Geograph - photograph every grid square

The following purports to be a simple and clear guide for the unwary to the “multi-coloured mayhem” (© The Hexham Courant) that is parking in Hexham. The author denies all responsibility for either any inaccuracies or any inconvenience distress or pecuniary loss resulting therefrom.

The map in the photo above shows the 14 designated public car parking areas in the centre of Hexham. The areas are marked in red or green. Parking discs must be used in areas 1 to 10, and 14, in which various time limits apply.

Four of these 14 areas (7, 12, 13 and 14) are in the town’s main car park at Wentworth NY9364 : SNOT FAIR, SNOT FAIR.

Area 7, in green on the map, consists of 2-hour bays near the W**tr*s* supermarket; these bays are marked on the ground in … er … red.

Area 12, in red on the map, is where parking is free; the bays are of course marked on the ground in green. Only joking - they’re marked in white.

Area 13 is for HGV’s (sic) and coaches, which still have to “pay and display”.

Area 14, next to Area 7 and similarly green on the map, consists of 4-hour bays; these bays are marked on the ground in (you’ve guessed it!) blue.

Area 9, in green on the map, is (or rather was – see below) the next largest car park, at Loosing Hill near NY9363 : Hexham General Hospital, which consists of 3-hour bays (requiring the use of a parking disc); these bays are marked in white. Yes, yes, the white bays in Area 12 in the Wentworth car park are for free all-day parking, but then life isn’t always quite as straightforward as we would wish it to be.

In any case, this is all moot, as – despite universal opposition and a petition with over 10,000 signatures – work has now started on the town’s new bus station on the former car park at Loosing Hill Link . The consequent loss of around 120 parking spaces will of course rack up the competition for parking in Wentworth.

All the remaining parking areas are relatively small, and are shown in green on the map - apart from area 11, the section of the Gilesgate car park which is for free all-day parking and is shown in red on the map; the bays there are marked on the ground in white.

Area 1 in the Market Place right opposite NY9364 : Hexham Abbey (photographed by Peter Brooks) consists of 1-hour bays; these are delineated by stone sets.

Area 2 consists of (a very small number of) 2-hour bays; these are marked on the ground in ... white. Yes, I know that the 2-hour bays in Wentworth are marked in red, and the 3-hour bays in Loosing Hill and the all-day bays in Wentworth are marked in white. But I never said that this was going to be easy.

Area 3 consists of 2-hour bays; those (on the west side) not parallel to the kerb are marked on the ground in … white. Well, at least that’s consistent with Area 2.

Areas 4, 5 and 6 are 2-hour bays parallel to the kerb (marked out in white).

Area 8 behind some former council offices consists of 2-hour bays; these are marked on the ground in … white (what else?).

Area 11 is all day free parking, marked on the ground in white.

Finally, Area 10, adjacent to Area 11 in the Gilesgate car park, consists of 3-hour bays; these are marked in (a) white like the 3-hour bays in Loosing Hill; (b) blue like the 4-hour bays in Wentworth; (c) red like the 2-hour bays in Wentworth; or (d) some other colour of the rainbow. Answers on a postcard, please, to the Mayor of Hexham, Councillor T Cessford Esq at [email protected], or phone 01434 608359. The first correct answer drawn from a hat on 1 April 2016 wins … a parking disc!!

Well, not quite finally. For completeness, I should add that there are two further public car parks: there is free all-day parking at a small car park tucked away in the middle of an industrial estate about 15 minutes walk from the town centre. And there’s also free all-day parking at Tyne Green – see NY9364 : Flooding on the Tyne (photographed by Oliver Dixon), and NY9364 : Hexham Rowing Club house on Tyne Green surrounded by the flood water and NY9364 : Tyne Green Golf course (both photographed by Clive Nicholson).

In addition to the public car parks, there are eight private car parks in Hexham, in addition to that at Tesco mentioned in NY9364 : SNOT FAIR, SNOT FAIR. Those at Aldi (time limit 90 minutes) and Homebase (time limit 2 hours) are also monitored by number plate recognition technology. The other six are “pay and display”. That behind NY9363 : Beales, Fore Street / NY9363 : Beales, Priestpopple is free for the first hour, with a maximum stay of 3 hours. The Marks & Spencers car park is now “short stay” - up to 4 hours. Those of you who have been paying attention will recall that the 4-hour bays in Wentworth are described as "medium stay" - but you've probably come to realise already that consistency is not the NCC's strong point. The originally available long stay option has been removed, as a new superstore is being built on half of the original car park (thus significantly reducing the amount of parking close to Hexham town centre). There is a small car park on the Corbridge Road, opposite NY9363 : Hexham General Hospital where there is also a car park. And there is parking at Hexham station (both north and south of the tracks) with a charge of £2 per day or part thereof.

But please note that the numbering of the car parking areas on some of the maps currently displayed in the town has been changed – see NY9364 : If you’re not completely confused, you obviously don’t know what’s going on around here.