Rennington Parish extended much further to the
West in ancient times, extending to Alnwick Moor or Aydon Forest
together with land extending to Heiferlaw. Rennington and Rock
were very much separate villages in times past, being in
different land ownerships.
Stamford and Broxfield were considered hamlets in their own
right.
In 1267 a survey of Rennington recorded several freeholds in
the Township: Philip De Broxfield held 40 acres, Everard Freeman
held 24 acres, Hugh De Broxfield held 120 acres and Richard De
Broxfield held 48 acres.
In 1290 land near Heckley became the property of Alnwick Abbey
and in 1335 the estate in Broxfield was given to the Canons of
Alnwick Abbey.
Rennington and Broxfield were owned separately until shortly
after 1414 when the land was transferred to the Percy family and
being part of the Barony of Alnwick held by The Earl of
Northumberland.
Rennington and Rock both suffered by raids from Scots and some of
these depredations were recorded in 1574 and 1576.
A survey by the Earl of Northumberland Estate in 1622 records:
'the mannor and towne of Rennington is parcell of the
barony of Alnwicke situated in Bamburgh ward 'in a good soyle
both for corne and grasse'.
It is recorded that land was divided enclosed in 1720 and 1762 so as to improve the conditions of the tenants and allow them to practise more modern methods of farming.
Henry Ogle, the Schoolmaster and Parish Clerk at Rennington,
together with John Common of Denwick were considered to be the
inventors of the reaping machine being extensively adopted in
America and exhibited by McCormick at the Great Exhibition in
1851.
The old village school was replaced in 1894 by a new school (now the Village Hall) for 60 children and then further extended about 10 years later to accommodate the increased number of children in the Parish, then 120. The pupil roll fell slowly then rapidly when middle schools were brought into use. The school finally closed in 1982 with only 6 pupils on the roll.
In 1870-72, John Marius Wilson's Imperial Gazetteer of England and Wales described Rennington like this:
RENNINGTON, a township-chapelry in Embleton parish, Northumberland; ¾ of a mile W by N of Little Mill r. station, and 3¾ N E by N of Alnwick. Post-town, Chathill. Acres, 1,812. Rated property, £ 1,680. Pop., 263. Houses, 51. The property belongs to the Duke of Northumberland. The living is a p. curacy in the diocese of Durham. Value, £ 86. Patron, the Vicar of Embleton. The church is recent; and was preceded by an ancient chapel, originally connected with Lindis-farne priory. There is a national school.
Reference:
The Northumberland Village Book, written by members of the
Northumberland Federation of Women's Institutes and published
by Countryside Books.