second world war and later as an approved school. Much of the park has been developed for residential purposes and the hall itself was, after two decades of decay, restored. There are plans to convert it to residential apartments. Transport Air The nearest airport to Blaydon is Newcastle International Airport, which is located around away by road. Teesside International Airport and Carlisle Lake District Airport are located around away by road, respectively. Rail Historically, Blaydon was a major railway hub for both passenger and freight services. The area occupied an important geographical position in relation to Newcastle upon Tyne, which could be reached using the Scotswood Railway Bridge. Blaydon served as the eastern terminus of the Newcastle and Carlisle Railway, following the opening of the first section of the line in March 1835. Blaydon is served by the Tyne Valley Line, with services currently operated by Northern Trains. After a number of years of limited service, 2014 saw the restoration of a much-improved timetable. As of the December 2019 timetable change, there is generally an hourly service between Newcastle and Hexham, with some additional trains stopping during peak times. Road Blaydon is linked to Newcastle upon Tyne and the A1 to the east, by the A695, which used to pass through the centre of the town. The A695 road now bypasses the town centre to the north. The A695 links Blaydon with Hexham, which is located about to the west of the town. Blaydon Bus Station Blaydon Bus Station is served predominantly by Go North East's local bus services, with frequent routes running in and around Gateshead and Newcastle upon Tyne, as well as Northumberland and the Tyne Valley. In 2009, the bus station was refurbished, at a cost of around £100,000. The refurbishment saw the installation of new shelters at each of its four stands, upgraded lighting systems, and the addition of real-time information systems. As of June 2020, the stand allocation is: Education Blaydon is part of the Gateshead Local Education Authority. It is home to a number of primary schools (both faith and secular schools) including Blaydon West primary and St Joseph's, a Roman Catholic primary school. It also has St Thomas More Catholic School, a high achieving Roman Catholic secondary school which serves the Roman Catholic population of the western part of Gateshead borough. Religious sites Blaydon has several churches. In Blaydon town centre, St Cuthbert's