LAND OWNERSHIP

1100 - 1135 The manor of Heddon, one of the six townships of the Barony of Styford, was bestowed by Henry I on Hugh de Bolbec. It became known as the Bolbec Barony. In 1335 the estate was divided between two heiresses, Margery and Phillipa

Margery - married Ralph the son of the baron of Greystoke. The land was susequently held by them and their heirs, Greystoke, Dacre and Howards (Carlisles)

Phillipa - married Roger of Lancaster and the land passed to one of his descendants William of Harle

In 1796 the sixth Earl of Carlisle sold his share of Heddon to Nathaniel Clayton for £15,750

In 1346/7 on the death of William of Harle, his son Robert, gave their share of Heddon to the Abbey at Blanchland, as an endowment to the founding of a chantry in the church of St. Wilfrid at Kirkharle

In 1918 the widow of John Clayton, grandson of Nathaniel, sold the farms of Bays Leap, Heddon Mill and Town House to Adam and James Hedley of Newcastle

In 1918 the Clayton trustees sold East Town Farm and several pieces of land to Sir James Knott for £13,345

The land was held by the Abbey until it's dissolution, being leased out to a variety of people, before being sold and passing through a variety of owners, to Thomas Dent. His two married daughters, Isabel Bigge and Julian Hindmarsh shared in the division of the common lands of Heddon, in 1717. After the Dent family the lands passed through more owners before being split between:

In 1924 Sir James Knott sold East Town Farm to Adam and James Hedley for £2,800

The Clayton family, who already owned other property in Heddon

Thomas and George Bates of Heddon Hall

In 1957 the heirs of the Hedleys sold Bays Leap, Town House and Heddon Mill Farms to the National Coal Board for open-cast mining

A portion of East Town Farm was given over to the Ministry of Works to protect the Roman Wall

In 1959 James Hedley sold a portion of East Town Farm to Grady's the builders to build the Vallum Estate

After the completion of the open-cast mining Bays Leap was sold to Mr. J. Moffitt in 1965