Stanhope, County Durham
Stanhope /ˈstænəp/ is a small market town in County Durham, England, situated on the River Wear between Eastgate and Frosterley on the north-east side of Weardale. The A689 road meets the B6278 road from Barnard Castle to Shotley Bridge in the town.
Stanhope | |
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Stanhope Castle | |
Stanhope Location within County Durham | |
Population | 4,581 (2011 Census)[1] |
OS grid reference | NY995395 |
Shire county | |
Region | |
Country | England |
Sovereign state | United Kingdom |
Post town | Bishop Auckland |
Postcode district | DL13 |
Dialling code | 01388 |
Police | Durham |
Fire | County Durham and Darlington |
Ambulance | North East |
UK Parliament | |
Description
The civil parish of Stanhope had an estimated population of 4489 in 2017 (4581 in the 2011 census).[2] It includes Rookhope, Westgate, St John's Chapel, Ireshopeburn, Wearhead, Cowshill, Cornriggs, Eastgate, Frosterley all on the A689 road, along with Crawleyside, Hill End and White Kirkley. The parish area is England's largest at 221 km².[3] It shares some land in common with the neighbouring Wolsingham civil parish.
Stanhope is surrounded by moorland in the North Pennines Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB) – the second largest of the current 40 AONBs in England and Wales.
Features of interest include:
- A petrified tree stump in the churchyard, which was discovered with two others (one of these can be seen in the Great North Museum in Newcastle upon Tyne)[4]
- The Durham Dales Centre, which incorporates a tea room, tourist information and craft shops
- Stanhope Bridge, a scheduled monument built in the 15th century and widened in 1792[5]
- A ford with a step-stone bridge for pedestrians
- The 18th-century Stanhope Castle in the centre of the town, standing on the possible site of a medieval castle and built in 1798 by Cuthbert Rippon, MP for Gateshead[6]
- One of only two heated open-air swimming pools in the North East
Stanhope Agricultural Show is held on the second weekend of September each year. It has been held annually since 1834, with the exception of the war years, the foot and mouth crisis and times of bad weather.[7]
Weardale Railway
Stanhope is the current terminus of the Weardale Railway, a heritage railway operating primarily at weekends. It runs from Bishop Auckland, with stations at Frosterley, Wolsingham and Witton-le-Wear.[8]
Notable residents
- Joseph Butler (1692–1752), theologian and cleric
- William Percival Crozier (1879–1944), scholar and journalist; editor of the Manchester Guardian in 1932–1944
- George Boateng, professional footballer
- Thomas Coulthard (1818–1866) and Elizabeth Fleming (1820–1873), parents of the legendary Australian rules footballer and cricketer, George Coulthard (1856–1883)
- Muriel Young, (1923–2001), television continuity announcer, presenter and producer
Stanhope gallery
- Durham Dales Centre. Stanhope, Co. Durham (in Weardale). Arts and Crafts Centre
- The preserved railway station and tearoom (summer)
- Scurfield House near to Stanhope, County Durham (Winter)
- St Thomas's Church, Stanhope
- Stone Bridge. A single-arch bridge carrying the B6278 over the River Wear
- Ford in Stanhope, County Durham
References
- "Parish population 2011". Retrieved 21 July 2015.
- Retrieved 20 October 2019.
- "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 1 December 2005. Retrieved 23 November 2005.CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
- Background, booklet. Retrieved 20 October 2019.
- Bridge history. Retrieved 20 October 2019.
- Illustrated site. Retrieved 20 October 2019.
- Official site. Retrieved 20 October 2019.