HEXHAM

town, Tynedale district, administrative and historic county of Northumberland, England, on the upper River Tyne. Its abbey church of St. Andrew, containing a great stone staircase, dominates the town. The church and monastery were founded about 673 by the archbishop of York; in 678 it became head of the new see of Bernicia. A borough from 1276, Hexham was the leading market town of Tynedale but suffered frequently from raids by Scots from across the border to the north. With the growth of modern transport links, Hexham has grown in importance as a livestock market and rural service centre for an extended area in west Northumberland. Pop. (1991) 11,008.