History
With the name ‘Spen’ first appearing in record in 1379, it has been hard to discern its true origins, although the best guess is that it means ‘hedge’ or ‘fence’ and it was used as a boundary between the Manors of…

High Spen is an old mining village in the Metropolitan Borough of Gateshead, historically part of County Durham, England. First recorded in 1379 as a small hamlet called ‘Spen’, the settlement grew in the latter half of the 19th and early 20th centuries with the growth of coal mining in the region. In a modern post-industrial North East England, High Spen functions as a commuter village in the Tyneside greenbelt with 1,935 people calling the village home
County
Tyne and Wear
Known for
Village in the Metropolitan Borough of Gateshead
The story of High Spen — from the archive to today.
With the name ‘Spen’ first appearing in record in 1379, it has been hard to discern its true origins, although the best guess is that it means ‘hedge’ or ‘fence’ and it was used as a boundary between the Manors of…
High Spen used to have a bus depot (located off Strothers Road) that was home to the Venture Bus Company. Venture used to run services around Derwent Valley, mainly between Shotley Bridge and Newcastle. Venture, and the…
During the First World War, two soldiers from High Spen were awarded the Victoria Cross: Lance Corporal Frederick William Dobson of the Coldstream Guards, and Private Thomas Young of the Durham Light Infantry. Other…
High Spen currently has High Spen Primary School for children 3-11 but High Spen also used to have a coeducational comprehensive school, Hookergate School, located in the village. The school was…
Media related to High Spen at Wikimedia Commons HIGH SPEN A HUNDRED YEARS High Spen Traditional Rapper Sword Dancers
Venues nearby
Museums, theatres and attractions — not business listings.
heritage
Chopwell
venue
Blaydon-on-tyne
venue
Winlaton Mill
venue
Ryton

heritage
Ryton
club
Whickham

heritage
Rowlands Gill

venue
Beamish
Walks nearby
Assigned walks plus nearby routes within a short drive.

moderate · 6.6km
Rowlands Gill

moderate · 9km
Rowlands Gill

moderate · 7.9km
Rowlands Gill

easy · 6.6km
Rowlands Gill

easy · 4.5km
Rowlands Gill

easy · 5km
Rowlands Gill

easy · 2.3km
Rowlands Gill

easy · 1.6km
Rowlands Gill
MyTyne directory
Places near High Spen from the MyTyne directory.
Pubs
Rowlands Gill
Takeaways
Rowlands Gill
Roofers
Rowlands Gill
Joiners
Rowlands Gill
Landscapers
Rowlands Gill
Car Dealerships
Rowlands Gill
Caterers
Rowlands Gill
Cafés
City Centre
What's on


Sun 12 Jul
Odeon Metrocentre · Gateshead


Thu 16 Jul
Odeon Metrocentre · Gateshead

Mon 13 Jul · Standard
Leazes Park · Newcastle
Mon 13 Jul
Leazes Park · Newcastle

Fri 24 Jul · Standard
Little Theatre · Gateshead

Sat 25 Jul · Standard
Little Theatre · Gateshead
High Spen · 54.9312, -1.7831
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