A two-storey air raid shelter was archaeologically recorded here before demolition in 1998. The exterior walls were stone and brick built, with a concrete render on the roadside elevation. The floor and roof were of reinforced concrete. The shelter was supplied with a louvred ventilator.

The schools acted as ARP premises. There was a first aid post at the central school, and a dam provided an emergency water supply. The former open air school was used as an emergency rest and feeding centre, able to provide breakfast and tea and hot mid-day meals. It is therefore little surprise that the schools were equipped with air raid shelters. A plan of April 1940, deposited with the Northumberland Record Office by Mauchlen and Weightman of Saville Row, Newcastle, shows sixteen proposed shelters, of two types, each could accommodate 45 children. A similar plan shows eight proposed shelters at Heaton School, which could accommodate 60 children.

There are three craters in Chopwell Woods - two close together on the north-west side of a forest track at NZ 129 572 and the third on the south-east side of the track at NZ 130 572. The bombs fell at 11.36pm BST on Sunday 12th October 1941. Presumably they were dumped from a plane returning from a raid elsewhere in the country as there were no raids on the North-East that night. The craters provide a unique wildlife habitat and are protected as a Site of Nature Conservation Importance (SNCI).

The bomb was dropped at 3.30am DST (Double Summer Time) on Friday 1st May 1942 during an air raid which affected many parts of the north east. There were some 40 fatalities in the region that night, and widespread damage. The crater survives in a field between the A694 and the Derwent Walk. It lies immediately south-west of an electricity pylon. Best seen at end of year when reeds grow in it.

There was a huge shelter under Wilkinson’s lemonade factory. It could hold up to 210 people. The shelter had three rooms, one was a smoking room, and each was equipped with bunk beds. Critically the ceiling was not reinforced and so at 11.12pm on Saturday May 3rd 1941, when a single bomb directly hit the shelter, 105 people were killed, 41 of whom were children. However, Ellen Lee, the ARP warden for the shelter bravely rescued 32 people from the explosion, despite having been badly burnt herself. It was the worst bombing incident in this part of the country during World War Two.

An attractive heart to the village. Wild (2004) suggests that the characteristic green villages of Northumberland date back to the reconstruction of settlement in the aftermath of the Norman Conquest and the 'harrying of the north'. The greens originally had a defensive function to protect livestock against Scottish raiders. The wide open space in the centre of the village could also be used for fairs, markets, for grazing animals and a meeting space (Rowley and Wood, 2000, 41). Dwellings were often built around the green, with a common forge, bakehouse, pinfold, smithy, alehouse, stocks, spring or pond on the green itself (Roberts 1977, 146). A cross dated 1795 marked a meeting place at Ryton for farm labourers at the beginning of the hiring seasons in May and November. Riotous fairs were held on the green but were abandoned after 1866. STATEMENT OF SIGNIFICANCE
The Village green played an important social and economic role within the community of Ryton. It was the common land around which the buildings were gathered – often historically where animals could be sheltered in times of danger. Aside from the church, it was the centre of the community both in physical terms and in terms of activity, and most of the big events in the village calendar would take place here. These included the Hirings (an opportunity for servants to find work, and the wealthier villagers to employ new servants), the May Day celebrations (a pre-Christian festival that had been important in the culture of England for centuries), including maypole dancing, and perhaps the election of a May queen, and the village fair (after the population increased sufficiently to prevent the use of the constricted churchyard). Despite the important and ancient church, it was also the scene of some occasions of religious importance, as both John and Charles Wesley preached here (Charles on several occasions). 'Green Villages' were a common village form, where houses were clustered around a central green of common land. They had often been introduced after the Norman Conquest in the 11th century, but there is also evidence of 'village' greens in Anglo-Saxon settlements, and even at Romano-British sites.
The triangular form of the green is typical, as villages were often located at the meeting of three roads, and the historic mapping indicates that the positioning of the path through the green has been retained on the same trajectory since at least the mid 19th century. The mature trees also add to the interest of the space – offering a place for birds to inhabit as well as shelter for passing pedestrians. The green is a rare survival in the borough, and of crucial importance as the crux of the medieval settlement of Ryton (Ryton old village), for group value with the surviving buildings, as an attractive area of green open space, as the setting for these building, and in particular the old village cross, and for its historical associations. ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
Hirings
Annually there was the hirings that took place on the Friday before the 12th May and 22nd November. The village was cleaned up all the houses were whitewashed and painted. The purpose of the hirings was to bring the community together for a village fair, and for the villagers to hire servants. The servants for hire would stand around the market cross and wear a green sprig either in their hat if they were male, and the females would carry a sprig or would attach it to their clothing. The hirings would have also attracted jugglers and minstrels. There were stalls set up from the village green to the Jolly fellows where sweets and the hirings would attract people from surrounding villages, and would carry until dusk. The dancing would then carry on and move into rooms above the local pubs, it was tradition to give the fiddler and tin whistler a penny a tune. The hirings continued in Ryton until 1866. It is not sure when they started again but could have been around the early seventies late sixties, until the eighties.
The Village Fair
The village fairs were first held in the churchyard on the anniversary of the founding of the church. The fairs involved jugglers and dancers and stalls selling local produce. The fairs became popular and had to be moved on to the village green, because of the number of people attending.
The Open Spaces Society states that in 2005 there were about 3,650 registered greens in England and about 220 in Wales. FUTURE RECOMMENDATIONS
In order to safeguard the future of the green, it would be positive if a programme of events were developed to encourage regular use and appreciation. (As the current situation is not known, this may already be taking place). LOCAL LIST

This war memorial was formerly on the Gateshead local list with the following description:
Unveiled on Oct 22nd 1921, this is a small, triangular shaped memorial garden with a polished granite memorial column in the centre. The monument was erected at a cost of £275 by public subscription. The low wall and railings were erected shortly after the ceremony by Stella Coal Company. The column is square on plan with a stepped base. Above it is a cornice below a triangulated capstone, topped by a decorative, draped urn. To the front (north) face WWI deaths are commemorated, with WWII deaths commemorated on a side (east) face. A cherry (?) tree grows between the memorial and one of the surrounding walls, which are of brick with concrete copings. Low, white painted iron railings with decorative details top the walls. There are small, robust stone gate piers to the entrance.
STATEMENT OF SIGNIFICANCE
The memorial garden is very small, but makes an important contribution to the Conservation Area in which it is set. It has its own unique character created by the singular shape of the plot and the combination of treatments to the boundary which are only semi-formal – the whole composition being a peaceful setting for the memorial. The stone is unusual and of high quality, with the urn carving well-executed. It creates a small oasis within the village, and the seat outside enables people to enjoy the space. Restored 2008. LISTED GRADE II

Steep sided wooded dene on the eastern edge of Blaydon Bank Conservation Area. Has a secluded character. Has suffered from misuse and vandalism. Contains a Cowen fountain (HER 7595). STATEMENT OF SIGNIFICANCE
This attractive natural feature enhances the local area greatly, and has long been used as a recreational opportunity. Historically there was a quarry to the southern end, but this was gradually incorporated within the leisure space. It is a deeply incised dene, sloping steeply from the southern entrance, with dense tree cover and some shrub planting beneath in an informal arrangement. On the historic mapping there are representations of different tree forms, indicating that the character of trees was historically wide ranging, and included evergreens as well as deciduous trees, and probably broadleaf species as well as smaller ones. In the summer, when the trees are in leaf, they form quite a dense canopy overhead, so that the highly built-up area surrounding is all but shut out – creating a quiet woodland effect. Whilst its recreational potential seems to have been exploited for as long as there have been inhabitants nearby, the site appears to have been subject to the landscaping efforts of the Edwardians, as there is a distinct change shown on the 3rd edition OS map from the 2nd edition. Some wonderful old photographs show a well-tended space, with the trees opened out to some degree, and the mapping shows that the tree belt had been extended further down the dene (perhaps as a restoration of what was understood as the historic extent of tree cover). A network of paths was woven through the dene, creating sunlit walkways, and benches sited at the edges offered restful spots for elegant ladies and excited children. Bridges and shelters were provided in the popular ‘rustic’ style, fashioned out of unworked branches lathed together in a lattice form. The areas between the paths were terraced, and planted with ornamental flowerbeds and rockeries. All appears very clean and neat, which is a disappointing contrast to the present situation, as the dene is now extremely vulnerable to vandalism and litter problems. In particular, the Cowen fountain has been extensively targeted and is in poor condition. Some railings (of different forms) remain to parts of the perimeter, which are likely to date from the Edwardian period, but the bridges and shelters have gone. The dene has long served the recreational needs of the local population, and it will surely make a positive contribution to this, as well as the historic, landscape and wildlife interest of the area, into the future. The dene was the location of a warden’s post during WWII. FUTURE RECOMMENDATIONS
The dene is a great asset to the area, and a very attractive feature. However, presently its contribution is compromised to some extent by the problems presented by litter and vandalism. Investigation into possible solutions to these problems would not only be most welcome, and ensure that the dene remains an attractive space into the future, but also encourage greater appreciation and use of it as a resource by the local community. DATES Landscaped early 20th century? LOCAL LIST

This genteel, mature and generously sized private park, for the residents of Albert Drive, was created in honour of Prince Albert. It was laid out after much of the street had been developed, during 1904-5, and was clearly indicative of elevated aspirations for the development. Private parks for squares and crescents had been a popular feature of Georgian development, but had become less common as public parks emerged. The early part of the drive was planned in 1875, with attractive stone houses (also on the local list) facing west, with the favoured aspect towards the Ravensworth Estate. These were followed by the terrace to the south of the park, so that when the park was established the upper rooms of all the houses (including Myrtle Grove to the north) would have enjoyed an outlook over it. These houses were also constructed with attic rooms, so that the views would be maximised. It is uncertain whether the final layout was the original conception, but since the houses to the south were built so set back it would indicate that the park was planned at least when these were built. It is unusual in having survived all the development pressure over the years to remain a private park – an oasis of peace in a very densely built up area. When constructed, the park had a shelter towards the lower, western end, and the paths were apparently laid out in a geometric pattern with stone edging. The use of stone was continued through the design, with much rockery style planting, interspersed with, and encompassed by trees. The ironwork surrounding the park was presumably removed for the war effort, but 2 gates, with simplified fleur de lys style finials remain. These are apparently original, but now sit between lengths of modern timber palisading. Now the park has a more informal character – the paths have grassed over, and whilst some beds still contain pieces of stone, there are no full ‘rockery’ areas. The enclosing trees are now mature, so give shelter and a restful feeling, and the mature shrubs add a depth to the planting. Species include evergreens that can provide structure to the planting, including laurel, and some traditional privet is also present. The park will give a home to wildlife in the area, and despite its private nature, it offers a large and important contribution to open space, and a natural backdrop to development in the Low Fell Conservation Area. FUTURE RECOMMENDATIONS
Further investigation into the original designs for the park could provide valuable insight, and possibly lead to the reinstatement of paths through the park. It could also be positive if consideration could be given to reinstating railings around the edge of the park. USES Private Park MATERIALS Wrought iron, sandstone
SPECIES Various trees and shrubs including Privet and Laurel DATES 1904-5 LOCAL LIST

Snecked tooled rubble. MATERIALS Sandstone DATES 1898 LOCAL LIST