The Northern National Restoration Group are sadly getting evicted from Philadelphia at no fault of their own. If anyone is aware of a large space to call their new home let them know: nnrg.org.uk/the-loss-of-... You’ll help save a group of enthusiasts just doing what they love.

New North East Timeline map. Clicking on a station or track displays a history of that feature. Dates are sometimes annotated with "c" (circa), "e" (estimate) or "u" (unknown). Many tracks also include links to other sites. www.RailMapOnline.com/north-east-timeline

200 years since our region birthed the railway as we know it - the spark which ignited the modern world and made every mile that little bit smaller. Harsh terrain was conquered with the iron road as were foreign countries & peoples, but it also democratised destiny & free will

Time for a new series from Wylam! 🌳 We start with its primary place of worship - St Oswin's Church. Wylam was the backdrop to a spray of collieries and industry, and this performs as its monument amongst the sleepy rurality of Wylam. Aptly, it was industry which paid for it.

Morning! Our last addition to the site this week is the lovely Prim at Willton-le-Wear, nestled on the banks of the Wear and dating from the turn of the century. Hope you all have a great weekend. www.northeastheritagelibrary.co.uk/features/wit...

Here we are - the last post on the History Hike from South Shields to Bishop Auckland. The rain led to a bit of a dash to the bus stop, but overall I'm over the moon with the results and the research!

Afternoon! Blimey, we’re so close to finishing up this years History Hike some 3 months later. A fleeting visit through Witton Park led me to Etherley Dene and this charming little pub - the Masons Arms.

It's Wednesday, so I've updated South Hylton's West Shipyard to accommodate McAndrew, Cowan & Potts who operated for a short time in the 1890s. They constructed steel coasters, tho they weren't able to swim against the tide and shut after 2 builds. www.northeastheritagelibrary.co.uk/shipbuilding...

@neheritagelib.bsky.social I found a photo from Harperley when it was a refugee/displaced person camp. I think it dates from around 1948-49. The last person on the right is my dad. I don't know the others. My older sister thinks the one on the left in the smock + hat was called Eddie Meehar ↓

Evening ☺️ I don’t have a lot to say on this one - apart from what a beautiful little dwelling this is! This is the North Lodge of Witton Castle, built in the 1810s to monitor the ins and outs of William Chaytor’s seat. It’s built to replicate the style of the castle itself.

Berwick is next on the list for the Sports Archive, and this morning I've added its most famous ground. The Pier Field has hosted Berwick CC since its inception in 1844, as well as the first ever Berwick Rangers football match. www.northeastheritagelibrary.co.uk/sportsarchive

My dad was there for a while after the war when it housed displaced people. He was taken into slave labour in Germany by Nazis from Poland as a teen. After the war ended he worked for US air force for a while (guarding planes in Munich), so didn't go back to Poland under Soviet occupation.

Witton-le-Wear's Primitive Methodist Chapel is an absolute beast. There's nothing primitive about it, and it's certainly outlived the Wesleyan chapel which used to stand over the road until the last century.

Morning all. I've popped on Harperley Hall to the site today - a late 18th century country house built to replace the Tudor manor down the road. This place became the home of a local railway magnate and later the police. www.northeastheritagelibrary.co.uk/grid

We have 9 days left for you to pre-order your copy of 2025’s North East History Compendium - our annual treasure trove of essays covering fresh and authentic perspectives on our region’s history. Over the coming days, I’ll be posting everything you can expect from this year 🙌

Afternoon - we reach civilisation on our trek through Weardale... or the lack thereof as I didn't see a single soul passing through Witton-le-Wear. Despite the rain, it was lovely to pass through this little manorial agricultural village high above the Wear. Plenty of heritage too.

Sad there’s no HST to see, but I’m here!

This is new Harperley Hall - a hidden Georgian gem nestled at the foot of the Weardale hills. As we’ve noted this replaced the former Low Harperley, an incredibly old construction.

Managed to spot this beast head into Heaton Depot today. Hearing that engine roar takes me back to those slam doors and the summer East Midlands runs from Scarborough to York. I’ve got tickets tomorrow, but the F1 qualifying has been that good I’ve been left with a dilemma 😱

Before I move onto the new(er) Harperley Hall, between both houses stands the earthworks for a smelting site. The grounds are known to feature industrial activity since prehistoric times. A potential flint working site was found in 1955, and a large quarry stood right next to Low Harperley too.

The highlight of Day 3 on this years History Hike was the original Harperley Hall. A totally unexpected addition to the big country houses I had already seen on this trip.

Morning :-) Today's newest addition to the site is Bradley Hall, the remnants of the medieval fortified house on the fringes of Wolsingham. The 18th century farmhouse is surrounded by a moat and 800 year old ruins. www.northeastheritagelibrary.co.uk/features/bra...

The clock is fast ticking to get your pre orders in for 2025’s North East History Compendium - our annual set of essays professionally printed, curated by me and written by a group of talented local and national writers. Reserve a copy here: www.northeastheritagelibrary.co.uk/product-page...

There are certainly still remains of Bradley Hall, as you can see below in front of the late 18th century farmhouse. Bradley Hall was a fortified Manor House, surrounded by a trapezoid moat with its own construction composed of thick outer walls to protect it from marauders and rival families.

A whole week since our last post on Weardale, but we're back on the trail! We're past Wolsingham on the way to Harperley. On the way, the main lane used to cross this 18th century bridge over the Bradley Burn.

Morning! Back on it with an update to the Shipbuilding Archive. Tricky tracing the roots of these builders, but I'm pretty confident the Lumsden's built here. This is because they owned the Strand Iron Works here, a reputable anchor manufacturer. www.northeastheritagelibrary.co.uk/shipbuilding...

By sheer luck I find a memorial to Samuel Plimsoll, who has a whole essay dedicated to him in this years Compendium! @drmabibby.bsky.social www.northeastheritagelibrary.co.uk/category/nor...

We are halfway through pre-orders! It would absolutely mean the world if you grabbed a copy. ❤️ This years is jam packed - POW camps, North East naturalists, industry & faith… even Durham grannies 👵 Here’s the link: www.northeastheritagelibrary.co.uk/product-page...

Longstanding followers will know I’m a bit obsessed with J W Carmichael, the man who gave us an insight into the North East like no other. Born lowly on the Ouseburn and died down at Scarborough. I’ve finally reached his London residence - 20 Howland Street at Bloomsbury.

Southwards this weekend! Meanwhile we’re near halfway through the pre-order period for 2025’s Compendium. My focus each year is for the freshest, most authentic and original insights into why we’re who we are. We’ve smashed it. Pre-Order here: www.northeastheritagelibrary.co.uk/category/nor...

@loosewheel.bsky.social Hi mate, is it poss to send over an email for you and your dad? Just so I can attach it to the order. Thank you!

First time out properly walking since the History Hike and I have been piiiiining for this. Wylam to the West End for railways, chapels and pits. Boooosh

Morning. A Wolsingham double header added to the site today, including a history of the Mechanics Institute and a full breakdown of Attwood's steel works on the east side of the village, closed in 1983. 🛠️ www.northeastheritagelibrary.co.uk/grid

Afternoon everyone! The feature I enjoyed the most about Wolsingham was its metal works. My pre-conceptions of the place were purely rural - a historic agricultural village nothing more than an outpost for those travelling west.

This is Wolsingham's old National School, and compared to some of its counterparts I'm pretty stunned by the resources piled into it. Most National Schools are timid little buildings!

Morning! No site updates as I'm a bit of a busy bee but today marks a third of the month down to get your Compendium reserved - A zine brimming with authentic & new perspectives on the North East's history. Only ever going to be one run of this! www.northeastheritagelibrary.co.uk/category/all...

Wolsingham's pride in place pub is the Black Bull, a mid 18th century coaching inn to service the travellers coming through the Weardale valley. The stucco and black lining makes for a striking contrast against the endless stonework in the village.

Morning! I've added a couple more grounds to the Sports Archive. These include an old rifle range used by the Bellingham Rifle Club in the 1900s, and Belsay Cricket Club, established in 1869. www.northeastheritagelibrary.co.uk/sportsarchive

With any village of a solid industrial pedigree, there’s a very good chance you’ll find a Mechanics Institute. This is the quaint iteration at Wolsingham.

Good morning! I've started the Wolsingham research to the site, starting with the lovely Neo-Gothic Wesleyan church - one of five historic chapels that still remain in this centre of faith in Weardale. Have a great Monday. www.northeastheritagelibrary.co.uk/features/wol...

And speaking of Wolsingham’s religious pedigree, not far down the way is the Baptist Chapel. As expected, much less fancies and frolics than the Wesleyan counterpart too.

Wolsingham's Methodist roots run incredibly deep, and this gorgeous church is just the tip of such rich religious history. This might influence why this is such a stunning building, replacing an older and more conservative chapel in 1836 right next door behind the front of the street.

Just a few miscellaneous photographs of the Wolsingham vernacular, rooted in beautiful local limestone. These buildings photographed date from the mid 18th century to what is likely the late 19th - the middle photo featuring the oldest which is Whitfield House from 1750.

Good morning everyone! It’s the final weekend you can grab an early discount on 2025’s North East History Compendium - after this it’s full price. I’m so excited to share these fantastic essays with you all. Proper, authentic local history. www.northeastheritagelibrary.co.uk/category/nor...

The next station on the line is Wolsingham- a modest but very well looked after little platform with its original station house peeking over the bushes. This one is one of the original stations on the Frosterley and Stanhope Railway, dating from 1847.

A Coals Archive morn to finish the week. I've added a good few old drifts and collieries between Iveston and Leadgate in Durham. Pictured is the Bogle Hole Engine in the 1900s, used to pump water from nearby workings into a reservoir near Iveston. www.northeastheritagelibrary.co.uk/coalsarchive...

You lovely people have a few days to grab our annual publication at the discounted early bird price. 8 essays covering everything from Harperley POW camps to Hartlepool greyhounds, making for a little extra in someone’s Xmas stocking. So proud 💃 www.northeastheritagelibrary.co.uk/category/nor...

My quest following the Weardale Railway, after the Stanhope & Tyne, starts at Frosterley! The line was built around a decade after the Stanhope & Tyne Railroad in 1845, to provide an additional chord to access the lead & limestone this place is well known for.

I've popped onto the site New Frosterley Quarry - one of many in Weardale which formed the industrial bread basket of County Durham. This particular site was opened by Pease & Partners in 1880 - the conglomerate who made Durham what it is today. www.northeastheritagelibrary.co.uk/features/new...

Afternoon! I took this one on the eastern fringes of Frosterley, and it was my first proper taste of the industrial legacy left here on the banks of the Wear. These earthworks cover the landscape round here like moles burrowing underground!