Lemington village (Lamenden or Lamenton)

The tiny village of 'Lamendon als Lamenton' had been established at the staiths (HER 4036) some time before 1620. Lamendon was in Newburn Hall Township, which was the demesne land, mostly a mixture of large pasture and meadow fields, in the manor of Newburn. The eighteenth century saw the industrial growth of Lemington village with the coming of the glassworks (HER 4035) and iron works (HER 4346). MacKenzie described the village before 1787 as 'inconsiderable', merely a few scattered houses next to the staiths. Once the glassworks opened it was like 'Sheffield in miniature… enveloped in smoke'. Lemington Hall was built in 1786. A cluster of cottages were built for the industrial workers. In the mid nineteenth century there was further expansion and by 1855 Lemington was a thriving industrial village. By 1858 (Ordnance Survey first edition) Lemington had merged with Bell's Close, another riverside industrial settlement at the mouth of the Sugley Burn. The River Tyne Commissioners improvement works in the late nineteenth century had a huge impact on Lemington, damming the loop in the river thereby isolating the staiths at the end of 'Lemington Gut' (HER 11234). From then on there were no major new industrial enterprises at Lemington. By 1898 the settlement had expanded north of the glassworks with further rows of worker's cottages.