Lambley, Northumberland

Lambley, formerly known as Harper Town, is a village in Northumberland, England about 4mi southwest of Haltwhistle. The village lies adjacent to the River South Tyne. The place name Lambley refers to the "pasture of lambs". Lambley used to be the site of a small convent of Benedictine Nuns, founded by Adam de Tindale and Heloise, his wife, in the 12th century. The Scots led by William Wallace devastated it in 1296. However it was restored and one William Tynedale was ordained priest to the nunnery in about 1508 – probably not William Tyndale, the reformer, as once believed but another man of the same name. At the time of the suppression of religious houses by Henry VIII the nunnery contained six inmates. Nothing now remains but the bell from the nunnery, which hangs in the church, and a few carved stones. The village lies in the Midgeholme Coalfield and there are reserves of good-quality coal remaining. GovernanceLambley is in the parliamentary constituency of Hexham. Lambley is part of the Coanwood Parish Council area. Coal miningThe area has previously been noted for coal mining based at Lambley Colliery. Coal reserves still exist in the area as part of the Midgeholme Coalfield. In 1990 an application was submitted to the County Council to open cast work 33 hectares of land (81. 5 acres) by R and A Young Mining Ltd. , Leadgate, Consett. The application noted the high-quality coal to be mined (low ash and low sulphur content and high calorific value). Although this plan did not go ahead, a recent plan to open cast mine at Halton Lea Gate, a village one mile to the west of Lambley, has opened up the possibility of mining returning to the village. The Halton Lea Gate plan was approved by the government planning inspector in 2012. An amended plan was approved by Northumberland County Council in January 2014.

Lambley, formerly known as Harper Town, is a village in Northumberland, England about 4mi southwest of Haltwhistle. The village lies adjacent to the River South Tyne. The place name Lambley refers to the "pasture of lambs". Lambley used to be the site of a small convent of Benedictine Nuns, founded by Adam de Tindale and Heloise, his wife, in the 12th century. The Scots led by William Wallace devastated it in 1296. However it was restored and one William Tynedale was ordained priest to the nunnery in about 1508 – probably not William Tyndale, the reformer, as once believed but another man of the same name. At the time of the suppression of religious houses by Henry VIII the nunnery contained six inmates. Nothing now remains but the bell from the nunnery, which hangs in the church, and a few carved stones. The village lies in the Midgeholme Coalfield and there are reserves of good-quality coal remaining. GovernanceLambley is in the parliamentary constituency of Hexham. Lambley is part of the Coanwood Parish Council area. Coal miningThe area has previously been noted for coal mining based at Lambley Colliery. Coal reserves still exist in the area as part of the Midgeholme Coalfield. In 1990 an application was submitted to the County Council to open cast work 33 hectares of land (81. 5 acres) by R and A Young Mining Ltd. , Leadgate, Consett. The application noted the high-quality coal to be mined (low ash and low sulphur content and high calorific value). Although this plan did not go ahead, a recent plan to open cast mine at Halton Lea Gate, a village one mile to the west of Lambley, has opened up the possibility of mining returning to the village. The Halton Lea Gate plan was approved by the government planning inspector in 2012. An amended plan was approved by Northumberland County Council in January 2014.