PLACE NAME
Hexham Abbey was first established in AD674 when Etheldreda, Queen of Northumbria granted the lands of Hexhamshire for a new Benedictine monastery to St Wilfrid, Bishop of York. It was constructed almost entirely of material salvaged from nearby Roman ruins. The name possibly originates from Wilfrid’s time. The Hexham Local History Society says one theory is that it derives from the Old English Hagustaldes ea and later Hagustaldes ham, the elements possibly denoting a younger son who takes land outside the settlement. However, the modern form appears to derive from Hextildesham, in use from the late 12thCentury, Hextilda being a heiress of Tynedale and benefactress of the priory. From its closure, in 1537, under the orders of the Crown, it has been the parish church of Hexham. Like many of the roads on the St Helier’s estate this is named after British monasteries and abbeys in remembrance of the area’s historic ownership by Westminster Abbey. The road names are in alphabetical order, of which Aberconway Road in the north west of the estate is first.
