Stocksfield is a small commuter village situated close to the River Tyne, about west of Newcastle upon Tyne in the southern part of Northumberland, England. There are several smaller communities within the parish of Stocksfield, including Branch End, New Ridley, Broomley, Hindley and the Painshawfield Estate. Other villages in Stocksfield's postal district include Bywell, Newton, Mickley, and Hedley on the Hill. History Dere Street, a Roman road, passes through the parish to the south of Broomley, and Roman stone was used in the construction of St Andrew's Church in 803 AD. Bywell gained in importance in the 600 years following the Norman conquest as a centre of metalworking. It was in the hands of the Barony of Balliol until 1296 when it passed in turn to the Nevilles, the Fenwicks, and finally in 1809 to the Beaumont family. The township of "Stokesfeld" was first mentioned in 1242, and was part of Bywell St Andrew's parish. The origins of the name are uncertain, but it may be derived the from the Old English for "open land belonging to an outlying hamlet". in 1673 Birches Nook was home to Ann Armstrong, a "notorious witch-finder" whose accusations caused a great sensation throughout the county. Governance Stocksfield is in the parliamentary constituency of Hexham. Guy Opperman of the Conservative Party is the Member of Parliament. For Local Government purposes it belongs to Northumberland Council a unitary authority. At a local level it is governed by Stocksfield Parish Council. On 11 January 2019 the name of the parish was officially changed from "Broomley and Stocksfield" to Stocksfield, reflecting developments in the area and changes in population over the years. Demography In the 2011 census the median age in Stocksfield and Broomhaugh was 49 years. 98.6 per cent of the population had white ethnicity and 68.8 per cent were Christian. No other religion exceeded 0.3 per cent with 23.9 per cent having no religion. Transport Railway The village is served by the Tyne Valley Line, with trains running to Newcastle, Hexham and Carlisle. Stocksfield station was opened on 9 March 1835 by the Newcastle and Carlisle Railway. Passenger services are operated by Northern, with the line also being used for freight. Road Stocksfield is linked to Newcastle upon Tyne and the A1 by the A695 which passes through the village. It is also linked to Leadgate and Stamfordham by the B6309. The A695 and B6309 meet