Ryton Conservation Area

Designated on 14 November 1972. Ryton Conservation Area embraces an old agricultural village, Victorian suburban extensions and wooded slopes to the River Tyne. The first documented reference to Ryton is in the Boldon Buke of 1183 (HER 629). Holy Cross Church (HER 628) was built in the C13. Development continued through the medieval and post medieval periods. In C19 Ryton's scenic beauty combined with the coming of the railway in 1835, attracted wealthy businessmen who lived in fine houses. In the later C19 the village grew extensively as a suburb and its focus moved to Lane Head following the construction of a realigned main road to Hexham (HER 3628). The village core has a sloping and wooded village green (HER 7674) with a village cross (HER 316). On the west side of the green is Ye Olde Cross public house and Cross House (HER 8328). The north side is bordered by Rectory Cottages and Cross Terrace. To the south lie the White House (HER 8357) and Town Farmhouse (HER 8239). To the north-west of the green are the church (HER 628) and the rectory (HER 1480). West of the green on Barmoor Lane is a terrace of four C18 stone cottages (HER 8194, 8359, 7641 and 8178. West of these are two substantial brick houses (HER 8329). The street ends with Dene Head House. To the west of this is a stone pinfold (HER 8331). Further west again is East Grange, a C19 working farm. The south side of Barmoor Lane is flanked by a high stone wall. At the western end of Barmoor Lane are a number of small cottages irregularly laid out. The buildings east of the green are largely C19 in date. On Elvaston Road is the exhuberent Jolly Fellows public house. The Grove (HER 8241) is a very large Georgian house with an attractive lodge (HER 7640). On the south side of the road is a former Victorian shopping parade, now converted to residential use. Further east along Elvaston Road the buildings are plainer, smaller and more rustic. Exceptions to this are the Half Moon public house and the Ryton Country Hotel. The Lawns (HER 7639) is a substantial stone building now in residential use. At the northern end of Whitewell Lane are a series of small C18 houses (HER 7653, 1807, 7654). In Victorian times, the village expanded south and west with terraces and villas. At the west end is the substantial St. Mary's Terrace. On Main Road there is a variety of detached and semi-detached stone villas with impressive entrances, gateposts and dormer windows. South of the village core are Whitewell Lane, Grange Road, Ashfield Terrace and Wallace Terrace. Balgonie House is an unusual 1930s dwelling. Ryton Towers (HER 11938) stands in wooded grounds. Ferndene Park (HER 7670) is a traditional municipal park, named after Fern Dene, a Gothic mansion. Six modern houses have been built in the grounds. Other Victorian survivals are The Ryton Hotel (HER 6121) and South Grange Farm (HER 7537). The methodist church (HER 7489) dominates the crossroads. Grange Road is a tree-lined avenue with two pairs of 1960s semi-detached houses, two undistinguished Victorian terraces and six pairs of semi-detached Edwardian houses in large gardens. To the north of the old village are extensive wooded slopes to the river. Middle Wood was originally attached to The Grove and contains some non-native trees, plants and a former curling pond. Hall Banks and Church Dene contain forest trees.