Bell Villas, Ponteland

This is the last of the old Bell Villas built along the northern side of the main road into Ponteland from the east. Originally there were only seven villas built by Matthew Bell of Woolsington Hall built in 1826. The story was that they were built to gain votes for Mr. Bell in a close election where he was standing as the parliamentary candidate but this is probably apocryphal. Whatever the truth of the story, this property and the neighbouring one, were built a little later than the others, probably around 1840 on a slightly narrower building plot than the earlier houses.