Alwinton : Layout Of The Village And Township

Alwinton is a bifocal township, with the main village settlement being located to the north at High Alwinton - usually referred to simply as Alwinton - whilst a much smaller hamlet, clustered around St Michael's Church, stands half a mile to the south at Low Alwinton, beside the confluence of the Coquet and the Alwin.

This arrangement already features on Armstrong's map of Northumberland, printed in 1769, the earliest which shows anything more than a schematic settlement symbol. It can confidently be traced back as early as 1580, when the Muster Roll of that year refers for the first time to the separate settlements of Over and Nether Alwinton (CBP I, 20-23), and there is every likelihood that this also reflects the medieval layout of Alwinton.

There was certainly a church on the present site of St Michael's at Low Alwinton from at least the 12th century, the date of the earliest surviving remains in the chancel of the existing building. In contrast the topography at High Alwinton, on the edge of a river terrace, is more suitable for the site of a village than that at Low Alwinton and the main medieval settlement was probably located at the former, as is the modern village.

Picture : View Of Alwinton