Wideopen

The village is present on an 1860s Ordnance Survey map as 'Wide Open', with the settlements of 'East Wideopen' to the east, and 'West Wideopen' to the south.{{cite web|title=Wideopen Colliery 1860s|url=http://www.dmm.org.uk/maps/w115os1.htm|work=Durham Mining Museum|access-date=6 September 2013}} The village name is nowadays written as one word in widespread use and appears on signage at either end of the village, but the alternative form of Wide Open is still occasionally found on maps and elsewhere.{{citation needed|date=September 2013}} This leads to an inconsistency in contemporary addresses.

File:Wideopen Colliery in Northumberland.jpg

The pit shafts for the colliery were sunk and opened by Perkins and Thackrah in 1825. The colliery produced its first coal in May 1827.{{cite web|title=Wideopen Colliery|url=http://www.dmm.org.uk/colliery/w115.htm|work=Durham Mining Museum|access-date=6 September 2013}} The coal was transported by the Fawdon Wagonway to Scotswood. The colliery was sketched by Thomas Harrison Hair in 1844 as part of his collection. There was for many years a scrapyard on the site, but this closed in 2011 to make way for new housing.{{cite web|title=Wideopen Colly|url=http://sine.ncl.ac.uk/view_image.asp?digital_doc_id=1325|work=Structural Images of the North East|publisher=University of Newcastle Upon Tyne|access-date=6 September 2013}}

{{main|Sacred Heart Church, North Gosforth}}

To the south of the village is the 19th-century Sacred Heart RC Church, a Grade II listed building notable for its stained glass windows, which bear designs by Pre-Raphaelite artists Edward Burne-Jones, Ford Madox Brown and William Morris.{{cite web|title=Sacred Heart, Church History|url=http://www.sacredheartng.org.uk/history.htm|publisher=Sacred Heart RC Church, North Gosforth|access-date=18 July 2013}}{{cite web|title=Sacred Heart, Burne-Jones Windows|url=http://www.sacredheartng.org.uk/windows.htm|publisher=Sacred Heart RC Church, North Gosforth|access-date=18 July 2013}}

Other churches in Wideopen are St Columba's, the Anglican parish church,{{Cite web|url=https://www.stcolumbaswideopen.co.uk/|title=St Columbas |}} and St John's URC church.{{Cite web|url=https://www.stjohnsurc.com/|title=St Johns United Reformed Church - Wideopen|website=St Johns URC}}

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The village is in the metropolitan borough of North Tyneside, in the county of Tyne and Wear. It has been in the Parliamentary constituency of North Tyneside since the creation of the constituency in 1997.

File:Travellers Rest Public House, Wideopen - geograph.org.uk - 6671139.jpg

The village contains one pub (Previously The Travellers Rest, now Coach & Horses), two health centres, dentist, library, garage, supermarket, post office, an ambulance station and various local shops. The village also has two primary schools, Hazlewood Primary School{{Cite web|url=https://hazlewoodprimary.co.uk/|title=Hazlewood Community Primary School – Welcome|website=hazlewoodprimary.co.uk}} and Greenfields Community Primary School;{{cite web | url=http://www.greenfieldsprimary.co.uk/contact-us/ | title=Contact Us | date=19 July 2014 }} students in these schools normally progress to secondary education at North Gosforth Academy.

The village has a local football club – Wideopen Juniors, playing with teams from seniors down to under 8's. The club is based at Lockey Park and has modern changing facilities built in 2008.{{Cite web|url=https://www.wideopenjuniors.net/|title=2022 Mano, Guess, Karl Lagerfeld, Ted Baker, Patagonia Taschen/Bags Online Spielraum - Bis zu 50% Rabatt | Germany|website=www.wideopenjuniors.net}}

Woodlands Hall provides indoor leisure facilities and Wideopen swimming pool (within the grounds of Greenfields Primary School) is used as a school learner pool.

The Reivers Cycle Route runs past the village providing access to a nationally designated cycle route from the east to west coast of England.[http://www.reivers-guide.co.uk/stage1.htm North of England Cycle Routes] The village is directly connected to the local waggonways network (former mineral railways) which provides opportunities for walking and cycling routes throughout North Tyneside.{{Cite web|url=http://www.waggonways.co.uk/|title=Iron Waggonways – Just another WordPress site|date=22 September 2022}}

A driving range, The John Jacobs Golf centre, opened in 1966. This later became Wideopen Golf Club when an 18-hole course was opened in 1984. In 1986 the club changed its name to Parklands Golf Club, but occupies the same area within Gosforth Park.

Lying on the outskirts of the village, Wideopen Conservation Area was designated in January 2007 and a character appraisal was adopted in January 2009 by North Tyneside Council. The area includes the Grade II listed Sacred Heart Roman Catholic church.{{cite web|title=Sacred Heart Church, Wideopen Conservation Area Character Appraisal (Draft November 2008)|url=http://www.northtyneside.gov.uk/pls/portal/NTC_PSCM.PSCM_Web.download?p_ID=224059|publisher=North Tyneside Council|access-date=18 July 2013}}

The village is served by regular buses running into Newcastle upon Tyne city centre and Blyth town centre. Proximity to the A1 and A19 affords easy access to national road transport links. National rail travel, via the East Coast Main Line, is available at Newcastle station.

• David Hagan (born 1966), cricketer

{{reflist|30em}}

{{Commons category|Wideopen}}

• [http://www.greenfieldsprimary.co.uk Greenfields Primary School]
• [http://www.parklandsgolf.co.uk Parklands Golf Club]
• [http://www.northtyneside.gov.uk/browse-display.shtml?p_ID=504314&p_subjectCategory=571 Wideopen swimming pool]
• [http://www.861sqn.org 861 (Wideopen) Squadron Air Cadets]
• [http://www.northtyneside.gov.uk/pls/portal/NTC_PSCM.PSCM_Web.download?p_ID=224059 Wideopen conservation area]
• [http://www.bentonscouts.org.uk/index_wideopen2.php 2nd Wideopen Scout Group]

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Category:Villages in Tyne and Wear

Category:Metropolitan Borough of North Tyneside