Amenities
(see also local Emergency contact details).
Post
On the main road in the centre of West Woodburn you will find the Village Shop and Post Office. Opening times are generally 8am until 1pm Monday to Saturday, although the last collection time may vary. Telephone: 01434 270062.
Pubs
The Bay Horse Inn serves the needs of locals and visitors in West Woodburn, while up the hill in Ridsdale the community run pub, The Gun, is also very popular.
Corsenside Parish Hall
Conveniently situated in the heart of West Woodburn readily accessible from the A68 this hall is available to hire for functions, meetings and events. They have their own webiste here, or for bookings call 01434 270062.
Places to visit
Ridsdale Ironworks.
Demand for iron products in Britain saw a big increase in the first part of the 19th century. Ridsdale and wider Redesdale offered a unique location to access iron, as well as deposits of coal and limestone. Iron was mined, smelted and cast at Ridsdale Ironworks from 1836 to 1848. The mines were abandoned until Tyneside industrialist, William Armstrong, bought the works and started to produce iron for his factories. Pig iron produced at Ridsdale Ironworks was used in the construction of Robert Stephenson’s High Level Bridge in Newcastle upon Tyne. The ironworks finally closed in 1879.
Today, Ridsdale Ironworks is protected as a scheduled monument. It includes the ruins of the former engine house, earthwork remains of coke ovens and ore-roasting kilns, waste heaps and tubways. To the south are large quarry pits and to the east of the A68 are the now-dry banks of a reservoir which once supplied water to the boilers of the blowing engines. (Excerpt from Revitalising Redesdale's website).
St Cuthbert's Church, Corsenside.
Rooted in its landscape, this remarkable little church is isolated but intimate. Open to the elements, offering shelter on the hill, Corsenside has a strong claim to be an authentic resting place for the coffin of St Cuthbert (c634-687AD) when the monks of Lindisfarne carried it from Holy Island following Viking raids on the east coast.
Simple inside with natural light, St Cuthbert's church is a place to escape pressure, to be quiet in the calm. Inside are intriguing puzzles. Did the chancel arch come from the nearby Roman fort of Habitancum? Is the carved slab opposite the entrance part of a preaching cross or a gravestone or possibly a Celtic representation of the 'Tree of Life'? The churchyard is managed to maintain a range of habitats so that it can be a haven for wildlife.
In the meadow areas look out for wildflowers such as harebells (bluebells of Scotland), English bluebell, bush vetch, meadow vetchling, betony, yarrow, lady’s bedstraw and crosswort.
Graves range from grand sculpture on the south wall to a child's grave beside the path and Commonwealth war graves in the northwest corner of the churchyard. During the time of the Border Reivers (probably in 17th century), the medieval wooden village at Corsenside was destroyed, leaving St Cuthbert's church and priest's house alone on the hill.
This is a place of pilgrimage and informal retreat. (Excerpt from National Churches Trust).
See also the information on local walks, provided by the Redesdale Ramblers.
This parish and the wider region has benefitted greatly from the investment of both time and attention from Revitalising Redesdale, although this lottery funded project concluded late in 2022 their website is a fascinating source of information.
Click here to visit Revitalising Redesdale
