenham Barracks}}
[[File:Former Fenham Barracks (Sergeants' Mess with Officers' Mess beyond).jpg|thumb|left|Fenham Barracks: surviving blocks of 1804 (officers' quarters and officers' mess); now student accommodation.]]
[[Fenham Barracks]] was built in 1804-06 by James Johnson and John Saunders (architects at the Barrack Department of the [[War Office]]) on an 11-acre portion of the [[Town Moor, Newcastle upon Tyne|Town Moor]] leased from the Newcastle [[Freedom of the City#United Kingdom|Freemen]]. Some ten years earlier, the [[Lord Mayor]] of Newcastle had written to the [[Home Secretary]] expressing local fears of [[sedition]] in the wake of the [[French Revolution]].<ref name="TWSbarracks">{{cite web|title=Fenham Barracks|url=http://twsitelines.info/SMR/4093|website=SiteLines|publisher=Tyne & Wear Historic Environment Record|access-date=9 May 2017}}</ref> The [[barracks]] initially housed units of [[cavalry]] and [[artillery]] (capable of being deployed locally, as well as overseas during the [[Napoleonic Wars]]).<ref name="Faulkner&c2006">{{cite book|last1=Faulkner, Beacock & Jones|title=Newcastle & Gateshead: Architecture and Heritage|date=2006|publisher=Bluecoat Press|location=Liverpool}}</ref> Two-storey barrack blocks accommodated the men upstairs and the horses below.

In the 1870s the site was expanded to the north, with the addition of a hospital and other amenities, in the wake of the [[Cardwell Reforms]] (which also saw Fenham designated as the [[regimental depot]] of both the [[Northumberland Fusiliers]] and the [[Durham Light Infantry]]). Several of the old barracks blocks were demolished in the 1930s. There was further (almost comprehensive) demolition in the 1970s, when the northern part of the site was redeveloped by the Freemen to provide industrial units, a headquarters for the national [[Blood Transfusion Service]] and a new [[BBC]] Broadcasting Centre (for [[BBC Radio Newcastle]] and [[BBC Look North (North East and Cumbria)|BBC Look North]]); proceeds of the sale help fund the maintenance of the Town Moor.<ref>{{cite web|title=Freemen of Newcastle-upon-Tyne|url=http://www.freemenofnewcastle.org/about.html|access-date=9 May 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170325105857/http://www.freemenofnewcastle.org/about.html|archive-date=25 March 2017|url-status=dead}}</ref> Part of the site remains in military hands and it serves as headquarters for local [[Army Reserve (United Kingdom)|Army Reserve]] units.

===Modern developments===
[[File:Church of St James and St Basil, Fenham, Newcastle-upon-Tyne.jpg|thumb|The Church of St James and St Basil on Fenham Hall Drive]]
In 1895 Benwell and Fenham Urban District was created; in 1904 the area was incorporated into Newcastle upon Tyne.

Fenham did not become a residential area until the 20th century. Housing was built on a large scale when tram lines were extended from Central Station via Barrack Road.  Further expansion was facilitated by the development of trolley buses and bus links to Westerhope.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://fenham.newcastle.gov.uk/|title=Your Details - for your ward|work=newcastle.gov.uk|access-date=12 December 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150421032208/http://fenham.newcastle.gov.uk/|archive-date=21 April 2015|url-status=dead|df=dmy-all}}</ref> The Fenham Estates Company undertook residential development and by 1914 both sides Of Fenham Hall Drive had been built up; building continued in Wingrove Avenue, Wingrove Road and Wingrove Gardens up to 1920. The majority of house building up to 1940 was by private builders. City corporation building occurred after 1920 when there was a sale of Blackett-Ord lands and funding became available to purchase and develop areas around Silver Lonnen.<ref>{{Cite book|title=Fenham, Spital Tongues and Cowgate: Miscellaneous Articles|last=Newcastle City Council City Libraries|publisher=Newcastle City Council City Libraries: Local Studies reference L942.82 N537F|url=https://libraries.newcastle.gov.uk/cgi-bin/koha/opac-detail.pl?biblionumber=248453&query_desc=kw%2Cwrdl%3A%20L942.82%20N537F|pages=7–8}}{{Dead link|date=April 2024 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}</ref>

During the 1930s, a period of significant residential development and expansion, two churches opened in Fenham: the [[Arts & Crafts]] Church of St James and St Basil (architect: E. E. Lofting) was consecrated on 6 June 1931, having been funded by [[Sir James Knott, 1st Baronet|Sir James Knott]] in memory of his sons, James and Basil, killed in the [[First World War]];<ref>{{cite web|title=History|url=http://www.jamesbasilfenham.org.uk/about-us/history/|website=St James and St Basil|access-date=8 May 2017}}</ref> the [[Modern architecture|modernist]] Holy Cross Church (architect: Henry Hicks) was consecrated on [[Holy Cross Day]] 1936, having been funded by local landowner John Reginald [[Blackett-Ord]].<ref>{{cite web|title=History|url=http://www.fenhamholycrosschurch.co.uk/history.html|website=Holy Cross Fenham|access-date=8 May 2017|archive-date=2 August 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170802082829/http://www.fenhamholycrosschurch.co.uk/history.html|url-status=dead}}</ref>

==Local amenities==
Fenham possesses a [[public library]] on Fenham Hall Drive.<ref>{{Cite web | url=https://www.newcastle.gov.uk/leisure-libraries-and-tourism/libraries/branch-libraries-and-opening-hours/fenham-library |title = Fenham Library &#124; Newcastle City Council}}</ref> It is a Grade II listed building.<ref>{{NHLE|num=1115497|desc=BRANCH LIBRARY|access-date=12 November 2019}}</ref> In December 2018 a drug and alcohol rehabilitation centre was opened in the library building. This has faced opposition from the Fenham Library Action Group (FLAG) and local residents; a petition against the development attracted 3,000 signatures.<ref>{{Cite news | url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-tyne-46512202 | title=Controversial library rehab hub opens| work=BBC News| date=11 December 2018}}</ref> Fenham has an active residents group called Fenham Association of Residents that launched the FAR Community Centre in 2001. The FAR Community Centre offers activities for all age groups offering activities aimed at helping residents improve their self-esteem and skills. There was also a public [[swimming pool]], since August 2005 run as a community organisation.  The pool was shut in 2003,<ref name="bbc.co.uk">{{Cite news|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-tyne-49056673|title = Fenham swimming pool to close amid falling numbers|work = BBC News|date = 20 July 2019}}</ref>  but in 2004 the [[Liberal Democrats (UK)|Liberal Democrats]] took control of [[Newcastle City Council]] from [[Labour Party (UK)|Labour]]; one of their pledges was to re-open Fenham pool, which was achieved with substantial financial backing from residents of the local community.{{citation needed|date=July 2016}} The pool was closed in July 2019.

The main local schools include Westgate Community College on West Road, Saint Cuthberts RC High School on Gretna Road and Sacred Heart RC High School. There are also some private schools situated in Fenham, one is [[Dame Allan's School, Newcastle upon Tyne|Dame Allan's]] on Fowberry Crescent.<ref>{{Cite news|date=2019-07-20|title=Fenham swimming pool to close amid falling numbers|language=en-GB|work=BBC News|url=https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-england-tyne-49056673|access-date=2021-07-31}}</ref>

==Ethnic minority==
Today Fenham is best known in the local area for its large Asian community, with many of the businesses in the area being Asian-owned and including many specialty stores such as a [[halal]] butchers and Asian jewellery and clothing stores. There are many ethnic minority groups living side by side in Fenham, with a significant number of people being of either [[British Pakistanis|Pakistani]] or [[British Bangladeshi|Bangladeshi]] origin.

==Councillors==
There are three councillors for the Fenham electoral ward: Helen McStravick, Matthew Myers and Marion Talbot, who all represent the Labour Party. Marion Talbot won election in May 2012, securing 1735 votes and beating her nearest rival, PJ Morrissey, on 643 votes. Talbot has since been elected to an Executive post of Performance and Resources Portfolio.

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20050316193931/http://www.newcastle.gov.uk/pr.nsf/a/wardinfoindex Census results for the wards of Newcastle]
* [http://www.fenhampool.talktalk.net/ Fenham Pool] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111109232153/http://www.fenhampool.talktalk.net/ |date=9 November 2011 }}
* [http://home.freeuk.net/timarchive/html/fenham.htm Photographic tour]
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20060823114417/http://www.stroberts-fenham.org.uk/ St Roberts Roman Catholic Church]
* [https://archive.today/20121224040434/http://jamesandbasil.org.uk/ St James and St Basil(Church of England) Church]
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20060827014920/http://www.blakelawnorthfenhamparishcouncil.gov.uk/ Blakelaw and North Fenham Parish Council]
* [http://www.farcentre.org.uk Fenham Association of Residents FAR]
* [http://www.fenhamlife.org.uk Fenham Life, from people of Fenham]{{dead link|date=December 2017 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}

{{Authority control}}

[[Category:Districts of Newcastle upon Tyne]]
[[Category:Wards of Newcastle upon Tyne]]
[[Category:Former civil parishes in Tyne and Wear]]