Brandon, Northumberland

Unitary authorityShire countyRegionCountryEnglandSovereign stateUnited KingdomPost townALNWICKPostcode districtNE66Dialling code01665PoliceNorthumbriaFireNorthumberlandAmbulanceNorth East UK Parliament 55°27′04″N 1°55′48″W / 55.451°N 1.930°W / 55.451; -1.930

 

Brandon is a village and former civil parish, now in the parish of Ingram, in Northumberland, in England. It is about 9 miles (14 km) north-west of Alnwick and 8 miles (13 km) south of Wooler in the Breamish Valley, just off the A697 north of Powburn. In 1951 the parish had a population of 58.^[1]

The village, or hamlet, is actually all one farm, farmed by the Shell family since at least the late 19th century. On the north side of the main road is a line of tied cottages and the old blacksmith's shop, still in good condition though lacking a blacksmith. On the south side is the traditional square of farm buildings and the Grade B listed farm house which now also provides 'bed and breakfast' accommodation. Hidden in the corner of a small paddock next to the road is the mill race, apparently just a line of very large flagstones but covering a deep and well preserved stone channel, which shows that the traditional square farm buildings once contained a mill. Some more modern buildings have been added on, mostly to the west end of the farm, however the older buildings are still in good original condition.

The farm has a mixed arable, livestock and contracting business. They were spared both the BSE and Foot & Mouth epidemics, in the first case by always having fed organic feeds free from animal protein.

Brandon is in the parliamentary constituency of Berwick-upon-Tweed. Brandon was formerly a township in Eglingham parish,^[2] from 1866 Brandon was a civil parish in its own right until it was abolished on 1 April 1955 to form Ingram.^[3]