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Ropehaugh
Ropehaugh maps
Historic maps of Ropehaugh and the local area, hand-drawn by Ordnance Survey and Samuel Lewis. View all Ropehaugh maps
Ropehaugh photos
We have no photos of Ropehaugh, although we do have photos of these nearby places:
Allenheads| Cowshill| Wearhead| Ireshopeburn| St Johns Chapel| Rookhope| Daddry Shield| Allendale| Westgate| Eastgate
Ropehaugh area books
Displaying 1 of 3 books about Ropehaugh and the local area. View all books for this area
You can read extracts and browse photos from these books.
Memories of Ropehaugh
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Northumberland memories
Our Home For 30+ Years
Mam and Dad, Lizzie and Edwin Ridley, moved into Slaghill (the cottage on the right of the picture) in 1948 when I was 3 years old. Dad died there in December 1978 and Mam moved up to Chapel Cottages soon afterwards. There were 3 of us children living there originally - Margaret, Yvonne and myself. My 2 elder brothers Lloyd and Norman had already left for the Army. Maurice came along in 1950 by which time my sisters had gone to Brownrigg Camp school in Bellingham.
There was no water or electricity in the house until 1961, water came in a bucket from the iron spring on the other side of the road and the light from a parafin lamp, later, a tilley lamp. We had a coal fire in the living room which Dad lit every morning before setting off to the limestone quarry behind the house where he worked as a shot-blaster. We also had a fireplace in the big bedroom upstairs which was lit only... Read more
Mrs Brown's Shop
Mrs Brown's shop, at the far left of the picture, is where Mam used to take us for our weekly treat on a Saturday - to choose some sweets from a large selection in a line of big glass jars with ornate lids. Mrs Brown would put them in the shiny pan on her scales, adding the little bronze weights on the balance to get the exact weight, 2ozs of this and 4ozs of that and then tip them into paper bags for us. The front door opened into an ante-room with locked cupboards then you turned right into the shop. The bell at the top of the door jangled to alert her that she had a customer. The shop is long gone now, it was sold and turned into a private house.
The Falls
I spent many happy hours here, and our house was just up the road from here so I didn't have far to go and have great fun.
Allenheads School
I have so many memories of Allenheads School: Major, George Nixon's dog, (brother of our dog, Judy) turning up at school each day, sitting in the classroom and having his lunch with us. I remember the snow, building forts and igloos and the snowball fights. Miss Wright turning our coats on the fireguard to get them dried ready for us to go out and play again. In the summer we often played in the woods behind the school but wherever we were we could always hear the school bell. Oh, and those outside toilets! One thing I could never remember was who took me to school on my first day. Last year I met Billy Robson. He reminded me that we started school on the same day in 1954 and Evelyn Ridley took us both - she was one of the older pupils.
Such happy school years
1964 To 1987 In Shield Street
I Lived at 2 shield Street between 1964 and 1987 the people who lived in the street are all gone now but they were true Allerdonians.
Anyone reading this will remember the likes of Jack & Peggy Warwick , Billy Pringle & Marion & the lads , Mr Brown at the chemist and Not Forgeting My Dad Ian Dodd Who worked for Ridleys Transport. But who could forget Jenny and Vester Charlton at the shop and then Tommy Sheild who had the Hotel Who we have sadly lost in 2007, my best memory of him would be when I sprayed him with his own hosepipe in his green house when he cought me and grenville watering his plants we didn't half cop for it !!!!! The Days were Priceless' God Bless .
e mail me leedodd@hotmail.co.uk
The Street Where L Was Born
l was born in the flat above the chemist shop in 1947. Arthur Walker was the pharmacist. We moved over the road to Cross Keys House in 1950 and lived there till 1965. The street was my playground, with best friend Marion Warwick and Nigel Hutchinson, the Philipson brothers from next door to Charlton's shop ,and all my cousins, Nixons. The cattle wagon bringing the beasts to the butcher shop for Fred was an exciting viewing, swinging on the railings.
Across the road, the magic of the toys in Charlton's shop, the smell of the paraffin stove, and the Rozalex barrier cream that Vester rubbed on her hands.
l lost a shilling in the snow outside the chemist shop one Friday night, and shovelled like mad, to no avail. No cinema that night!
l worked as a waitress in the Heatherlea from 1962. Loved all the visitors coming up on the bus from Shields. Perhaps they remember Mary with the big beehive hair.
l also helped at Lawrence Dodd's dairy... Read more
Laddie
The little dog crossing the road was called Laddie. He belonged to Lawrence and Peggy Dodd and is on his way home to Selah House and the dairy. l used to help with the milk delivery and would sit on a milk churn and sing to Laddie. He always joined in and we made a lovely racket between us!!
The island as it was called was a great place for roller skating with friends.
The Hotspur has memories of a dentist practice, then a club where my parents and family all had great sing songs round the piano. George Ford, a bus driver from Allenheads, would entertain, and my brother in law, George Wilkinson from Sherriff Hill in Gateshead. He would come to Allendale with a humble tent and camp with all his mates up Wooley Bank.
My Uncle George Garry lived in the top flat in The Hotspur for a while with his wife Iris and 2 children. I used to babysit up there.
Lastly my cousins ran a... Read more
