1 1

A HISTORY OF CHESTER-LE-STREET

A HISTORY OF CHESTER-LE-STREET

€21,00 EUR
€21,00 EUR
Sale Sold out
Taxes included. Shipping calculated at checkout.
This book chronologically examines the town's history to show how it has grown and developed. It uses historical sources such as newspapers, books, periodicals, websites, and oral history. Chester-le-Street, with a population of around 24,000, lies almost midway between Durham and Newcastle upon Tyne. It lies in the valley formed by the River Wear, close to where the Chester Burn joins the river. The townscape is dominated by the church of St Mary and St Cuthbert, which has a distinct 158-foot-high spire on the site of a Roman fort and Saxon minister. Although the town did not experience significant growth after the Roman occupation, it developed on each side with the ‘Chares’ (or streets). The 'Chares' were streets lined with shops and houses, reflecting its medieval origins. The settlement of Chester-le-Street owes its continuous settlement to the arrival of the Lindisfarne monks from Holy Island on the Northumbrian coast in 883 AD. Carrying the body of St Cuthbert, they created Chester-le-Street, the see of Lindisfarne as an administrative, ecclesiastical, and pastoral centre. After the Norman invasion and through the Middle Ages, several Manor houses dotted the area, and a castle, originally a manor house, was constructed for defensive purposes. By the 16th century, it had a modest population when a traveller, John Leland, observed it as a town with “… chiefly one street of very meane building in height. There is besides a small street or two above the church collegiate….” The city, however, had a “…fair stone bridge of three arches…...” The town continued to be a significant transport centre, with mail and passenger coaches traversing the Great North Road, which linked Newcastle with settlements to the South, such as Durham City, Darlington, York, and eventually London. The town's growth surged during the Industrial Revolution, with the establishment of engineering works, coal mines, and houses for the local inhabitants. It also served as a market centre for local agricultural and mining villages. The townscape of Chester-le-Street underwent a significant transformation with the arrival of coal mining in the late 18th century and early 19th century. This period saw a rapid expansion of the town's population and size and the establishment of various industries. The replacement of the bridge in 1821 and the establishment of industries such as brewing beer and ale, engineering, tile works, tanneries, foundries and a famous jam and sweet producer were all significant developments. In the 20th century, modern estate development increased the size and population of Chester-le-Street. However, as much of this development has occurred on the town's fringe, the centre's form has remained relatively unchanged. The Market Place remains the focal point of Chester-le-Street. Within Front Street are a few small spaces where 18th—and 19th-century buildings have been set back. Trees now fill the spaces, for example, in front of the Lambton Arms, previously a posting house, the Queen's Head, and the former Co-operative Store. Today, Chester-le-Streets inhabitants commute by road and rail to the Tyne and Wear conurbation and other population centres in County Durham, such as Durham City. Chester-le-Street has developed into a dormitory town with many people travelling to find work via the 1960-built motorway.
Read more
View full details

Frequently Asked Questions

Got a question? We are here to answer!