The Albion: The Other Temperance Hotel

In the early part of the 20th century, there were two Temperance Hotels in Ponteland and this was the site of one of them. The building itself dates to the early years of the 19th century and looks to have been constructed at the same time as the neighbouring Seven Stars Hotel.

The Temperance Movement is almost forgotten now but it had a very big following in the Methodist dominated pit villages of the North East of England. Social reformers saw that alcohol aggravated many of the problems facing the working classes and actively campaigned against its sale and the dominance of pubs as a recreational space for men. A consequence of this was the opening up of Temperance Halls and Hotels as a safe alternative. Somewhere that men could go which was not focussed on the sale and consumption of alcoholic drinks.

Temperance Hotels were particularly popular in the larger, more scenic rural villages of Northumberland at the beginning of this period. Improvements in the roads and the popularisation of the bicycle meant that workers could escape the dreary pit rows and have a day out visiting these villages on their bikes. In the 1880’s and 90’s, the roads throughout most of Northumberland were mainly dirt roads and often unusable for bicycles. The road from Newcastle to Ponteland was a turnpike road however and was particularly good, making Ponteland a popular destination for cyclists. In the early years of the 20th century, the number of cyclists arriving in the village were numbered in their hundreds rather than in their tens. Temperance Hotels provided them with refreshments and a resting point when they arrived at their destination.

The whole block of property adjacent to the Seven Stars Hotel was put up for sale in 1899. It looks to have been taken over by a Mrs. Watson who ran the Albion Temperance Hotel from around 1900 to 1917. The different cycling clubs from Tyneside each had their own favourite Temperance Hotel in Ponteland. For example, this was the one favoured by the North Shields Cycling Club.

After the hotel closed, in the late 1920’s the ground floor was split into two units. 24 Main Street became a garage, Thompson’s Garage, reflecting the growing popularity of the motor car. In a postcard dating from the 1950’s, the distinctive oval ESSO sign can just be made out projecting from the building. In later years the ground floor of the building was converted into commercial premises. Stanleybet, the licenced bookmakers took over number 24 around 2004 and this later became William Hill with the upstairs housing a hairdressers. Bookmakers are one of the Main Street’s casualties with the move to one-line gambling and the premises closed in 2023. It now houses one of the ubiquitous charity shops which have replaced the real shops along many of our high streets.

The unit on the western side, No. 25 Main Street, has fared better. Around 1926, these were the first premises of what would go on to become a successful chemist’s with branches in Rothbury, Westerhope and Denton Park Shopping Centre. It was started by Miss Sarah Kirkup.

Around 1979 this became the premises of local opticians Mackley & Studdert which have now been taken over by Geoff Steven and Sons.