County Durham
Geography
Status	Ceremonial and (smaller) Non-metropolitan county
Origin	Historic
Region	North East England
Area - Total - Admin. The ceremonial counties are areas of England that are appointed a Lord-Lieutenant, and are defined by the government as the Counties for the purposes of the Lieutenancies Metropolitan and non-metropolitan counties are one of the four levels of Subdivisions of England used for the purposes of Local government outside Greater London The historic counties of England are ancient subdivisions of England. The region, also known as the government office region, is currently the highest tier of local government sub-national entity of England, with only one North-East England is one of the nine official Regions of England and comprises the combined area of Northumberland, County Durham, Tyne and Wear Area is a Quantity expressing the two- Dimensional size of a defined part of a Surface, typically a region bounded by a closed Curve. council - Admin. area	Ranked 19th 2,676 km² (1,033 sq mi) Ranked 23rd 2,226 km² (859 sq mi)
Admin HQ	Durham
ISO 3166-2	GB-DUR
ONS code	20
NUTS 3	UKC14
Demography
Population - Total (2006 est. This is a List of Ceremonial counties of England by Area. See also Square Kilometre ( US spelling square kilometer) symbol km2, is a decimal multiple of the SI unit of The square mile is an imperial and US unit of Area equal the area of a square of one statute mile. This is a list of non-metropolitan counties of England by area Durham (ˈdʌrəm in RP, locally ˈdʏrəm is a small city and main settlement of the City of Durham district of County Durham, England ISO 3166-2GB is an ISO standard which defines Geocodes it is the subset of ISO 3166-2 which applies to the United Kingdom. The Office for National Statistics coding system is a hierarchical code used in the United Kingdom for tabulating Census and other statistical data The Nomenclature of Territorial Units for Statistics, ( NUTS) for the French nomenclature d'unités territoriales statistiques, is a Geocode In Biology a population is the collection of inter-breeding organisms of a particular Species; in Sociology ) - Density - Admin. Population density (in agriculture standing stock and Standing crop) is a measurement of Population per unit area or unit volume council - Admin. pop.	Ranked 23rd 493,470 (2001 census) 323/km² (837/sq mi) Ranked 27th 500,700
Ethnicity	98. This is a List of Ceremonial counties of England by Population. This is a list of non-metropolitan counties of England by population. 6% White
Politics
Durham County Council http://www.durham.gov.uk/
Executive	Labour
Members of Parliament	Hilary Armstrong (L) Roberta Blackman-Woods (L) Phil Wilson (L) Frank Cook (L) John Cummings (L) Helen Goodman (L) Kevan Jones (L) Alan Milburn (L) Dari Taylor (L) Iain Wright (L)
Districts
City of Durham Easington Sedgefield Teesdale Wear Valley Derwentside Chester-le-Street Hartlepool (unitary) Darlington (unitary) Stockton-on-Tees (unitary)* * Only the part of the borough to the north of the River Tees is within the ceremonial County Durham. The Labour Party is a Political party in the United Kingdom. Founded at the start of the 20th century it has been since the 1920s the principal party of the Composition Graphical representation of the House of Commons This is a comparison of the party strengths in the British House of Commons Hilary Jane Armstrong (born 30 November 1945 Sunderland) is a British Labour Party Politician. The Labour Party is a Political party in the United Kingdom. Founded at the start of the 20th century it has been since the 1920s the principal party of the Roberta Carol Blackman-Woods (Born 16 August 1957, Belfast, Northern Ireland) is a Labour Party politician in the United Kingdom The Labour Party is a Political party in the United Kingdom. Founded at the start of the 20th century it has been since the 1920s the principal party of the Phil Wilson my refer to Phil Wilson (baseball, American minor league starting pitcher for the Seattle Mariners The Labour Party is a Political party in the United Kingdom. Founded at the start of the 20th century it has been since the 1920s the principal party of the For Frank Cook former drummer for the blues rock band Canned Heat see Canned Heat. The Labour Party is a Political party in the United Kingdom. Founded at the start of the 20th century it has been since the 1920s the principal party of the John Scott Cummings (born 6 July 1943) is a British Politician. The Labour Party is a Political party in the United Kingdom. Founded at the start of the 20th century it has been since the 1920s the principal party of the Helen Catherine Goodman (born January 2, 1958, Nottingham) is a British Labour Party Politician. The Labour Party is a Political party in the United Kingdom. Founded at the start of the 20th century it has been since the 1920s the principal party of the Kevan David Jones MP (born 25 April 1964) is a politician in the United Kingdom. The Labour Party is a Political party in the United Kingdom. Founded at the start of the 20th century it has been since the 1920s the principal party of the Alan Milburn (born 27 January 1958 is a British Politician. He is Labour Party Member of Parliament (MP for Darlington, and served The Labour Party is a Political party in the United Kingdom. Founded at the start of the 20th century it has been since the 1920s the principal party of the Dari Jean Taylor (born 13 December 1944 Rhondda as Daria Jean Jones) is a Labour Party politician in the United Kingdom. The Labour Party is a Political party in the United Kingdom. Founded at the start of the 20th century it has been since the 1920s the principal party of the Iain David Wright (born May 9, 1972) is a British Labour politician and Member of Parliament for Hartlepool since winning The Labour Party is a Political party in the United Kingdom. Founded at the start of the 20th century it has been since the 1920s the principal party of the Durham is a local government district in County Durham, England. Easington is a local government district and in eastern County Durham, England. Sedgefield is a local government district and Borough in County Durham, in north-east England. Teesdale is a local government district in County Durham, England. Wear Valley is a local government district in County Durham, England. Derwentside is a local government district in County Durham, England, named after the River Derwent. Chester-le-Street is a local government district in County Durham, England. Hartlepool is a local government district and Borough in the Ceremonial county of County Durham, North East England Darlington is a local government district and Borough in North East England. Stockton-on-Tees is a Unitary authority area and borough in the Tees Valley area of North East England, with a population in 2001 of 178408

County Durham is a non-metropolitan county^[1] of historic origin^[2][3] in North East England. Metropolitan and non-metropolitan counties are one of the four levels of Subdivisions of England used for the purposes of Local government outside Greater London The historic counties of England are ancient subdivisions of England. North-East England is one of the nine official Regions of England and comprises the combined area of Northumberland, County Durham, Tyne and Wear England is a Country which is part of the United Kingdom. Its inhabitants account for more than 83% of the total UK population whilst its mainland The county town is Durham. A county town is the 'capital' of a County in the United Kingdom or Republic of Ireland. Durham (ˈdʌrəm in RP, locally ˈdʏrəm is a small city and main settlement of the City of Durham district of County Durham, England ^[4] The county has an industrial heritage and its economy was historically based on coal and iron mining. ^[5] It is an area of regeneration and promoted as a tourist destination. ^[5]

Etymology

Many counties are named after their principal town, and the expected form here would be Durhamshire. ^[4] The county is commonly known as County Durham but is officially named Durham and this was last reconfirmed in legislation passed in 1997. ^[6] The former postal county was known as "County Durham" to distinguish it from the post town of Durham. The postal counties of the United Kingdom, now known officially as the former postal counties, were subdivisions of the UK in routine use by the Royal Mail A post town is a required part of all postal addresses in the United Kingdom, and a basic unit of the postal delivery system Durham is the only English county name to be prefixed with "County" in common usage - a practice more common in Ireland. Ireland (pronounced /ˈaɾlənd/ Éire) is the third largest island in Europe, and the twentieth-largest island in the world

Divisions and environs

The area under the control of the county council, or shire county, is divided into seven local government districts. A non-metropolitan county or shire county in England, is a county-level entity which is not a Metropolitan county. ^[7] They are:

• City of Durham, including Durham city and the surrounding areas
• Easington, including Seaham and the new town of Peterlee
• Sedgefield, including Spennymoor and Newton Aycliffe
• Teesdale, including Barnard Castle and the villages of Teesdale
• Wear Valley, including Bishop Auckland, Crook, and Willington, and the villages along Weardale
• Derwentside, including Consett and Stanley
• Chester-le-Street, including Sacriston

Hartlepool and Darlington are unitary authorities which form part of the county for various functions such as Lord Lieutenant but do not come under county council control. Durham is a local government district in County Durham, England. Durham (ˈdʌrəm in RP, locally ˈdʏrəm is a small city and main settlement of the City of Durham district of County Durham, England Easington is a local government district and in eastern County Durham, England. For the town of the same name in New South Wales, Australia see Seaham New South Wales Seaham, formerly Seaham Harbour is A new town, planned community or planned city is a City, Town, or Community that was carefully planned from its inception and is typically Peterlee is a New town in County Durham, England. Founded in 1948, the town is named after Peter Lee, a prominent local Miner Sedgefield is a local government district and Borough in County Durham, in north-east England. Spennymoor is a town in County Durham, England. It stands above the Wear Valley approximately seven miles south of Durham. Newton Aycliffe is a town in County Durham, England. Founded in 1947 under the New Towns Act of 1946 it is the oldest New town in the north Teesdale is a local government district in County Durham, England. Barnard Castle is a town in Teesdale, County Durham, England named after the castle around which it grew up Wear Valley is a local government district in County Durham, England. Bishop Auckland is a Market town in County Durham in North East England. Crook (commonly known as Crook Market Town is a small market town in County Durham, England. Willington is a former-pit town in County Durham, England. It is in the foothills of the Pennines and near the River Wear close to Crook Weardale is a dale or Valley, of the east side of the Pennines in County Durham, in England. Derwentside is a local government district in County Durham, England, named after the River Derwent. Consett (UK Parliament constituency Consett is a town in the northwest of County Durham, England and is the administrative centre of the district of Derwentside. Stanley is a former colliery town in County Durham, England. Centred on a hilltop between Chester-le-Street and Consett, it is the second Chester-le-Street is a local government district in County Durham, England. Sacriston is a village in Chester-le-Street District County Durham, England, situated 5 km (3 miles north of the city of Durham. Hartlepool is a local government district and Borough in the Ceremonial county of County Durham, North East England Darlington is a local government district and Borough in North East England. The title Lord Lieutenant is given to the British Monarch 's personal representatives in the United Kingdom, usually in a county or similar circumscription with varying Part of Stockton-on-Tees that is north of the River Tees is also within County Durham for this purpose. Stockton-on-Tees is a Unitary authority area and borough in the Tees Valley area of North East England, with a population in 2001 of 178408 The Tees is a river in Northern England. It rises on the eastern slope of Cross Fell in the Pennines, and flows eastwards for about 85 miles ^[6] Durham Constabulary operate in the area of the shire county and Darlington. Durham Constabulary is a Home Office Police force with the responsibility of policing the non-metropolitan county of County Durham and the Unitary ^[8] The ceremonial county, the area including the unitary authorities, borders Tyne and Wear, North Yorkshire, Cumbria and Northumberland and forms part of the North East England region. The ceremonial counties are areas of England that are appointed a Lord-Lieutenant, and are defined by the government as the Counties for the purposes of the Lieutenancies North Yorkshire is a non-metropolitan or shire county located in the Yorkshire and the Humber region of England, and a ceremonial county in Boundaries and divisions Cumbria is neighboured by Northumberland, County Durham, North Yorkshire, Lancashire, and the Lieutenancy Northumberland is a county in the North East of England. The non-metropolitan county of Northumberland borders Cumbria to the west ^[9]

History

Ancient origins

The territory that became known as County Durham was originally a liberty under the control of the Bishops of Durham. The liberty was known variously as the "Liberty of Durham", "Liberty of St Cuthbert's Land" "The lands of St. Cuthbert between Tyne and Tees" or "The Liberty of Haliwerfolc". ^[10]

The bishops' special jurisdiction was based on claims that King Ecgfrith of Northumbria had granted a substantial territory to St Cuthbert on his election to the see of Lindisfarne in 684. Ecgfrith (c 645– May 20, 685) was the King of Northumbria from 670 until his death For the Dungeons & Dragons deity see Saint Cuthbert (Dungeons & Dragons St Cuthbert of Lindisfarne (c An episcopal see is the ecclesiastical domain of authority of a Bishop. Lindisfarne () (variant spelling Lindesfarne is a Tidal island off the north-east coast of England. 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. Chester-le-Street is the main town in the Chester-le-Street district of County Durham, England. Guthfrith or Guthred ( Old Norse Guðroðr) (died 24 August 895 ? was the king of the Viking kingdom of Jórvík The River Tyne is a River in England. It is formed by the confluence of two rivers the North Tyne and the South Tyne. The River Wear (wɪə("wee-er" is a river in North East England, rising in the Pennines and flowing eastwards mostly through County Durham, In 995 the see was moved again to Durham.

Following the Norman invasion, the administrative machinery of government was only slowly extended to northern England. In the twelfth century a shire or county of Northumberland was formed, and Durham was considered to be within its bounds. ^[11] However the authority of the sheriff of Northumberland and his officials was disputed by the bishops. The crown still regarded Durham as falling within Northumberland until the late thirteenth century. Matters came to a head in 1293 when the bishop and his steward failed to attend proceeedings of quo warranto held by the justices of Northumberland. Quo warranto ( Medieval Latin for "by what warrant?" is one of the Prerogative writs that requires the person to whom it is directed to show what The bishops' case was heard in 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 was not sheriff of Durham nor entered within that liberty as sheriff. . . nor made there proclamations or attachments". ^[12] The arguments appear to have been accepted, as by the fourteenth century Durham was accepted as a liberty which received royal mandates direct. In effect it was private shire, with the bishop appointing his own sheriff. ^[10] The area eventually became known as the "County Palatine of Durham".

Sadberge was a liberty, sometimes referred to as a county, within Northumberland. Sadberge is a village in the borough of Darlington and Ceremonial county of County Durham, England. In 1189 it was purchased for the see by Bishop Pudsey. It continued as an independent franchise, with a separate sheriff, coroner and court of pleas. SHERIFF is a telecom fraud detection and management system originally developed by BT and MCI. A coroner is an official responsible for investigating deaths particularly some of those happening under unusual circumstances and determining the cause of death In the 14th century Sadberge was included in Stockton ward and was itself divided into two wards. Stockton-on-Tees is a market town in North East England. It is the major settlement in the unitary authority area and Borough of Stockton-on-Tees. 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 a three-weekly court corresponding to the hundred court. Darlington is a town in County Durham, England and the main population centre in the Borough of Darlington. Easington is a local government district and in eastern County Durham, England. The diocese was divided into the archdeaconries of Durham and Northumberland. In many rites of the Roman Catholic Church and in Anglican churches, a diocese is an administrative territorial unit administered by a Bishop. A position of archdeacon is a senior position in Anglicanism, Syrian Malabar Nasrani, and in some other Christian denominations above that of most 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 the king enjoyed in his kingdom.

Early administration

At its historic extent, Durham included a main body covering the watershed 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 historic counties of England are ancient subdivisions of England. A drainage divide, water divide, divide or (outside North America) watershed is the line separating neighbouring Drainage basins The Pennines are a low-rising Mountain range in Northern England and southern Scotland. The Tees is a river in Northern England. It rises on the eastern slope of Cross Fell in the Pennines, and flows eastwards for about 85 miles The North Sea is a marginal, Epeiric sea of the Atlantic Ocean on the European Continental shelf. The River Tyne is a River in England. It is formed by the confluence of two rivers the North Tyne and the South Tyne. The River Derwent is a River on the border between County Durham and Northumberland in the north east of England. ^[13] The county had a number of exclaves: Bedlingtonshire, Islandshire^[14] and Norhamshire^[15] within Northumberland, and Craikshire within the North Riding of Yorkshire. Bedlingtonshire is an area in England, consisting solely of the parish of Bedlington. Islandshire was a region in England, centred around Lindisfarne or Holy Island including many villages on the mainland Norhamshire was an Exclave of County Durham in England. It was first mentioned in 995, when it formed part of the lands of the priory at Crayke is a Village and Civil parish in the Hambleton district of North Yorkshire, England, about two miles east of Easingwold In 1831 the county covered an area of 679,530 acres^[16] and had a population of 253,910. ^[17] The historic boundaries were used for parliamentary 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 Counties (Detached Parts Act 1844 (7 & 8 Vict. c 61 which came to effect in 20 October 1844, was an act of Parliament of the United Kingdom

Until the 15th century the most important administrative officer in the palatinate was the steward. A steward (from Old English stíweard stiȝweard, from stiȝ "hall household" + weard " Warden, keeper" corresponding Other officers were the sheriff, the coroners, the Chamberlain and the chancellor. A chamberlain is an officer in charge of managing a household. Chancellor or chancellour (archaic ( Latin: cancellarius) is an official Title used in countries whose civilization has arisen The palatine exchequer was organized in the 12th century. The palatine assembly represented the whole county, and dealt chiefly with fiscal questions. The bishops council, consisting of the clergy, the sheriff and the barons, regulated the judicial affairs, and later produced the Chancery and the courts of Admiralty and Marshalsea. Clergy is the generic term used to describe the formal religious leadership within a given Religion. Baron is a specific Title of nobility. The word baron comes from Old French baron, itself from Old High German and Latin (liber A chancery court, Equity court or court of equity is a court that is authorized to apply principles of equity (as opposed to law to cases brought The Marshalsea was a notorious prison on the south bank of the River Thames in the London borough of Southwark.

Durham city was captured by a Norman army in 1069. Durham (ˈdʌrəm in RP, locally ˈdʏrəm is a small city and main settlement of the City of Durham district of County Durham, England The Normans were the people who gave their names to Normandy, a region in northern France. There was a rebellion against the new Norman earl Robert de Comines, who was killed. Robert Comine (also Robert de Comines, Robert de Comyn) was very briefly Earl of Northumbria. However, County Durham largely missed the Harrying of the North that was designed to subjugate such rebellions. The Harrying (or Harrowing) of the North was a series of campaigns waged by William the Conqueror, in the winter of 1069 &ndash 1070 ^[18] The best remains of the Norman period are to be found in Durham Cathedral and in the castle, also in some few parish churches, as at Pittington and Norton near Stockton. The Cathedral Church of Christ Blessed Mary the Virgin and St Cuthbert of Durham, commonly referred to as Durham Cathedral, in the city of Durham, England Durham Castle is a Norman Castle in the city of Durham, England, which has been wholly occupied since 1840 by University College Durham A parish is a Local church; it is an administrative unit typically found in episcopal or presbyterian churches Of the Early English period are the eastern portion of the cathedral, the churches of Darlington, Hartlepool, and St Andrew, Auckland, Sedgefield, and portions of a few other churches.

The prior of Durham ranked first among the bishop's barons. Prior is a Title, derived from the Latin adjective for 'earlier first' with several notable uses He had his own court, and almost exclusive jurisdiction over his men. There were ten palatinate barons in the 12th century, the most important being the Hiltons of Hilton Castle, the Bulmers of Brancepeth, the Conyers of Sockburne, the Hansards of Evenwood, and the Lumleys of Lumley Castle. Brancepeth is a Village and Civil parish in the City of Durham, County Durham, in England. The Nevilles owned large estates in the county. Raby Castle, their principal seat, was built by John de Neville in 1377.

Edward I's quo warranto proceedings of 1293 showed twelve lords enjoying more or less extensive franchises under the bishop. Edward I (17 June 1239 – 7 July 1307 popularly known as Longshanks, was a King of England who achieved historical fame by conquering large parts of Wales and almost Quo warranto ( Medieval Latin for "by what warrant?" is one of the Prerogative writs that requires the person to whom it is directed to show what 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. Throughout the Commonwealth realms The Crown is an abstract metonymic concept which represents the legal authority for the existence of any government 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 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 July 5, 1836, when the Durham (County Palatine) Act 1836 provided that the palatine jurisdiction should in future be vested in the crown. The English Restoration, or simply The Restoration began in 1660 when the English monarchy, Scottish monarchy and Irish monarchy were restored Events 1295 - Scotland and France form an alliance the beginnings of the Auld Alliance, against England. Year 1836 ( MDCCCXXXVI) was a Leap year starting on Friday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian Calendar (or a Leap ^[19]

During the Wars of the Roses, Henry VI passed through Durham. The Wars of the Roses (1455–1485 were a series of dynastic Civil wars fought in England between supporters of the Houses of Lancaster and York Henry VI (6 December 1421 &ndash 21 May 1471 was King of England 1422–1461 (though with a Regent until 1437 and then 1470–1471 and a claimant to the kingdom On the outbreak of the Great Rebellion Durham inclined to support the cause of the Parliament, and in 1640 the high sheriff of the palatinate guaranteed to supply the Scottish army with provisions during their stay in the county. The English Civil War (1642-1651 was a series of armed conflicts and political machinations between Parliamentarians and Royalists. The Parliament of England was the Legislature of the Kingdom of England. Scotland ( Gaelic: Alba) is a Country in northwest Europethat occupies the northern third of the island of Great Britain. In 1642 the Earl of Newcastle formed the western counties into an association for the kings service, but in 1644 the palatinate was again overrun by the Scottish army, and after the Battle of Marston Moor fell entirely into the hands of the parliament. William Cavendish 1st Duke of Newcastle-upon-Tyne KG KB PC (6 December 1592 &ndash 25 December 1676 was an English Polymath and The Battle of Marston Moor was fought on July 2 1644 during the First English Civil War of 1642&ndash1646

In 1614 a bill was introduced in parliament for securing representation to the county and city of Durham and the borough of Barnard Castle. For other uses see Bill. A bill is a proposed new law introduced within a Legislature that has not been ratified, adopted Barnard Castle is a town in Teesdale, County Durham, England named after the castle around which it grew up The movement was strongly opposed by the bishop, as an infringement of his palatinate rights, and the county was first summoned to return members to parliament in 1654. After the Restoration the county and city returned two members each. By 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 Representation of the People Act 1832, commonly known as the Reform Act 1832, was an Act of Parliament that introduced wide-ranging changes to the electoral system Gateshead is a town in Tyne and Wear, England. It lies on the southern bank of the River Tyne, opposite Newcastle upon Tyne. South Shields is a coastal town in Tyne and Wear, England, located at the mouth of the River Tyne. Sunderland (, or /ˈsʌn(dlən/ is a City in Tyne and Wear, England. The boroughs of Darlington, Stockton and Hartlepool returned one member each from 1868 until the Redistribution Act of 1885. Hartlepool ('hɑːtlɪpuːl is a North Sea port in North East England

Modern local government

High Force waterfall on the River Tees

The municipal boroughs of Durham, Stockton on Tees and Sunderland were reformed by the Municipal Corporations Act 1835. High Force is a Waterfall on the River Tees, near Middleton-in-Teesdale, Tees Valley, England. The Tees is a river in Northern England. It rises on the eastern slope of Cross Fell in the Pennines, and flows eastwards for about 85 miles The Municipal Corporations Act 1835 (5 & 6 Wm IV c76 - sometimes known as the Municipal Reform Act - required members of town councils ( Municipal corporations In 1875 Jarrow was incorporated as a municipal borough,^[20] as was West Hartlepool in 1887. ^[21] At a county level, the Local Government Act 1888 reorganised local government throughout England and Wales. The Local Government Act 1888 (51 & 52 Vict c 41 was passed by the Parliament of the United Kingdom in 1888 and established County councils and County borough Local governments are administrative offices that are smaller than a State. ^[22] Most of the county came under control of the newly formed Durham County Council in an area known as an administrative county. An administrative county was an Administrative division in England and Wales and Ireland used for the purposes of Local government. Not included were the county boroughs of Gateshead, South Shields and Sunderland. County borough is a term introduced in 1889 in the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland (excluding Scotland) to refer to a Borough or a City Gateshead is a town in Tyne and Wear, England. It lies on the southern bank of the River Tyne, opposite Newcastle upon Tyne. South Shields is a coastal town in Tyne and Wear, England, located at the mouth of the River Tyne. Sunderland (, or /ˈsʌn(dlən/ is a City in Tyne and Wear, England. However, for purposes other than local government the administrative county of Durham and the county boroughs continued to form a "county of Durham" to which a Lord Lieutenant of Durham was appointed. This is a list of people who have served as Lord Lieutenant of Durham.

Over its existence, the administrative county lost territory, both to the existing county boroughs, and also due to the municipal borough of West Hartlepool becoming a county borough in 1902^[21] and Darlington in 1915. ^[23] In 1967 the former area of the borough of Hartlepool was removed from the administrative county when it merged with West Hartlepool to form a new county borough of Hartlepool. The county boundary with the North Riding of Yorkshire was adjusted: that part of the town of Barnard Castle historically in Yorkshire was added to County Durham,^[24] while the portion of the Borough of Stockton-on-Tees in Durham was ceded to the North Riding. ^[25] In 1968, following the recommendation of the Local Government Commission, Billingham was transferred to the county borough of Teesside, in the North Riding. The Local Government Commission for England was established by the Local Government Act 1958 to review the organisation of local government and make "such proposals Teesside is the name given to the Conurbation in the North East of England made up of the towns of Middlesbrough, Stockton-on-Tees ^[26] In 1971 the population of the county including all associated county boroughs (an area of 634,000 acres)^[17] was 1,409,633 and the population outside the county boroughs was 814,396. ^[27]

In 1974 the administrative county and the county boroughs were abolished by the Local Government Act 1972 and County Durham was reconstituted as a non-metropolitan county. The Local Government Act 1972 (1972 c 70 is an Act of Parliament in the United Kingdom, that reformed local government in England and Wales A non-metropolitan county or shire county in England, is a county-level entity which is not a Metropolitan county. ^[22][28] The reconstituted County Durham lost territory^[2] to the north east (around Gateshead, South Shields and Sunderland) to Tyne and Wear^[29][30] and to the south east (around Hartlepool) to Cleveland. Cleveland is an area in the north east of England. Its name means literally "cliff-land" referring to its hilly southern areas which rise to nearly. ^[29][30] At the same time it gained the former area of Startforth Rural District from the North Riding of Yorkshire. Startforth Rural District was a Rural district in the North Riding of the historic county of Yorkshire in the Pennines of northern The North Riding of Yorkshire was one of the three historic subdivisions of the English county of Yorkshire, alongside the East and West ^[31] The area of the Lord Lieutenant of Durham was also adjusted by the Act to coincide with the non-metropolitan county^[32] (which occupied 745,995 acres in 1981). The title Lord Lieutenant is given to the British Monarch 's personal representatives in the United Kingdom, usually in a county or similar circumscription with varying ^[17]

In 1996, as part of the 1990s UK local government reform, Cleveland was abolished^[33] and its districts were reconstituted as unitary authorities. The structure of Local government in the United Kingdom underwent large changes in the 1990s ^[34] Hartlepool and Stockton-on-Tees (north of the River Tees) were returned to Durham for the purposes of Lord Lieutenant. In 1997, Darlington became a unitary authority and was separated from the shire county. The change in area for Lord Lieutenant to include all these places was reconfirmed by the Lieutenancies Act 1997. The Lieutenancies Act 1997 (1997 c 23 is an Act of Parliament in the United Kingdom, that defines areas that Lord-Lieutenants are appointed to in ^[6] Cleveland was adopted as a postal county in 1974 and by the time of its abolition, Royal Mail had abandoned the use of counties altogether;^[35] the County Durham former postal county therefore has not been adjusted to the new ceremonial boundary. The postal counties of the United Kingdom, now known officially as the former postal counties, were subdivisions of the UK in routine use by the Royal Mail

Future of local government

The Department for Communities and Local Government has announced, that as part of the 2009 structural changes to local government in England, the seven district councils and the County Council will be abolished and a new unitary authority for the whole of the existing County Council area will be created. The Department for Communities and Local Government (branded as Communities and Local Government) is the United Kingdom government department for communities It is planned that during 2009 there will be structural changes to local government in England, whereby a number of new unitary authorities will be created ^[36] The changes are planned to be implemented no later than 1 April 2009. ^[37] The successful Durham County Council bid referred to the new authority as County Durham Council.

Climate

The following climate figures were gathered at the Durham weather station between 1971 and 2000.

Demography

Population

Historic population of the current area of County Durham between 1801 and 2001

At the 2001 Census, Easington and Derwentside districts have the highest proportion (around 99%) of resident population who were born in the UK. A nationwide Census, commonly known as Census 2001, was conducted in the United Kingdom on Sunday 29 April 2001 ^[39] 13. 2% of County Durham residents rate their health as not good, the highest proportion in England. ^[40] This table shows the historic population of the current area of County Durham between 1801 and 2001.

Employment

The proportion of the population working in agriculture fell from around 6% in 1851 to 1% in 1951; currently less that 1% of the population work in agriculture. ^[17] There were 15,202 people employed in coal mining in 1841, rising to a peak of 157,837 in 1921. ^[17] As at 2001, Chester-le-Street district has the lowest number of available jobs per working-age resident (0. 38%). ^[42]

Economy

Economic history

Graph showing unadjusted gross value added (GVA) in County Durham across 3 industries at current basic prices from 1995 to 2004. Gross Value Added or GVA is a measure in Economics of the value of goods and services produced in an area or sector of an Economy.
Legend      Agriculture, hunting and forestry      Industry, including energy and construction      Service activities      TotalSource:^[43]

The economic history of the county centres round the growth of the mining industry, which at its heights employed almost the whole of the non-agricultural population, with large numbers of pit villages being founded throughout the county. Mining is the extraction of valuable Minerals or other geological materials from the earth usually (but not always from an Ore body Stephen possessed a mine in Durham which he granted to Bishop Pudsey, and in the same century colliers are mentioned at Coundon, Bishopwearmouth and Sedgefield. Stephen often referred to in history as Stephen of Blois (c 1096 &ndash 25 October, 1154) was the last Norman King of England Coal mining is the extraction or removal of Coal from the Earth by Mining. Cockfield Fell was one of the earliest Landsale collieries in Durham. Edward III issued an order allowing coal dug at Newcastle to be taken across the Tyne, and Richard II granted to the inhabitants of Durham licence to export the produce of the mines, without paying dues to the corporation of Newcastle. Edward III (13 November 1312 &ndash 21 June 1377 was one of the most successful English monarchs of the Middle Ages. Richard II (6 January 1367 &ndash ca 14 February 1400 was King of England from 1377 until he was deposed in 1399 Among other early industries lead-mining was carried on in the western part of the county, and mustard was extensively cultivated. Characteristics Lead has a dull luster and is a dense, Ductile, very soft highly For the prepared condiment see Mustard (condiment. For other uses of the term "mustard" see Mustard. Gateshead had a considerable tanning trade and shipbuilding was carried on at Jarrow. Tanning is the process of converting Putrescible skin into non-putrescible Leather, usually with Tannin, an Acidic Chemical compound See also Shipbuilding (song. Shipbuilding is the construction of Ships It normally takes place in a specialized facility known as a Jarrow (ˈjæroʊ or /ˈjærə/ is a Town on the River Tyne, England with a Population around 27000 (2001 Census)

Economic output

The chart and table summarise unadjusted gross value added (GVA) in millions of pounds sterling for County Durham across 3 industries at current basic prices from 1995 to 2004. Gross Value Added or GVA is a measure in Economics of the value of goods and services produced in an area or sector of an Economy. The Pound Sterling ( symbol £; ISO code: GBP) subdivided into 100 pence (singular penny) is the Currency

Culture

The Queen Elizabeth Sixth Form College in Darlington

The culture of coal mining found expression in the Durham Miners' Gala, which was first held in 1871,^[44] developed around the culture of trade unionism. Gross Value Added or GVA is a measure in Economics of the value of goods and services produced in an area or sector of an Economy. Queen Elizabeth Sixth Form College, or QE, is a Sixth form college on Vane Terrace in Darlington, County Durham, England Darlington is a town in County Durham, England and the main population centre in the Borough of Darlington. The Durham Miners' Gala ( The Big Meeting or Durham Big Meeting) held in Durham city, England, is a large annual gathering on the second Coal mining continued to decline and pits closed. The UK miners' strike of 1984/5 caused many miners across the county to strike. The miners' strike of 1984 – 1985 was a major Industrial action affecting the British coal industry. Today no deep-coal mines exist in the county and numbers attending the Miners' Gala have decreased significantly over the period, although recent years have seen numbers increase, and more banners return to the Gala as former collieries restore former banners. ^[44][45] There have been calls for several years now, that the labour leader follows tradition and attend the event. Despite being an MP with a constituency in the area, Tony Blair resited calls to stand on the balcony of the Royal County Hotel as his peers have done for hundreds of years. Gordon Brown has yet to buck the trend set by his predessor.

Settlements

For more details on this topic, see list of places in County Durham. This is a list of places in County Durham, in England. The area covered is the entire ceremonial county, hence the inclusion of places in unitary

Education

See also: List of schools in the North East of England

Durham LEA has a comprehensive school system with 36 state secondary schools (not including sixth form colleges) and three independent schools (two in Durham and one, Barnard Castle School, in Barnard Castle). The following is a partial list of currently operating Schools in the North East region of England. A sixth form college is an educational institution in England, Wales, Northern Ireland, Hong Kong or Malta where students aged 16 Barnard Castle School, founded in 1883 is a co-educational independent day and boarding school in Barnard Castle, County Durham, England. Easington district has the largest school population by year, and Teesdale the smallest with two schools. Only one school in Easington and Derwentside districts have sixth forms, with about half the schools in the other districts having sixth forms.

The University of Durham is based in Durham city. Durham University is a University in Durham, England. It was founded as the University of Durham (which remains its official and legal name Durham (ˈdʌrəm in RP, locally ˈdʏrəm is a small city and main settlement of the City of Durham district of County Durham, England

Places of interest

Key
	Abbey/Priory/Cathedral
	Accessible open space
	Amusement/Theme Park
	Castle
	Country Park
	English Heritage
	Forestry Commission
	Heritage railway
	Historic House
	Museums (free/not free)
	National Trust
	Zoo

• Auckland Castle, Bishop Auckland
• Barnard Castle
• Beamish Museum, in Stanley
• Bowes Museum, in Barnard Castle
• Causey Arch, near Stanley
• Durham Cathedral and Castle, a World Heritage Site
• Escomb Saxon Church, near Bishop Auckland
• Finchale Priory, near Durham city
• Hamsterley Forest
• Hardwick Hall Country Park near Sedgefield
• High Force and Low Force waterfalls, on the River Tees
• Killhope Wheel, part of the North of England Lead Mining Museum in Weardale
• Newton Hall, Once the biggest housing estate in Europe, located on the west side of Durham. Abbeys and priories in England lists Abbeys priories, friaries and other Monastic religious houses in England. This is a list of amusement parks which are or were based in the UK This page lists Castles in England. Bedfordshire Berkshire Bristol A country park is an area designated for people to visit and enjoy recreation in a countryside environment English Heritage is a Non-departmental public body of the United Kingdom government ( Department for Culture Media and Sport) with a broad remit of The Forestry Commission (established in 1919 is a Non-ministerial government department responsible for Forestry in Great Britain. A heritage railway ( United Kingdom) preserved railway ( United Kingdom) or tourist railroad ( United States and Canada) is a Historic houses in England is a link page for any Stately home, Country house or other Historic house in England. A museum is a "permanent institution in the service of society and of its development open to the public which acquires conserves researches communicates and exhibits the The National Trust for Places of Historic Interest or Natural Beauty, usually known as the National Trust, is a conservation organization in England, Wales The following is a partial list of zoological gardens ( Zoos: Africa Algeria Algiers Zoo Oran Zoo Auckland Castle is a castle within Bishop Auckland in County Durham, England. Bishop Auckland is a Market town in County Durham in North East England. Barnard Castle is a town in Teesdale, County Durham, England named after the castle around which it grew up The Bowes Museum has a nationally renowned art collection and is situated in the town of Barnard Castle, Teesdale, County Durham, England. The Causey Arch is a bridge near Stanley in County Durham. It is the world’s oldest surviving railway bridge The Cathedral Church of Christ Blessed Mary the Virgin and St Cuthbert of Durham, commonly referred to as Durham Cathedral, in the city of Durham, England Durham Castle is a Norman Castle in the city of Durham, England, which has been wholly occupied since 1840 by University College Durham A UNESCO World Heritage Site is a site (such as a Forest, Mountain, Lake, Desert, Monument, Building, complex Escomb churchjpg|thumb|Escomb Saxon Church]] Escomb Saxon Church is one of the oldest Anglo-Saxon churches in England, located in Escomb, approximately Bishop Auckland is a Market town in County Durham in North East England. Finchale Priory (pronounced finkle was a 13th century Benedictine priory the remains are sited by the River Wear, four miles from Durham. Durham (ˈdʌrəm in RP, locally ˈdʏrəm is a small city and main settlement of the City of Durham district of County Durham, England Hamsterley Forest is a commercial forest in County Durham operated by the Forestry Commission. Sedgefield is a large village in the borough of Sedgefield in County Durham, England. High Force is a Waterfall on the River Tees, near Middleton-in-Teesdale, Tees Valley, England. Low Force is a set of Waterfalls in the Tees Valley, England. A waterfall is usually a geological formation resulting from water often in the form of a Stream, flowing over an Erosion -resistant rock The Tees is a river in Northern England. It rises on the eastern slope of Cross Fell in the Pennines, and flows eastwards for about 85 miles Killhope Wheel is a huge working Water wheel within the North of England Lead Mining Museum, at Killhope in Weardale, County Durham Weardale is a dale or Valley, of the east side of the Pennines in County Durham, in England. Newton Hall is a large housing estate in County Durham, in England
• Locomotion railway museum, in Shildon
• No Place, near Stanley
• Pity Me
• Raby Castle, near Staindrop
• Tanfield Railway, in Tanfield

List of people from County Durham

• Alan White is the drummer of the English progressive rock band Yes

References

• This article incorporates text from the Encyclopædia Britannica Eleventh Edition, a publication now in the public domain. Shildon Locomotion Museum is a Railway Museum in Shildon, County Durham, England. Shildon is a town in County Durham, in England. It is situated to the 2 miles south east of Bishop Auckland and 11 miles north of Darlington No Place is a small village near the town of Stanley in County Durham, England, east of Stanley and west of Beamish. Pity Me is a Village in County Durham in England, although other instances of the name can be found in Hexhamshire and near Morpeth Raby Castle ( is situated near Staindrop in County Durham is one of the largest inhabited Castles in England. Staindrop is a village in County Durham, in England. It is situated to the east of Barnard Castle. The Tanfield Railway is a tourist attraction in Gateshead and County Durham, England, operating preserved steam and diesel industrial locomotives Tanfield is a former mining village in County Durham, England near Stanley and is the location of Tanfield Railway and the Causey Arch Alan White may refer to Alan White (footballer (born 1976 Alan White (novelist (born 1924 author of The Long Day's Dying Progressive rock (often shortened to " progressive " " prog " or " prog rock " is a form of Rock music that evolved Yes are an English Progressive rock band that formed in London in 1968. The Encyclopædia Britannica Eleventh Edition (1910–1911 is a 29-volume reference work that marked the beginning of the Encyclopædia Britannica The public domain is a range of abstract materials &ndash commonly referred to as Intellectual property &ndash which are not owned or controlled by anyone

External links

• Durham County Council
• One North East guides & brochures
• http://www.myersnorth.co.uk

• Guided Walks Programme from Durham County Council
• Visit County Durham