Durham – county palatine and maritime county, in N. of England; is bounded N. by the Derwent and the Tyne, beyond which is Northumberland; E. by the North Sea; S. by the Tees, beyond which is Yorkshire; and W. by Cumberland and Westmorland; greatest length, 48 miles; greatest breadth, 40 miles; length of coast line, 32 miles; area, 647,592 acres; population 867,258. The western portion of the co. consists of hill-ranges, enclosing fertile valleys; the eastern portion, in which the prevailing rocks are magnesian limestone and new red sandstone, is more level; in the central districts are the coal measures. In the valleys, and in the neighbourhood of the rivers, especially the Tees, the soil is very fertile. The chief corn crops are wheat and oats; the chief green crops are potatoes and turnips. A hardy breed of horses is raised on the moors in the west, and in the fertile pastures of the valleys a breed of cattle which is unsurpassed for dairy purposes. The principal mineral products are lead, iron, millstone, and coal. The coalfields are the most important in the kingdom. The principal manufactures. are chemicals, glass, and earthenware; shipbuilding and sail-making; paper-making; woollen and worsted stuffs, &c. There are also large ironworks and machine factories. Durham has great facilities of transport. The county comprises 4 wards, 269 parishes, the parliamentary and municipal boroughs of Darlington, Durham, Gateshead, Hartlepool, South Shields (1 member each), and Sunderland (2 members), the greater part of the parliamentary and municipal borough of Stockton (1 member), and the municipal borough of Jarrow. It is entirely in the diocese of Durham.
– John Bartholomew, Gazetteer of the British Isles (1887)
Note: see Tyne & Wear for Gateshead, South Shields and Sunderland.
Anker’s House Museum
St Mary and St Cuthbert’s Church
Chester-le-Street DH3 3QB
0191 388 3295
The Anker’s House adjoining the Parish Church was the residence of an Anker/Anchorite – a religious recluse from the 14th to the 16th century and was probably established sometime around 1350 – 1380. Up until 1547 it was the residence of six anchorites who in turn were walled up in the house for life to spend their time in prayer and contemplation.
Auckland Castle
Auckland Castle, Market Place
Bishop Auckland DL14 7NR
01388 743750
Set within 200 acres of beautiful parkland above the River Wear, Auckland Castle has been home to the Bishop of Durham for over 900 years. After the Norman Conquest, the Bishop of Durham was granted exceptional powers to act as a political and military leader. As England’s one and only Prince-Bishop, he was the second most powerful man in the country and effectively ruled the area between the Tyne and the Tees.
Aycliffe & District Bus Preservation Society
110 Fewston Close
Newton Aycliffe DL5 7HF
The North East of England has a rich and varied industrial heritage. Public transport is part of that heritage and has affected everyday life in this northern region. The preservation of selected local vintage buses is an opportunity to bring the public at large the transport of yesteryear – an opportunity to ride, to touch, smell and to see that which has now left the modern day scene.
Barnard Castle – English Heritage
Barnard Castle DL12 8PR
01833 638212
Set on a rock high above the River Tees, imposing Barnard Castle was the stronghold of the Balliol family. Taking its name from Bernard de Balliol, who rebuilt it in the 12th century, it includes a fine great hall and a dominating round-towered keep.
Beamish – The Living Museum of the North
Beamish Museum
Beamish DH9 0RG
0191 370 4000
Experience a real sense of your past at Beamish, and discover what life was like in North East England in Georgian, Victorian and Edwardian times. Beamish is a living, working museum, set in 300 acres of County Durham countryside. Founded in 1970 to illustrate the development of industry, agriculture and the way of life in the North East of England, Beamish is situated in 300 acres of woodland and farmland. Home Farm, a fine 19th century model farmstead, and Pockerley Old Hall, with its medieval stronghouse dating to the 1400s, are both listed buildings preserved in situ.
Binchester Roman Fort
Bishop Auckland DL14 8DJ
01388 663089
www.durham.gov.uk/binchester
Binchester Fort was built during the 1st century AD to protect the point where Dere Street (an important road that ran from York to Scotland) crossed the River Wear. There were as many as 1,000 soldiers here at a time.
Bowes Museum, The
Barnard Castle
Durham DL12 8NP
01833 690606
Founded over 100 years ago, by John and Joséphine Bowes, the magnificent building contains the greatest collection of European fine and decorative arts in the North of England.
Collections: This collection contains paintings, ceramics, items of woodwork and objects d’art.
Cleveland Family History Society
4 North Park North, Sedgefield
Stockton-on-Tees TS21 3AH
01740 623 175
The society is more formally known as The Cleveland, North Yorkshire and South Durham Family History Society. The long title more accurately describes the area of coverage of the society, which is rather larger than that of the county of its title.
Cleveland Ironstone Mining Museum
Deepdale
Skinningrove TS13 4AP
01287 642877
www.ironstonemuseum.co.uk
The museum offers visitors an opportunity to discover the skills and customs that built Cleveland’s ironstone heritage. It is the only museum in the UK which tells the story of ironstone mining; a key part of the local history of the social and industrial development of Cleveland and Teesside.
Durham Cathedral
The College
Durham DH1 3EH
0191 386 4266
www.durhamcathedral.co.uk
A UNESCO World Heritage Site with breathtaking Romanesque architecture, exquisite stained glass, the Shrine of St Cuthbert and the resting place of St Bede. Things to do include climbing the Cathedral Tower, exploring the monks’ dormitory, guided tours and special exhibitions.
Durham County Record Office
County Hall
Durham DH1 5UL
03000 267619
Durham County Record Office is responsible for collecting and preserving documents relating to County Durham and Darlington and for making those records available to as wide an audience as possible. You can visit the record office in person, or make use of our enquiry service.
Durham Heritage Centre & Museum
St Mary-le-Bow, North Bailey
Durham DH1 3ET
0191 384 5589
www.durhamheritagecentre.org.uk
Durham Heritage Centre and Museum tells the story of the City of Durham from medieval times to the present day. The museum is situated in the redundant Church of St Mary-le-Bow, close to the World Heritage Site of the Cathedral and Castle.
Durham Light Infantry Museum & Durham Art Gallery
Aykley Heads
Durham DH1 5TU
03000 266590
The museum tells the proud story of County Durham’s own Regiment The Durham Light Infantry from 1758 to 1968, with particular emphasis on WW1 & WW2. The displays focus on the experience of war, using letter & diary extracts, plus the actual voices of DLI WW2 soldiers.
Finchale Priory
Brasside DH1 5SH
0191 – 386 3828
The very extensive remains of a 13th century priory, founded on the site of a retired pirate’s hermitage. Part of it later served as a holiday retreat for the monks of Durham Cathedral. Beautifully sited by the River Wear with delightful riverside walks nearby.
Hartlepool Arts & Museum Service
Sir William Gray House, Clarence Road
Hartlepool TS24 8BT
01429 523438
www.teesmuseums.com/hartlepool.htm
Hartlepool Arts and Museums Service began in 1920 with the opening of the Gray Art Gallery & Museum, the building and the original collection of paintings given by Captain W. Gray, as a thank-offering for the safe return of his son from the 1914-18 War. Since then the collections have been built upon areas of social and maritime history, Asian art, natural history and decorative arts.
Head of Steam – Darlington Railway Museum
North Road Station
Darlington DL3 6ST
01325 460 532
www.head-of-steam.co.uk
Head of Steam – Darlington Railway Museum was first opened in 1975 and is housed within North Road Station, built in 1842 for the Stockton & Darlington Railway. The Stockton & Darlington Railway was the first steam hauled public railway and was opened on September 27th 1825.
Heugh Battery Museum
Moor Terrace, The Headland
Hartlepool TS24 0PS
01429 272 814
The Heugh Gun Battery is situated on the Headland in Hartlepool. This area of the North East coast is rich in history and the museum aims to educate its visitors on part of that history.
HMS Trincomalee Trust
Jackson Dock
Hartlepool TS24 0SQ
01429 223193
www.hms-trincomalee.co.uk
For the preservation of the 1817 frigate HMS Trincomalee (formerly Foudroyant). The site is now marketed as Hartlepool Historic Quay.
Killhope – The North of England Lead Mining Museum
Near Cowshill, Upper Weardale
Co Durham DL13 1AR
01388 537505
Killhope, The North of England Lead Mining Museum, is a multi award winning museum. Killhope is the only lead mine in the North-east open to the public.
M Bowman Vintage Commercial Vehicle Museum
Unit 2, Dabble Duck Industrial Estate
Shildon DL4 2RA
01388 778582
www.vintagecommercials.co.uk
The museum houses a range of vehicles that have been lovingly restored. Many of which, have been in the Bowman family for generations as true workhorses of industry. The aim of the museum is to allow people to see the progression of a family business over the years from horse and cart through to modern diesel engine lorries which, were to be seen as an everyday part of local life throughout the North East of England.
Museum of Hartlepool, The
Jackson’s Docks, Maritime Avenue
Hartlepool TS24 0XZ
01429 860077
This award-winning museum is the finest free show in town. You’ll enjoy the hundreds of exhibits which include the restored paddle steam ship Wingfield Castle; a real ‘fishing coble’ to climb aboard; the finest ‘gas illuminated lighthouse’; sea monsters and monkey fish.
North East War Memorials Project
14 Park Road North
Chester-le-Street DH3 3SD
NEWMP records all known War Memorials from the Tweed to the Tees ie Northumberland, Tyne and Wear and Durham and makes them accessible to the public via our website.
Old Fulling Mill Museum of Archaeology
The Banks
Durham DH1 3EB
0191 334 1823
www.dur.ac.uk/archaeology.museum
Highlights include outstanding Roman collections together with Anglo-Saxon, Medieval and Tudor finds from Durham City and the local area.
Oriental Museum
Durham University, Elvet Hill
Durham DH1 3TH
0191 334 5694
www.durham.ac.uk/oriental.museum
The Oriental Museum is the only museum in the North of Britain devoted solely to the art and archaeology of the Orient. The remarkable collections reveal the great cultures of Asia; the Near and Middle East; and North Africa.
Palace Green Library
Durham University Library, Palace Green
Durham DH1 3RN
0191 334 2932
www.dur.ac.uk/library
Founded in 1833 and occupying listed buildings within the Durham World Heritage site, the Palace Green Library of Durham University houses archives, early printed books and other special collections. The Library has two exhibition spaces: the Wolfson Gallery, which regularly exhibits treasures from all of the university’s heritage collections and the Dunelm Gallery.
Preston Park Museum & Grounds
Preston Hall, Yarm Road
Stockton-on-Tees TS18 3RH
01642 527375
www.prestonparkmuseum.co.uk/
Nestled alongside the River Tees, Preston Hall, a former Georgian gentleman’s residence and former home of industrial magnate Robert Ropner, houses a varied collection of Teesside’s treasures. Walk through the impressive doors to find out more about those who lived there, the varied museum collection, the vital role the mighty River Tees has played throughout history and the leisure time pursuits that were just as popular then as they are today.
Tees Cottage Pumping Station
Coniscliffe Road
Darlington DL3 8TF
From 1849, Tees Cottage Pumping Station revolutionized water supply in Darlington and Teeside by supplying cleaner, piped water to inhabitants who had previously relied on wells and rainwater tubs. On Open Days you can experience the 1902 Lancashire Boilers, 1904 steam Beam Engine and 1914 Gas engine, all operated and explained by a group of dedicated volunteers. We also have a working Blacksmith’s Shop and a Miniature Railway- a favourite with children.
Teesdale Heritage Group
9-11 Chapel Row, Middleton-in-Teesdale
Barnard Castle DL12 0SN
www.durhamintime.org.uk/teesdale
Local Heritage group; we collect images and information on the local area, holding exhibitions/events and research.
Weardale Museum at High House Chapel
Ireshopeburn
Weardale DL13 1HD
01388 517 433
www.weardalemuseum.co.uk
This Small Folk Museum was formed in 1985 by a group of volunteers in their third age. It is housed in the former Manse to High House Chapel, which is now the oldest Methodist Chapel in the World which has been in continuous weekly use since its foundation in 1760.
Collections: A 19th century period kitchen depicting life for leadminer/farming families; the Wesley Room which houses Methodist artefacts from the Wesleyan and Primitive traditions from 1760 and the 13 visits of John Wesley to High House Chapel; the 1788 Westgate Subscription Library; a superb collection of crystalized minerals and fossils; the complete census for Stanhope Parish 1841-1901 and other genealogical resources.
Wheatley Hill Heritage Centre
Cemetery Road, (in the old chapel of rest)
Wheatley Hill DH6 3JZ
820 01429 824402
The Heritage Centre in Wheatley Hill is a great place to visit to obtain a flavour of the village and its life and times.
Collections: Mostly related to the industrial background of the village but also acknowledging the earlier agricultural traditions which still exist.