About the Hexham Courant |
 Queen Victoria was only half way through her reign when the Hexham Courant started bringing the news to the 1,000 square miles of rural Northumberland which make up Tynedale.
It was in August 1864 that Joseph Catherall launched his newspaper, which espoused the Liberal cause, and became an instant hit. Within four years, it was coming out twice per week, and twice had to move to bigger premises to cope with demand.  Although various rivals have tried to usurp it, the Courant has seen them all off in style. The Hexham Herald was taken over in 1927, and the Courant also encompassed the Alston Herald, and then the Haltwhistle Echo to firmly establish itself as Northumberland's leading weekly newspaper.
It remained a family business for well over a century, being run by Joseph Catherall's descendants until it was taken over by CN Group Limited in 1977. |
