Longbenton

Longbenton
Longbenton Longbenton shown within Tyne and Wear
Population	10,617 (2011 Ward)[1]
OS grid reference	NZ2668
Metropolitan borough	North Tyneside
Metropolitan county	Tyne and Wear
Region	North East
Country	England
Sovereign state	United Kingdom
Post town	NEWCASTLE UPON TYNE
Postcode district	NE12
Dialling code	0191
Police	Northumbria
Fire	Tyne and Wear
Ambulance	North East
EU Parliament	North East England
UK Parliament	North Tyneside

Longbenton is a district of North Tyneside, England. It is largely occupied by an extensive estate originally built as municipal housing by Newcastle City Council in the 1950s and 1960s. It is served by the Tyne and Wear Metro stations Longbenton Metro station and Four Lane Ends Metro Station. Nearby places are Killingworth, Forest Hall, Four Lane Ends, West Moor, Heaton and South Gosforth, in Newcastle upon Tyne. The Longbenton and Killingworth Urban Area had a population of 34,878 in 2001.^[2] This figure increased to 37,070 in 2011.^[3]

Education

Two secondary schools are located in the township, Longbenton Community College and St Mary's Catholic Comprehensive School, along with four primary schools. The four primary schools are Benton Dene Primary School,^[4] Balliol Primary School, St Bartholomew's, and St. Stephen's Primary School.

Longbenton Football Club are an FA-affiliated team and as of 2012/13 season play in the Northern Alliance Division 2. Longbenton Football Club. Their home ground is situated behind the Oxford Centre.

Demography

Longbenton had a population of 10,617 in 2011. The figure is given as a ward because the Longbenton Urban Subdivision also encompasses its larger neighbour, Killingworth as well as parts of neighbouring areas.

^[5][6]

Possibly due to the fact it borders Newcastle, Longbenton is one of the most ethnically diverse areas in North Tyneside.

Churches

Longbenton is served by St. Mary Magdalene (Church of England) on West Farm Ave, the Methodist church at one end of Chesters Ave and The King's Castle (independent) at the other end of Chesters Ave.

The parish church is St Bartholomew's Church, Long Benton.

Business

Longbenton is the site of BT's Newcastle call centre. Balliol Business Park is located in Longbenton where a Greggs production site and, until recently, two large Sitel call centres were located.^[7] The UK production site for the Findus frozen food brand was based in Longbenton until mid-January 2009 when, through cost-cutting and fire damage, the factory was closed, with the loss of around 400 jobs. Following the award of a grant from Regional development agency One North East the factory was repaired and reopened as Longbenton Foods in 2010.^[8] Countrystyle foods took over the site in 2012 and now has roughly 200 staff working there.

Notable residents

Footballer Peter Beardsley grew up in Longbenton and attended Longbenton High School (now Longbenton Community College).^[9]

Thomas Addison, 19th-century physician and scientist and discoverer of, among others, Addison's disease and Pernicious anaemia was born and educated in Longbenton.^[10] He is widely regarded as one of the leading lights of 19th-century medicine, and was famous for his brilliant lecturing style, compassion and empathy for patients (not common among doctors at the time) and devotion to furthering medical science. He has a bust in his old place of work, Guy's Hospital, London, and a window in his memory in St Bartholomew's parish church.

Writer and poet Michael Roberts lived nearby in Jesmond in the 1930s, and he included Longbenton in his poem Hymn to the Sun.^[11]

Government agencies

HM Revenue & Customs and Department for Work and Pensions share a major base on the Longbenton/City of Newcastle upon Tyne border, known as Benton Park View. The site employs around 7,500 workers and is a significant employment source in the area.

References

External links

• Longbenton F.C The Official Website for Longbenton Football Club.
• Longbenton F.C About Longbenton F.C - The Story Behind the Club.