Sedling

A view of Sedling near Cowshill from the Burnhope road.

Westgate behind Co-op

These house are behind the Co-op at Westgate, just down from the old School.

Westgate Front Street

Looking down the Front Street at Westgate.  The first building on the left is the Co-op, the caravan park is on the immediate right side just out of shot.

Westgate School

Westgate School was closed as a primary school in the 1960s but is still used as an outdoor centre.  It is in the centre of the village just above the Co-op.

Weeds

Driving up through Westgate, and turning up a track next to the old Methodist Chapel, is a small cluster of houses called Weeds. Walking up the hill behind leads to Sidehead.

Westgate Dance Hall

This building up Peat Hill in Westgate used to be a Dance Hall, but now private residences.  The lane to the left of the buildings leads to Slitt Wood, a popular place for ramblers.  A few yards down from the hall, and behind the present local abattoir, was where Westgate Castle used to be situated.  An archaeology team spent a few weeks in 2011 excavating the site but it has now been covered over again. Details of the excavation can be found at :  http://www.northpennines.org.uk/Pages/WestgateCastle.aspx

St John's Chapel Bridge

Looking down over St John's Chapel bridge when the Harthope burn goes down to join the River Wear a few hundred yards away.  The Barrington Hall, named after Bishop Barrington, can be seen centre  left, and next to it the old Police Station.  When it closed as a police station and was sold as a private residence it was named "The Coppers". The hill in the background is Sidehead.

Harthope Road

Harthope Road in St. John's Chapel leads to the hills into Teesdale.  The building on the left used to be a fish & chip shop until the 1970s.

St John's Chapel

The top photo was taken this week the bottom one early last century, after 1920 as the War Memorial is in place.  no electric poles, no cars and no pavement to walk along the bridge (bottom of photo).

Sidehead

Looking up onto Sidehead from Daddry Shield, with Sidefoot down in the bottom (centre left).  Well built stone walls in foreground.

Hunshieldford

Looking up the dale from Daddry Shield onto the small hamlet Hunshieldford and the road above which leads to Sidehead.

Daddry Shield

Looking down Daddry Shield street.  Daddry is between St. John's Chapel and Westgate.

Bents Cottages & The Highlands

The Highlands (left) & Bents Cottages are on the road from Cowshill to Burnhope Reservoir.  The houses at the top are Cogley and High Cogley.

Copt Hill Quarry

The Whin Quarry as it is today, filled with water at the bottom .   The top one shows the men who worked at the quarry in the early years of the last century, some look quite young. Not all are named but include:

Row 1 Harold Peart (Westfall), Jack Dawson, Johnny Peart (Greenfield), John Peart (Hilltop), Henry Peart (Low Allers), Willie Peadon, Harry Peart (Moss)
Row 2 Tom Emerson, T. Milburn English, Tommy Emerson (Copt Hill), Bobby Lowes, Jack Peart (Bents), Em Little, Georgie Fex(?), Jessie Dalton.
Row 3 Will Peart (Low Allers), Bob Peart (Greenfield), Joshua Peart (Bents), Issac Peart (Low Allers), Herbert Dawson, Norman Emerson, George Burdess (blacksmith), George Gardiner, Mark English, H. Walton
Row 4 Joseph Thompson, Alf Peart (Moss), John Ralph Dawson, Fred Peart, Tom Peart (Greenfield), Thomas Willie Peart (Bents)

Lanehead

Lanehead now and early last century. The pub and shop at the centre left are now private residences, the farm above used to be a riding stable but now has holiday let cottages, see
http://www.cornriggsfarm.co.uk/.
In the bottom photo the large building centre right used to be a Methodist Chapel which was demolished.

Wearhead Station

Looking over Wearhead Bridge only the River Wear and lots of riverside trees can be seen.

 In the first half of the last century the Wearhead Railway Station would have be seen there, it opened in 21 November 1895 and was closed to passengers on 26th June 1953, then closed completely 2nd January 1961.  Wearhead was terminus of the Weardale Railway.

Burnhope in Weardale Village

The house at the top Pryhill is next to Burnhope Reservoir.











The 2 black and white pictures show Burnhope Village before the Reservoir was built in the 1920s and 30s. The top picture is from the south, the bottom from the west. When the reservoir was built these houses were completely covered and are now under what is now the dam breast, although a lot of the stone was used for the building work.  Pryhill can be seen at the top right of the picture

The bottom pictures looks down onto Wearhead.

Cowshill from Bents

Cowshill taken from Bents.  the top one taken January 2014, the bottom one 28 June 1935, with the Calf Club members showing their prize calves.  Trees have grown and obscured some of the houses in the top one.  Not sure if we had a Calf Club now there would be quite as many members!

Blackdene Mine Offices

The old mine offices at West Blackdene mine near Ireshopeburn.  now a private residence.  The mine closed in the early 1980s.  The River Wear is over the wall on the right of the photo.

The bottom photo shows Blackdene mine with offices nearest the river and the plants behind.  the grey one was built in the 1970s, the one behind the offices with the white framework was the original plant. Photo probably taken early 1980s.

Wearhead

The head of the River Wear, top one taken 01/01/2014, bottom one early last century

Wearhead Front Street

Top photo taken 01/01/2014, bottom one early last century.  The Queen's Head Pub at the front is now a private residence, the building behind, Mr Hodgson's Refreshments also a private house.  Opposite Mr Hodgsons can be seen a building which was demolished in the middle of last century.  When zoomed in, a sign is on the side of the pub door with Dentist!  No electric poles or lights though.