With something to suit all tastes and pockets, Whickham is one of the North East’s housing hotspots. Aranda Garrard discovers more. WHICKHAM is arguably one of the most attractive villages on Tyneside, offering buyers the best of both worlds. Not only has it plenty of rural charm, but it is also minutes away from the city.
Overlooking the Tyne Valley, the area has a long history stretching to pre-historic times. Farming and coal mining shaped Whickham until the 1950s when housing estates turned the village into a town. However, many parts of the original village remain largely unchanged and there are plenty of architectural features to show for it, including some fine stone-built cottages, particularly along Front Street. There are a wide variety of shops, restaurants and services, such as estate agents. Whickham has a good share of health and beauty salons, fitness centres and hairdressers, as well services such as opticians and chiropodists. If you want to eat out, there’s plenty to choose from such as the Jamdani, Varanda or Sonny’s Italia restaurants, or Gibside Arms Hotel. There are curry takeaways as well as fish and chip shops. For leisure pursuits, Whickham has a golf club and a cricket club. The nearby Whickham Thorns Outdoor Centre has two dry ski slopes where you can ski or snowboard, plus a climbing wall, archery, mountain biking and orienteering courses. It makes for a great day out, if nothing else. The Beamish Open Air Museum is also not far away, taking daytrippers back in time. There is a good choice of primary schools feeding the highly regarded Whickham School and Sports College. The average value for property in the postcode district of NE16 is £161,733. For buyers with family who are specifically looking for a semi-detached house, this would be an excellent area to explore, with 47% of properties being of this type. The largest source of work in this area is in wholesale and retail, which isn’t surprising given that the MetroCentre is only minutes away by car or public transport. Graeme Nicholson, branch manager of Pattinson’s estate agents in Whickham, said: “Whickham has always been one of the North East’s housing hotspots with its variety of housing types and prices. “People who buy in the area tend to stay here. “There is an excellent range of schools, local village shops, pubs and restaurants. “Its proximity to the A1 Western Bypass makes commuting throughout the region easy and with the MetroCentre and various country parks on the doorstep, you can see why people choose to move here and stay here. “We have a variety of properties for sale in the town, ranging from a two-bedroom ex-local authority property in Axwell Park Close going to auction in June with a starting bid of £85,000, up to a four-bedroom detached house on Whaggs Lane at £495,000.” | 
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