The North East village where The 1975 frontman Matty Healy spent many of his early years is home to a centuries-old folklore spirit, a Jamie Oliver-approved pub and sweeping views stretching from the Tyne Valley to the Scottish border.
Hedley on the Hill, near Stocksfield, sits between the valley of the River Derwent and the watershed leading towards the River Tyne in Northumberland.
With an estimated population of less than 300 residents, Hedley offers stunning views along the Tyne Valley, across to the Pennines and towards the Cheviot Hills on the Scottish border.
The village is also close to World Heritage Site Hadrian’s Wall, and lies in the far south of 'Hadrian’s Wall Country.'
The Northumberland village is home to a centuries-old legend of a mischievous spirit called the Hedley Kow. (Image: Clive Nicholson)
Hedley on the Hill is best known beyond Northumberland because of its connection to Matty Healy, the singer and frontman of The 1975.
Born in London to North East actors Tim Healy and Denise Welch, Healy lived on a cattle farm near the village of Hedley for many of his early years after the family moved from Melbourne.
They later moved to Alderley Edge in Cheshire when Matty was nine, where he went on to form The 1975 as a teenager, but remain linked to their North East roots.
Denise Welch was born in Tynemouth and spent her adolescence in Ebchester, near Consett.
Tim Healy was born in Benwell and grew up in Ouston, near Chester-lee-Street in County Durham. Matty Healy credits his father Tim for his passionate support of Newcastle United.
Despite its location near the historically violent border between England and Scotland, Hedley appears to have avoided much of the pre-union conflict that affected the region, with no record of any battles or border raiders in the area.
Hedley’s distance from those events allowed it to develop in rural isolation, developing successful quarrying and mining industries in the 18th century alongside local farms.
The village's nearby countryside has historically been popular with hunters, which has sometimes led to clashes with anti-hunting activists in recent years.
For generations, people living in and around the village told tales of the mischievous Hedley Kow- a bogle, or ghostly spirit.
According to the stories, the Hedley Kow haunted lanes and farmsteads around Hedley.
It was said to frighten people, change shape, cause chaos and then disappear while laughing at those it had disturbed. The Kow remains a prominent part of the village’s cultural identity to this day.
Food is another defining feature of Hedley on The Hill. The Feathers Inn is a centuries-old village pub, and has been recommended by TV chef Jamie Oliver.
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The Feathers Inn was one of three North East pubs ranked among Britain’s top 100 in 2025, and was highlighted by The Good Food Guide for its pies.
The food publisher referred to the Northumberland pub in its top pie guide, praising its "eclectic" approach to the kitchen.
The Healy family connections have certainly helped keep the small village in the public eye, but Hedley on the Hill remains a community with a rich landscape, history, and folklore hidden in the Northumberland countryside.