About Us

Until the Poor Law Act of 1597, civil parishes and ecclesiastical parishes were the same. Since the Act was passed the two have acquired separate identities. Hepple has its own civil parish with its own local parish council. Until 2004 it was within the ecclesiatical parish of Rothbury in the diocese of Newcastle upon Tyne, but in 2004, the ecclesiastical parishes in the valley were merged to become the parish of Upper Coquetale, in which the church at Hepple is one of six.

In former times, Hepple was the most important lordship within Rothbury parish. In 1265, Rothbury was part of “de barony de Heppedale,” reporting directly to the King, Henry III. Its lords possessed legal powers, inculding a gallows and a prison, which were not held by any other manor in the parish, except the lordship of Rothbury itself. After passing through the hands of several barons, in the early 19th century the title was acquired by the Buchanan Riddles, still resident in the parish today at Hepple Whitefield. This has been the seat of the baronetcy of the family since it was acquired from the Duke of Portland in 1804 by Sir John Buchanan Riddell, 9th baronet. The family has continually served the church, parish and country with distinction in both civil and military activities.

The village of Hepple was first recorded in the 13th century. A reference from 1724 noted that the village included a number of “castle houses’ most probably stout walled bastles in which livestock could be herded into the lower floor while the upper floor was for human occupation. These bastles were built up to at least the 17th century, particularly useful in the 12th and 13th centuries when invasion by the Scots was most common. For many years, the valley was rarely free from violence.

Hepple Tower at the east end of the village was a 14th century defensive tower house. Today it is a complete ruin, but it is considered possible that it was originally three storeys high.

Over the years there was an involvement in mining in the parish, particularly for coal, clay, iron, and of course stone for building. These activities ceased many years ago.

The remains of old buildings were discoverd to the west of the village in the early 19th century, and were considered to be part of a mediaeval settlement. All evidence of these buildings have now disappeared.

Two mediaeval grave covers and a footstone lie just north of Christ Church.