80-839: The River Deerness in County Durham , England is a tributary to the River Browney , which is itself a tributary the River Wear. It rises near Tow Law and descends through the Deerness Valley for a distance of 11.6 miles (18.7 km), passing the villages of Waterhouses , Ushaw Moor and Esh Winning . Its confluence with the River Browney is near Langley Moor . Its tributaries include Stanley Beck, Crow Gill, Cuddy Burn, Hedleyhope Burn, Rowley Burn, Holburn Beck and Red Burn. and its overall catchment area
160-594: A Northumbrian assault force. The Northumbrians wiped out the entire Norman army, including Comines, all except for one survivor, who was allowed to take the news of this defeat back. Following the Norman slaughter at the hands of the Northumbrians, resistance to Norman rule spread throughout Northern England, including a similar uprising in York. William The Conqueror subsequently (and successfully) attempted to halt
240-470: A footbridge. There is a weir, and the course stops its northwards progression, to begin heading gradually southwards. The railway crosses back to the north bank near to Station Road, to the south of the village of Ushaw Moor , with the road continuing over the river and the Red Burn tributary. The Edwardian river bridge was closed on 13 April 2016, when it was found to be suffering from structural defects. As
320-554: A non-Northumbrian as Bishop of Durham in 1042, the people of the region became increasingly rebellious. In response, in January 1069, William despatched a large Norman army, under the command of Robert de Comines , to Durham City . The army, believed to consist of 700 cavalry (about one-third of the number of Norman knights who had participated in the Battle of Hastings), entered the city, whereupon they were attacked, and defeated, by
400-425: A number of Irish emigrants, fleeing the famines of the 1840s and 1850s. There were no facilities for these workers, and the mine owners built housing, initially of wood, but gradually replaced by brick and stone dwellings. Schools, chapels and shops followed. While villages such as Waterhouses were described in glowing terms at the time, noting the garden plots, Miners Institute, school and Co-operative Store, sanitation
480-519: A place safe from Viking raids to house the relics of St Cuthbert . Durham Cathedral was rebuilt after the Norman Conquest , and together with Durham Castle is now a World Heritage Site . By the late Middle Ages the county was governed semi-independently by the bishops of Durham and was also a buffer zone between England and Scotland. County Durham became heavily industrialised in the nineteenth century, when many collieries opened on
560-634: A single tree, and another three were found further downstream. Among the pellets there were also passive integrated transponder tags, which had been fitted to fish in 2014 for a different study. In 2017, the Environment Agency released stocks of grayling into the river at Ushaw Moor, part of a larger project which saw some 7,500 of the fish released into rivers in the North East. The fish were reared at Calverton in Nottinghamshire, and
640-597: A site that was defensively favourable due to the horseshoe-like path of the River Wear. St Cuthbert's remains were placed in a shrine in the White Church, which was originally a wooden structure but was eventually fortified into a stone building. Once the City of Durham had been founded, the Bishops of Durham gradually acquired the lands that would become County Durham. Bishop Aldhun began this process by procuring land in
720-473: A sluice on the river and a clay pit nearby, but by 1895, only the sluice remained. The large weir a little further downstream was built after 1896 and before 1920. The other two mills were near New Brancepeth, and were fed from a weir downstream of the Ushaw Moor to New Brancepeth road. A long leat led to Sleet Burn Mill, which was used for grinding corn, and the tail race continued along the south side of
800-522: A stepped culvert were altered, and several pools were created to make it easier for fish to reach the culvert. There were plans to remove the 5-foot (1.5 m) vertical weir at Broadgate, but a 40-inch (1,000 mm) gas main crossing the river a little further upstream would have created a new barrier, and so a bypass channel was built instead. At Ushaw Moor, erosion beneath the bridge had been addressed in 1933 by building four concrete steps, with no consideration of their effect on fish migration. A rock ramp
880-607: A substantial territory to St Cuthbert on his election to the see of Lindisfarne in 684. In about 883 a cathedral housing the saint's remains was established at Chester-le-Street and Guthfrith, King of York granted the community of St Cuthbert the area between the Tyne and the Wear , before the community reached its final destination in 995, in Durham. Following the Norman invasion ,
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#1732781120913960-519: A temporary measure, a Bailey bridge was erected above the bridge in May, but was moved to one side in July, to allow repairs to be made. The work involved replacing the steel truss supporting the deck, and diverting utility services which also crossed the river at this point. The new bridge, costing £1.5 million, was opened on 7 August 2018. There is a ford and a number of footbridges on the next section, before it
1040-425: A three-weekly court corresponding to the hundred court. The diocese was divided into the archdeaconries of Durham and Northumberland. The former is mentioned in 1072, and in 1291 included the deaneries of Chester-le-Street, Auckland, Lanchester and Darlington. The term palatinus is applied to the bishop in 1293, and from the 13th century onwards the bishops frequently claimed the same rights in their lands as
1120-418: A well-defined valley for all of its length, heading in a broadly east-north-easterly direction to a point beyond Esh Winning , and then turning broadly east-south-east to reach its junction with the River Browney . The south bank of the river is soon wooded, and there is a small sewage treatment works which discharges into the river after about 0.6 miles (1 km). After it passes Low West House, set back from
1200-542: Is 53 square kilometres (20 sq mi). Its name is pre-Celtic and means 'rushing or roaring river'. It may be the oldest place-name in County Durham. A recent restoration project has improved the water quality and reduced barriers to fish migration along the Deerness. The River Deerness rises at a spring on the eastern edge of the town of Tow Law , close to the 950-foot (290 m) contour. It flows along
1280-415: Is caused by an organism often found in sewage. Northumbrian Water sought planning permission to build on online storage facility for sewage and storm water in early 2018, on a site at Alum Waters, to the east of New Brancepeth. The project involved building an underground holding tank with two compartments on the line of an existing sewer. Under normal conditions, the sewage flows through a fairly small part of
1360-613: Is crossed by the former course of the Brandon to Bishop Auckland Railway . This is another long distance footpath, and the railway bridge has been replaced by a low level footbridge, to maintain the walkway. Finally, the river passes under the East Coast Main Line and the A690 road in quick succession, to meet the River Browney. Prior to the nineteenth century, the Deerness Valley was sparsely populated, with those who lived in
1440-480: Is encouraged by the maintenance of two bridleways and a public footpath through the woods. The course of the Roman road Dere Street passes through the woods to cross the river as it heads northwards to the site of the Roman fort at Lanchester . A bridge carries a minor road to the village of New Brancepeth , and the former Deerness Valley Railway crosses to the south bank, where the railway bridge has been replaced by
1520-483: Is located on the south bank, on the northern flanks of Stanley Hill. Hedleyhill Terrace is located on the north bank, just before the former course of the Deerness Valley Railway approaches from the south and crosses the river. It stays close to the river for most of the rest of its course. The line opened in 1858 to serve the coal mines of the region, but following its closure in 1964, it has become
1600-421: Is not generally recognised as the highest point in Durham. The two main dales of County Durham (Teesdale and Weardale) and the surrounding fells, many of which exceed 2,000 feet (610 m) in height, are excellent hillwalking country, although not nearly as popular as the nearby Yorkshire Dales and Lake District national parks. The scenery is rugged and remote, and the high fells have a landscape typical of
1680-488: Is partially parished . The city of Durham is the most populous settlement in the county to have a parish. Multiple parishes are styled as having town councils : Billingham (in Stockton Borough), Barnard Castle , Bishop Auckland , Chilton , Ferryhill , Great Aycliffe , Newton Aycliffe , Greater Willington , Peterlee , Seaham , Sedgefield , Shildon , Spennymoor , Stanley and Tow Law . The county
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#17327811209131760-424: Is the trig point (not the summit) of Burnhope Seat , height 746 metres (2,448 ft), between Weardale and Teesdale on the border with historic Cumberland in the far west of the county. The local government reorganisation of 1974 placed the higher Mickle Fell south of Teesdale (the county top of Yorkshire ) within the administrative borders of Durham (where it remains within the ceremonial county). However, it
1840-635: Is the only English county name prefixed with "County" in common usage (a practice common in Ireland ). Its unusual naming (for an English shire) is explained to some extent by the relationship with the Bishops of Durham , who for centuries governed Durham as a county palatine (the County Palatine of Durham ) outside the usual structure of county administration in England. The situation regarding
1920-511: The Battle of Marston Moor (2 July 1644) fell entirely into the hands of Parliament. In 1614, a Bill was introduced in Parliament for securing representation to the county and city of Durham and the borough of Barnard Castle . The bishop strongly opposed the proposal as an infringement of his palatinate rights, and the county was first summoned to return members to Parliament in 1654. After
2000-648: The Craikshire exclave within the North Riding of Yorkshire. In 1831 the county covered an area of 679,530 acres (2,750.0 km ) and had a population of 253,910. These exclaves were included as part of the county for parliamentary electoral purposes until 1832, and for judicial and local-government purposes until the coming into force of the Counties (Detached Parts) Act 1844 , which merged most remaining exclaves with their surrounding county. The boundaries of
2080-474: The Durham coalfield . The Stockton and Darlington Railway , the world's first public railway to use steam locomotives, opened in 1825. Most collieries closed during the last quarter of the twentieth century, but the county's coal mining heritage is remembered in the annual Durham Miners' Gala . The ceremonial county is officially named Durham , but the county has long been commonly known as County Durham and
2160-848: The NHS . Northumbria Ambulance Service and County Durham Ambulance Service (following historic county borders) merged on 1 April 1999 to become the North East service. In 2005 the area was adapted to the modern North East England regional extent. Air ambulance services are provided by the Great North Air Ambulance . The charity operates three bases, including one in Eaglescliffe . Teesdale and Weardale Search and Mountain Rescue Team, are based at Sniperly Farm in Durham City and respond to search and rescue incidents in
2240-547: The Pennines with extensive areas of tussock grass and blanket peat bog in the west, with heather moorland on the lower slopes descending to the east. The following climate figures were gathered at the Durham weather station between 1981 and 2010: County Durham, as considered a county for lieutenancy purposes by the Lieutenancies Act 1997, is administered as a part of the constituent country of England in
2320-637: The River Tees ) becoming a part of the ceremonial county. The non-metropolitan county was reconstituted on 1 April 2009: the strategic services-providing Durham County Council was re-organised into a single district of the same name, merging with the seven local facility-providing districts in the non-metropolitan county and became structured as a unitary authority . It has 126 councillors. The three pre-existing unitary authorities were unaffected. The county boundaries used for parliamentary constituencies are those used between 1974 and 1996, consisting of
2400-473: The 1974 until 1996, the ceremonial county was split into eight districts : A non-metropolitan county replaced the administrative county. The boundaries only deviated from the ceremonial boundaries after 1995 when the Darlington Borough became a unitary authority . On the 1 April 1996, the county of Cleveland was abolished with its boroughs of Hartlepool and Stockton-on-Tees (north of
2480-851: The Bishops also had the authority to appoint judges and barons and to offer pardons. There were ten palatinate barons in the 12th century, most importantly the Hyltons of Hylton Castle , the Bulmers of Brancepeth , the Conyers of Sockburne, the Hansards of Evenwood, and the Lumleys of Lumley Castle . The Nevilles owned large estates in the county. John Neville, 3rd Baron Neville de Raby rebuilt Raby Castle , their principal seat, in 1377. Edward I 's quo warranto proceedings of 1293 showed twelve lords enjoying more or less extensive franchises under
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2560-578: The County Durham district and the Darlington Borough. This area elects seven Members of Parliament. As of the 2019 General Election, four of these MPs are Conservatives and three MPs are Labour . The rest of the ceremonial county is included in the Cleveland parliamentary constituency area . The police and fire services operate according to the 1974-96 ceremonial county boundaries: The North East Ambulance Service NHS Trust cover North East England and are responsible for providing ambulance services for
2640-507: The Deerness Valley Railway Path, part of a network of long distance walkways in the Durham area. The railway bridge was one of two timber trestle viaducts on the branch line, but it was demolished in 1967/68 when the track was lifted, and the path crosses the river on a low level footbridge. Stanley Beck joins the river from the south, having flowed around the south side of Stanley Hill, and then Wolsingham Road crosses
2720-646: The Restoration of 1660 the county and city returned two members each. In the wake of the Reform Act of 1832 the county returned two members for two divisions, and the boroughs of Gateshead , South Shields and Sunderland acquired representation. The bishops lost their secular powers in 1836. The boroughs of Darlington, Stockton and Hartlepool returned one member each from 1868 until the Redistribution Act of 1885 . The historic county excludes
2800-668: The Tees and Wear valleys, including Norton, Stockton, Escomb and Aucklandshire in 1018. In 1031, King Canute gave Staindrop to the Bishops. This territory continued to expand, and was eventually given the status of a liberty . Under the control of the Bishops of Durham, the land had various names: the "Liberty of Durham", "Liberty of St Cuthbert's Land" "the lands of St Cuthbert between Tyne and Tees" or "the Liberty of Haliwerfolc" (holy Wear folk). The bishops' special jurisdiction rested on claims that King Ecgfrith of Northumbria had granted
2880-596: The UK, the chemical status changed from good to fail in 2019, due to the presence of polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDE) and mercury compounds, neither of which had previously been included in the assessment. [REDACTED] Media related to River Deerness at Wikimedia Commons County Durham County Durham , officially simply Durham ( /ˈdʌrəm/ ), is a ceremonial county in North East England . The county borders Northumberland and Tyne and Wear to
2960-554: The United Kingdom. The area is appointed a lord lieutenant and a high sheriff . The ceremonial county is divided into four administrative counties (see table below), one of which - Stockon-on-Tees - also extends into North Yorkshire. Technically, for administrative purposes, the County of Durham only consists of the area governed by Durham County Council . The three other areas are counties in their own right. The county
3040-685: The Vikings hastened this decline, and the Scandinavian raiders eventually claimed the Deiran part of the kingdom in AD 867 (which became Jórvík ). The land that would become County Durham now sat on the border with the Great Heathen Army , a border which today still forms the boundaries between the historic counties of Yorkshire and County Durham. Viking settlement petered out at the Tees and
3120-542: The administrative counties years of administrating; each remained in the ceremonial county while outside of the administrative county. The ceremonial county remained under the same borders as the historic county until 1968 when the County Borough of Teesside formed. Ceremonial duties of the borough (which were made up of areas from two counties) were in the North Riding of Yorkshire ceremonial county. From
3200-559: The administrative machinery of government extended only slowly into northern England. Northumberland's first recorded Sheriff was Gilebert from 1076 until 1080 and a 12th-century record records Durham regarded as within the shire. However the bishops disputed the authority of the sheriff of Northumberland and his officials, despite the second sheriff for example being the reputed slayer of Malcolm Canmore , King of Scots. The crown regarded Durham as falling within Northumberland until
3280-610: The bishop. In 1596 restrictions were imposed on the powers of the chancery, and in 1646 the palatinate was formally abolished. It was revived, however, after the Restoration , and continued with much the same power until 5 July 1836, when the Durham (County Palatine) Act 1836 provided that the palatine jurisdiction should in future be vested in the Crown. During the 15th-century Wars of the Roses , Henry VI passed through Durham. On
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3360-466: The bishop. The repeated efforts of the Crown to check the powers of the palatinate bishops culminated in 1536 in the Act of Resumption, which deprived the bishop of the power to pardon offences against the law or to appoint judicial officers. Moreover, indictments and legal processes were in future to run in the name of the king, and offences to be described as against the peace of the king, rather than that of
3440-678: The ceremonial county, the city of Sunderland , the boroughs of Gateshead and South Tyneside , while the non-metropolitan county includes part of Yorkshire . County Durham contains a small area of the North East Green Belt in the county's north; surrounding the city of Durham, Chester-le-Street and other communities along the shared county border with Tyne and Wear, avoiding Wearside 's spread west. A smaller green belt separates Urpeth , Ouston , Pelton , and Perkinsville from Birtley in Tyne and Wear. A further small segment by
3520-689: The coast separates Seaham from the Sunderland settlements of Beckwith Green and Ryhope . It was first drawn up in the 1990s. County Durham is underlain by Carboniferous rocks in the west. Permian and Triassic strata overlie these older rocks in the east. These sedimentary sequences have been cut by igneous dykes and sills . The county contains a sizeable area of the North Pennines , designated an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty , primarily west of Tow Law and Barnard Castle . The highest point ( county top ) of historic County Durham
3600-657: The concentrations of various chemicals against known safe concentrations, is rated good or fail. The water quality of the River Deerness system was as follows in 2019. The reasons for the quality being less than good included bankside erosion and physical modification of the channel on the upper river, with sewage discharge affecting the lower river sections. The causes for the quality of the Hedleyhope Burn being less than good were not clearly understood in 2019, and needed further investigation. Like most rivers in
3680-474: The costs of the project were met from the sale of fishing licences. The Environment Agency measure the water quality of the river systems in England. Each is given an overall ecological status, which may be one of five levels: high, good, moderate, poor and bad. There are several components that are used to determine this, including biological status, which looks at the quantity and varieties of invertebrates , angiosperms and fish. Chemical status, which compares
3760-471: The county contains part of the North Pennines uplands, a national landscape . The hills are the source of the rivers Tees and Wear , which flow east and form the valleys of Teesdale and Weardale respectively. The east of the county is flatter, and the two rivers meander through it; the Tees forms the boundary with North Yorkshire in its lower reaches, and the Wear exits the county near Chester-le-Street in
3840-520: The county proper remained in use for administrative and ceremonial purposes until the 1972 Local Government Act . Following the Battle of Hastings, William the Conqueror appointed Copsig as Earl of Northumbria, thereby bringing what would become County Durham under Copsig's control. Copsig was, just a few weeks later, killed in Newburn. Having already being previously offended by the appointment of
3920-611: The county. The Office for National Statistics estimated in 2016 that the Durham County Council area had a population of 522,100, the Borough of Darlington a population of 105,600, the Borough of Hartlepool a population of 92,800, and the part of the Borough of Stockton-on-Tees in County Durham (the other part being in North Yorkshire) a population of 137,300. This gives the total estimated population of
4000-556: The eastern portion of the cathedral, the churches of Darlington, Hartlepool, and St Andrew, Auckland, Sedgefield, and portions of a few other churches. Until the 15th century, the most important administrative officer in the Palatinate was the steward . Other officers included the sheriff, the coroners, the Chamberlain and the chancellor . The palatine exchequer originated in the 12th century. The palatine assembly represented
4080-452: The farms and small villages engaged in agriculture. There had been some small scale extraction of coal from the deposits in the valley, but in 1836 the first commercial coal mine opened at Hedleyhope, and by the end of the century, there were at least 20 mines in operation, served by the railway. Records for 1896 show that there were a total of 6,974 men and boys employed as miners in the valley, with 5,186 working underground and 1,788 working on
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#17327811209134160-592: The formal name in modern local government is less clear: Around AD 547, an Angle named Ida founded the kingdom of Bernicia after spotting the defensive potential of a large rock at Bamburgh, upon which many a fortification was thenceforth built. Ida was able to forge, hold and consolidate the kingdom; although the native British tried to take back their land, the Angles triumphed and the kingdom endured. In AD 604, Ida's grandson Æthelfrith forcibly merged Bernicia (ruled from Bamburgh ) and Deira (ruled from York , which
4240-441: The housing has been demolished and returned to green fields and wooded areas. One legacy of such piecemeal development of housing is often the lack of adequate provision of sewers and sewage treatment facilities. In 2013, the first of three major pollution incidents occurred, when sewage overflowed from manholes and found its way into the River Deerness. The incidents were also linked to the death of cattle from Black's Disease, which
4320-596: The king enjoyed in his kingdom. The historic boundaries of County Durham included a main body covering the catchment of the Pennines in the west, the River Tees in the south, the North Sea in the east and the Rivers Tyne and Derwent in the north. The county palatinate also had a number of liberties : the Bedlingtonshire , Islandshire and Norhamshire exclaves within Northumberland, and
4400-515: The lands north of the Tees remained outside the governmental frontiers of the English realm, thus Bamburgh and the Haliwerfolc went on to become contested buffer states between England and Scotland. In AD 995, St Cuthbert's community, who had been transporting Cuthbert's remains around, partly in an attempt to avoid them falling into the hands of Viking raiders, settled at Dunholm (Durham) on
4480-428: The lands north thereof lay outside of the Danelaw. The House of Bamburgh, successors of the Kings of Bernicia and Northumbria, retained control north of the Tyne; between the Tyne and the Tees emerged the Community of St. Cuthbert or Haliwerfolc , successors of the See of Lindisfarne. The House of Wessex absorbed the Kingdom of York into the unified English Kingdom in 954 and claimed overlordship over Northumbria. However,
4560-424: The largest settlements are Hartlepool (88,855), Stockton-on-Tees (82,729), and Durham (48,069). For local government purposes the county comprises three unitary authority areas— County Durham , Darlington , and Hartlepool —and part of a fourth, Stockton-on-Tees . The county historically included the part of Tyne and Wear south of the River Tyne , and excluded the area south of the River Tees . The west of
4640-422: The late thirteenth century. Matters regarding the bishopric of Durham came to a head in 1293 when the bishop and his steward failed to attend proceedings of quo warranto held by the justices of Northumberland. The bishop's case went before parliament, where he stated that Durham lay outside the bounds of any English shire and that "from time immemorial it had been widely known that the sheriff of Northumberland
4720-402: The north, the North Sea to the east, North Yorkshire to the south, and Cumbria to the west. The largest settlement is Darlington . The county has an area of 2,676 square kilometres (1,033 sq mi) and a population of 872,075. The latter is concentrated in the east; the south-east is part of the Teesside built-up area, which extends into North Yorkshire. After Darlington (92,363),
4800-411: The north-east. The county's coast is a site of special scientific interest characterised by tall limestone and dolomite cliffs. What is now County Durham was on the border of Roman Britain , and contains survivals of this era at sites such as Binchester Roman Fort . In the Anglo-Saxon period the region was part of the Kingdom of Northumbria . In 995 the city of Durham was founded by monks seeking
4880-400: The northern rebellions by unleashing the notorious Harrying of the North (1069–1070). Because William's main focus during the harrying was on Yorkshire, County Durham was largely spared the Harrying. The best remains of the Norman period include Durham Cathedral and Durham Castle , and several parish churches, such as St Laurence Church in Pittington . The Early English period has left
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#17327811209134960-413: The outbreak of the Great Rebellion in 1642 Durham inclined to support the cause of Parliament , and in 1640 the high sheriff of the palatinate guaranteed to supply the Scottish army with provisions during their stay in the county. In 1642 the Earl of Newcastle formed the western counties into an association for the King's service, but in 1644 the palatinate was again overrun by a Scottish army, and after
5040-420: The project was £2.6 million, which included the enlargement of some 980 feet (300 m) of sewer pipes, and the work was carried out by ESH & Stantec and Carlow Concrete. The river has been used as a source of power in the past, and there are three mills that are known to have been driven by its water. The uppermost was Bricket Tile Works, near Ushaw Moor. It is shown on the Ordnance Survey map of 1861, with
5120-404: The river at the western edge of the village of Waterhouses . There are the remains of several mines in the woods to the south of the river. The large village of Esh Winning is located on the north bank, while two tributaries, Crow Gill and Holburn Beck join from the south. Two footbridges carry the Deerness Valley Railway Path over a loop in the river, and Rowley Burn, which has flowed parallel to
5200-437: The river but further to the north, joins at the eastern end of the village. The woodland to the south is called Ragpath Wood, and covers 81.5 acres (33 ha) on the steep side of the valley. It is a Planted Ancient Woodland Site, but most of the trees were cut down during the Second World War. It was subsequently replanted with broadleaf and conifer trees in 1967, and was bought by the Woodland Trust in 1996. Species growing in
5280-425: The river for spawning. 16 fish were fitted with radio transmitters, and their locations were tracked by two remote logging stations on the river, and by manual tracking visits, four times a week, using a large hand-held antenna. Although data about the movement of the fish was collected, the study also revealed that predation by herons is a significant factor, as four of the transmitters were found in heron pellets under
5360-423: The river on the north bank, the south bank becomes wooded and remains so for much of its remaining course. An air shaft and the remains of a drift mine are the first remnants of the industrial history of the valley. East Hedleyhope is a small village on the north bank, and here the woodland spreads briefly to the north bank as well. There are two more sewage treatment works, both on the north bank, while Stanley Wood
5440-450: The river to feed Primrose Side Mill, which was a bleaching mill. The tail race from this mill rejoined the river. Documentary evidence shows that Sleet Burn Mill was operational in 1747 Both had disappeared by 1896. Between 2012 and 2015, a number of projects were carried out to remove barriers to the migration of fish on the river. Much of the funding came from the Environment Agency 's Catchment Restoration Fund. At Cornsay, water levels in
5520-456: The role of the bishops in Durham, the "buffer state between England and Scotland": From 1075, the Bishop of Durham became a Prince-Bishop, with the right to raise an army, mint his own coins, and levy taxes. As long as he remained loyal to the king of England, he could govern as a virtually autonomous ruler, reaping the revenue from his territory, but also remaining mindful of his role of protecting England’s northern frontier. A report states that
5600-405: The surface. In addition to seven types of coal, clay and fireclay were extracted, while at Ushaw Moor and New Brancepeth, deposits of witherite and barites were also exploited. As the mines opened, the population of the valley increased significantly, with workers arriving from Durham, Cumberland, Northumberland and Westmoreland, as well as from other areas of England and Wales. There were also
5680-453: The tank, but when flows increase, the liquid overflows into the rest of the tank, to be stored until flows return to normal. The tank is 217 feet (66 m) by 98 feet (30 m) with a depth of 6.9 feet (2.1 m) and a capacity of 146,800 cubic feet (4,158 m). Once constructed, the tank was covered with soil to a depth of between 3.3 and 16.4 feet (1 and 5 m), to allow the field to be used for grazing cattle again. The total cost of
5760-403: The village of Startforth , the ceremonial county excludes the city of Sunderland and the non-metropolitan county excludes the town of Stockton-on-Tees . The ceremonial county includes the non-metropolitan county with the addition of the boroughs of Darlington , Hartlepool , and Stockton-on-Tees . The historic county's boundaries stretched from the rivers Tyne to Tees and it is covered by
5840-461: The whole county, and dealt chiefly with fiscal questions. The bishop's council, consisting of the clergy, the sheriff and the barons , regulated judicial affairs, and later produced the Chancery and the courts of Admiralty and Marshalsea . The prior of Durham ranked first among the bishop's barons. He had his own court, and almost exclusive jurisdiction over his men. A UNESCO site describes
5920-495: The wood include some oak and birch, with larger populations of European larch, Scots pine, Norway spruce, Sitka spruce, sycamore and beech. The Trust are managing the woodland, and gradually removing some of the conifers, to favour native broadleafed trees, with a view to reducing conifers to about one fifth of the population. Some of the restoration work has been funded by the Heritage Lottery Fund, and public access
6000-495: Was a liberty, sometimes referred to as a county, within Northumberland. In 1189 it was purchased for the see but continued with a separate sheriff , coroner and court of pleas. In the 14th century Sadberge was included in Stockton ward and was itself divided into two wards. The division into the four wards of Chester-le-Street, Darlington , Easington and Stockton existed in the 13th century, each ward having its own coroner and
6080-499: Was aligned to other historic counties of England from 1836 until 1889; multiple acts were passed removing exclaves, splitting the county from the bishopric and reforming its structure. The ceremonial county and administrative county were created under the Local Government Act 1888 in 1889. Darlington, Gateshead, West Hartlepool (later known as Hartlepool), South Shields and Sunderland became county boroughs during
6160-409: Was an issue, and there were outbreaks of typhoid and scarlet fever in the 1890s. There was also a long-running strike at Ushaw Moor from 1881 to 1883, with workers being thrown out of their houses which were then boarded up. Most of the mines closed in the 1950s and 1960s, with the last one being at Esh Winning, which closed in 1968. The population decreased as miners moved to other areas, and some of
6240-412: Was constructed down the steps, with stones and boulders used to create a more natural route for the fish to negotiate the structure. A number of pipe bridges were also removed or altered. In order to monitor the effectiveness of the measures, the movement of key species along the river was monitored by Durham University. In 2016, Durham University carried out a survey of the migration of brown trout within
6320-578: Was known as Eforwic at the time) to create the Kingdom of Northumbria . In time, the realm was expanded, primarily through warfare and conquest; at its height, the kingdom stretched from the River Humber (from which the kingdom drew its name) to the Forth. Eventually, factional fighting and the rejuvenated strength of neighbouring kingdoms, most notably Mercia, led to Northumbria's decline. The arrival of
6400-423: Was not sheriff of Durham nor entered within that liberty as sheriff. . . nor made there proclamations or attachments" . The arguments appear to have prevailed, as by the fourteenth century Durham was accepted as a liberty which received royal mandates direct. In effect it was a private shire, with the bishop appointing his own sheriff. The area eventually became known as the " County Palatine of Durham". Sadberge
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