Hartley common fields

Though the shrunken medieval village of Hartley lies in Northumberland, the southern half of its township, roughly between the Seaton Burn in Holywell Dene on the north to south of Brierdene Burn on the south, lies in North Tyneside. Ridge and furrow exists, or has existed, in several places, notably (1) NZ 341 755 at Hartley West Farm, where it was wide and curved, though by 1992 damaged by the new sewer; (2) NZ 348 748 at Hartley East Farm, ploughed out in 1991/2; (3) NZ 332 747 and (4) NZ 327 746 on either side of Crow Hall Farm with, in (3), the apparent remains of a building; (5) NZ 346 738, south of Brierdene Burn; (6) NZ 335 740, around Brierdene Farm. A prominent boundary bank separates Hartley from Holywell, between the Bee Hive Inn, NZ 329 734, and Holywell Dene, NZ 325 747. The open fields were enclosed, and divided into farms, in the early 17th century.