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southerly areas. Winters are cold at times, sometimes with snow. The soil is of a dark brown
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colour, free draining and gritty. It is very good for growing vegetables. Tender perennials are
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rare; some palms will grow, but need winter protection. Although Phormiums (New Zealand flax) grow
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in displays in Newbiggin, salt-laden winds may afford them some protection. The most exposed part
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of the town is to the east. High trees in Hirst Park give considerable shelter. The west part is
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much more sheltered, especially the wooded valley of the River Wansbeck. Climate in this area has
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mild differences between highs and lows, and there is adequate rainfall year-round. The Köppen
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Climate Classification subtype for this climate is "Cfb" (Marine West Coast Climate/Oceanic
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climate).
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Environs and villages surrounding Ashington
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Working in a clockwise direction from the north west of Ashington are the following places.
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Linton, a small village, originally developed for mineworkers at the Linton Colliery. This village
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looks unusual from the air: it is almost square and its streets are in a parallel grid-plan.
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Ellington, a newer village which was located next to Ellington Colliery.
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Lynemouth, close to the coast; this village is next to the Alcan Lynemouth Aluminium Smelter and
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Lynemouth Power Station.
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Woodhorn, a tiny hamlet with a church on the road to Newbiggin. Some of the area of Ashington
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adjacent to Woodhorn pit museum is also called Woodhorn.
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Newbiggin-by-the-Sea, a small town or village, this is a former seaside resort, visited by locals.
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It has a beach and, following coastal erosion, a large sea wall was built in the late 1980s.
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Newbiggin offers bed and breakfasts, cafes and some shops.
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Cambois (pronounced Cammus) is a small village south of the River Wansbeck. It is quite spread
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out. Cambois has some fishing cottages at the mouth of the river. It has a beach and views along
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the coast towards north Blyth and Blyth.
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North Seaton, a village on the north banks of the River Wansbeck. It was formerly a mining
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village, but most of its population moved to Ashington. North Seaton had its own small colliery.
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Stakeford, originally a small village south of the River Wansbeck, this is mainly an area of
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residential estates.
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Guide Post, a residential village on the road towards Morpeth, it has a school and some shops.
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Sheepwash, a crossing point on the River Wansbeck before it flows west towards Bothal.
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Bothal, a quaint, historic village on the wooded banks of the River Wansbeck. Bothal has cottages
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and a 14th Century castle, Bothal Castle. Riverside walks can be taken along the wooded riverbank.
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Pegswood, village on the main East Coast Main Line. The village has a train station served by
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local trains.
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Longhirst, a small hamlet on the East Coast Main Line.
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Transport and road links
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Until the Beeching Axe of the 1960s, Ashington was on the British Rail passenger network, with
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passenger trains to Newbiggin and Newcastle. The railway is used now by goods trains, but there
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have been calls for the railway station to re-open. The line has been identified as a priority for
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reopening to passenger use by Campaign for Better Transport. The nearest mainline railway station
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is Pegswood on the East Coast Main Line, about 3 miles from the town centre. Local services from
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here go to Newcastle, Cramlington, Morpeth, and Alnmouth.
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At the east end of the main shopping street is the bus station, with local Arriva North East and Go
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North East buses linking to the rest of Northumberland and to Newcastle.
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Ashington is well served by roads. The A189 (Spine Road) to the east of Ashington runs south via
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Blyth and North Tyneside to Newcastle, and via the A19 Tyne Tunnel to South Tyneside and the A1(M).
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The A1068 runs north along the coast to Alnwick. The A196 and A197 runs west towards Morpeth and
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the A1 which goes north to Scotland and Edinburgh or south to the A1(M) near Newcastle on towards
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Durham and Yorkshire and the South.
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The nearest airport is Newcastle Airport, which provides scheduled domestic flights, flights
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covering many major cities in Europe, long haul international flights and holiday charter flights.
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There is a port in nearby North Shields with passenger services to IJmuiden in the Netherlands.
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Town's facilities
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Museums and libraries
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A reasonable-sized public library is based in the Leisure Centre on Lintonville Terrace at the
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northern fringes of the town. The local museum is at Woodhorn pit. It is mainly a museum of the
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town's mining history with pictures and models. There are also various arts exhibits in the museum,
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including a permanent exhibition of the Pitmen Painters' paintings, and information on local
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history.
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Sports
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Ashington has several sports facilities and numerous sports clubs. A new leisure centre was
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erected on the former Asda site in the town centre, it opened in December 2015.
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Hirst Park provides two good quality bowling greens as well as tennis and basketball courts.
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Ashington A.F.C. now play at Woodhorn Lane having moved from Portland Park to make way for the new
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Asda superstore in 2008. Rugby is played at a ground on the north west edge of the town and cricket
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is played off Kenilworth Road not far from the town centre.
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In recent years a new community facility has been created from the former Miners Welfare centre on
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Alexandra Road. The Hirst Welfare Centre is a multi-use community facility with training
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facilities, office space, a cafe, community hall, gym and dance studio. The Centre also has an
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external all-weather, floodlight synthetic football pitch with additional grass pitches.
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Accommodation
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There are some bed and breakfasts in Ashington. To the north side of Queen Elizabeth lake is a
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motel with pub and restaurant and located on the site of the QE2 is a Premier Inn hotel/restaurant.
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There is also a holiday centre/caravan site near Sandy Bay off the A189 about 3 miles to the south
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east of the town centre.
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Parks walks and green spaces
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Riverside Park provides a peaceful riverside setting in which to relax or take walks. The park runs
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along the Wansbeck River. There are public footpaths and bridleways from here towards the quaint
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village of Bothal with its photogenic castle above the river.
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The People's Park near the leisure centre off Institute Road is a large green field suitable for
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recreation. Hirst Park is located off Hawthorn Road; locally, it has traditionally been known as
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The Flower Park, due to its summer floral displays. It has bowling greens, basketball and tennis
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courts, play areas and is sheltered by tall trees. To the north of the park is a large sports
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field, where historically, the town hosted fun fairs.
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At Woodhorn is the Queen Elizabeth II Park. This is surrounded by pine wood, including the
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Ashington Community Woods, connecting the park to Ashington, and has a large lake with a
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narrow-gauge railway connecting the main car park to the Woodhorn Museum. Walks from here head out
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towards Linton and eastwards towards the seaside town of Newbiggin following the old railway line.
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Ashington enjoys a good location within Northumberland allowing good access to the countryside. The
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town is situated near the coast, enabling short journey times to beaches such as Druridge Bay and
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Cresswell. Northumberland National Park is close by.
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Education
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The previous system of first school, middle school and high school used in Ashington was phased out
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in September 2015, with Bothal Middle School and Hirst Park Middle School closing. First schools
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became primary schools while Ashington High School (now Ashington Academy) became a full secondary
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school. Schools were first built by the Ashington coal company, but many have since been replaced.
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Northumberland College (formerly, Ashington Technical College) is the main further education
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provider in the town, and offers A levels, NVQs, vocational courses and various evening classes.
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Healthcare
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There are many General Practitioner (GP) surgeries in Ashington. The main Wansbeck General Hospital