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Gateshead Fell

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Gateshead Fell was a district in County Durham , England. It was located on the immediate border of the town of Gateshead , 2.3 miles from the city of Newcastle upon Tyne . Once described as a "dark, spongy moor" , Gateshead Fell existed in some form for almost nine hundred years before it was enclosed in 1809 and divided into a number of villages, notably Sheriff Hill , Low Fell and Wrekenton , which were themselves absorbed by the urban expansion of Gateshead and were officially incorporated into the Metropolitan Borough of Gateshead with the passing of the Local Government Act in 1974.

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131-467: Gateshead Fell, a constituent part of the ancient County of Durham , took its name from nearby Gateshead and the fact that the area was "a fell or common contigious to it" . It has existed in some form for over one thousand years, but little of that early history survives today. Perhaps the most notable occurrence was that in 1068 when Malcolm, King of Scotland, marched across the Scottish border to challenge

262-629: A close, arranging mountain-top parties with enormous plum puddings . The British Geological Survey was founded in 1835 as the Ordnance Geological Survey under Henry De la Beche , and remained a branch of the Ordnance Survey until 1965. At the same time, the uneven quality of the English and Scottish maps was being improved by engravers under Benjamin Baker . By the time Colby retired in 1846,

393-518: A fire in the Tower of London , the headquarters of the survey was moved to Southampton taking over buildings previously occupied by a military orphanage (the Royal Military Asylum ) in 1841, and Yolland was put in charge, but Hall sent him off to Ireland so that when Hall left in 1854 Yolland was again passed over in favour of Major Henry James . Hall was enthusiastic about extending the survey of

524-663: A further explosion caused the deaths of thirty-five men. The Colliery closed in 1926 and never re-opened. Far less is known about Hope Pit , another mine which operated in Gateshead Fell (more specifically) and which is evidenced in Ordnance Survey maps up to 1919, but no such listing is evidenced in the map of 1939. This was situated in the area now known as Blue Quarries Road and Hewson Street, both of which are now residential areas, and very little documentary evidence regarding this pit survives today. The Fell, and particularly

655-480: A group of monks from Lindisfarne chose the strategic high peninsula as a place to settle with the body of Saint Cuthbert , that had previously lain in Chester-le-Street , founding a church there. Local legend states that the city was founded in A.D. 995 by divine intervention. The 12th-century chronicler Symeon of Durham recounts that after wandering in the north, Saint Cuthbert's bier miraculously came to

786-421: A halt at the hill of Warden Law and, despite the effort of the congregation, would not move. Aldhun , Bishop of Chester-le-Street and leader of the order, decreed a holy fast of three days, accompanied by prayers to the saint. During the fast, Saint Cuthbert appeared to a certain monk named Eadmer, with instructions that the coffin should be taken to Dun Holm. After Eadmer's revelation, Aldhun found that he

917-474: A large range of paper maps and digital mapping products. The Ordnance Survey's flagship digital product, launched in November 2001, is OS MasterMap , a database that records, in one continuous digital map, every fixed feature of Great Britain larger than a few metres. Every feature is given a unique TOID (TOpographical IDentifier), a simple identifier that includes no semantic information. Typically, each TOID

1048-416: A lengthy process and dozens of contested issues were raised in court. Once these had been settled, plans were laid for the requisition and construction of wells, quarries, drains, roads, watering places and other essential requirements. New roads were to be built on what is now Blue Quarries Road, Church Road and Windy Nook Road to supplement the turnpike road which was to remain in spite of the development of

1179-569: A local reputation for individuals such as Thomas Colpits, who was arrested on several occasions and found himself reported in the local press. The modus operandi of these ‘gangs’ was that “they often changed their names and frequently rendezvous at the Crown and the Cannon at Gateshead Fell and had ware rooms for their stolen goods...” It seems likely that these acts were the sporadic acts of associated ‘tinkers’ rather than an organised gang of criminals: ‘there

1310-425: A mere proposal. These proposals, raised by a succession of Lords, were repeatedly rebuffed by the efforts of the local borough holders. Yet in spite of the official failures to enclose the land, It seems likely that unofficial encroachments must have slowly nibbled away at the fell, for by the time enclosure was actually undertaken in 1809, the size of Gateshead Fell had officially shrunken to a mere 631 acres. In 1809

1441-529: A mile west of the city on 17 October 1346 between the English and Scots and was a disastrous loss for the Scots. The city suffered from plague outbreaks in 1544, 1589 and 1598. Owing to the divine providence evidenced in the city's legendary founding, the Bishop of Durham has always enjoyed the formal title "Bishop by Divine Providence" as opposed to other bishops, who are "Bishop by Divine Permission". However, as

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1572-519: A narrow neck on the fourth. The surrounding land is hilly, except along the Wear's floodplain to the north and southeast. Durham was founded in 995 by Anglo-Saxon monks seeking a place safe from Viking raids to house the relics of St Cuthbert . The church the monks built lasted only a century, as it was replaced by the present Durham Cathedral after the Norman Conquest ; together with Durham Castle it

1703-647: A national averages of 12.79 and 5.53 °C (55.0 and 42.0 °F) respectively. Durham has the second longest weather record in England, with continuous daily records since August 1843. The coldest temperature recorded was in February 1895, falling to −18.0 °C (−0.4 °F), and the hottest was in July 2022, reaching 36.9 °C (98.4 °F), beating the previous record from July 2019 by 4.0 °C (39.2 °F). The wettest day since homogeneous rainfall records began in 1876

1834-515: A new survey based on Airy 's spheroid in 1858, completing the Principal Triangulation . The following year, he completed an initial levelling of the country. After the Ordnance Survey published its first large-scale maps of Ireland in the mid-1830s, the Tithe Act 1836 led to calls for a similar six-inch to the mile survey in England and Wales . Official procrastination followed, but

1965-521: A new turnpike road along the route which is now Durham Road, running from Newcastle to Durham through Low Fell. The new road was completed in 1827. A well was also to be provided at Blue Quarries. A number of the existing residential properties on the Fell were demolished, including sixteen at Sour Milk Hill, Sheriff Hill ; an act which apparently had caused the commissioner considerable distress, with one Thomas Bell noting: ...the pulling down of these cottages

2096-565: A number of names throughout history. The original Nordic Dun Holm was changed to Duresme by the Normans and was known in Latin as Dunelm . The modern form Durham came into use later in the city's history. The north-eastern historian Robert Surtees chronicled the name changes in his History and Antiquities of the County Palatine of Durham but states that it is an "impossibility" to tell when

2227-497: A population of 7,100. The Industrial Revolution mostly passed the city by. However, the city was well known for carpet making and weaving. Although most of the mediaeval weavers who thrived in the city had left by the 19th century, the city was the home of Hugh MacKay Carpets’ factory, which produced the famous brands of axminster and tufted carpets until the factory went into administration in April 2005. Other important industries were

2358-496: A proportion of its profits to the Treasury. In 2010, OS announced that printing and warehouse operations were to be outsourced, ending over 200 years of in-house printing. The Frome-based firm Butler, Tanner and Dennis (BT&D) secured its printing contract. As already stated, large-scale maps had not been printed at the Ordnance Survey since the common availability of geographical information systems (GISs), but, until late 2010,

2489-521: A result of the Great Hartley Disaster in 1862, legislation was passed which required all collieries have two main exits. As a result, Sheriff Hill Colliery operated two main shafts- Fanny Pit and Isabella Pit . Fanny Pit was some 535 feet above sea level and plumbed a depth of some 804 feet (as of 1894). Isabella, on the other hand, was slightly shallower with a total shaft depth of 738 feet (as of 1894). Contemporary evidence provides that

2620-474: A second edition of the town plans: by 1909 only fourteen places had paid for updates. The review determined that revision of 1:2500 mapping should proceed apace. The most detailed mapping of London was the OS's 1:1056 survey between 1862 and 1872, which took 326 sheets to cover the capital; a second edition (which needed 759 sheets because of urban expansion) was completed and brought out between 1891 and 1895. London

2751-463: A system new to English university life of advance fees to cover accommodation and communal dining. The first Durham Miners' Gala was attended by 5,000 miners in 1871 in Wharton Park, and remains the largest socialist trade union event in the world. Early in the 20th century, coal became depleted, with a particularly important seam worked out in 1927, and in the following Great Depression Durham

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2882-578: A tributary of the River Tyne near Gateshead , was proposed by John Smeaton . Nothing came of the plan, but the statue of Neptune in the Market Place was a constant reminder of Durham's maritime possibilities. The thought of ships docking at the Sands or Millburngate remained fresh in the minds of Durham merchants . In 1758, a new proposal hoped to make the Wear navigable from Durham to Sunderland by altering

3013-524: Is associated with a polygon that represents the area on the ground that the feature covers, in National Grid coordinates. OS MasterMap is offered in themed layers, each linked to a number of TOIDs. In September 2010, the layers were: Topography: Integrated transport network: Imagery Address: Address 2: ITN was withdrawn in April 2019 and replaced by OS MasterMap Highways Network The Address layers were withdrawn in about 2016 with

3144-504: Is a UNESCO World Heritage Site . From the 1070s until 1836 the city was part of the County Palatine of Durham , a semi-independent jurisdiction ruled by the prince bishops of Durham which acted as a geopolitical buffer between the kingdoms of England and Scotland . In 1346, the Battle of Neville's Cross was fought half a mile west of the city, resulting in an English victory. In 1650,

3275-456: Is a cathedral city and civil parish in the county of Durham , England. It is the county town and contains the headquarters of Durham County Council , the unitary authority which governs the district of County Durham . The built-up area had a population of 50,510 at the 2021 Census. The city was built on a meander of the River Wear , which surrounds the centre on three sides and creates

3406-542: Is lower than the national average of 1,162.70 millimetres (46 in). Equally there are only an average of 124.14 days where more than 1 millimetre (0.04 in) of rain falls compared with a national average of 159.08 days. The city sees an average of 1479.95 hours of sunshine per year, compared with a national average of 1402.61 hours. There is frost on 46.81 days compared with a national average of 53.36 days. Average daily maximum and minimum temperatures are 13.20 and 5.71 °C (55.8 and 42.3 °F) compared with

3537-492: Is true, however, that Walter Clark and his wife, Jane Trotter, lived on the Fell and a number of pickpockets arrested around 1780 were associated with that house. The Newcastle Chronicle reported in 1786 that one of the gang, Francis Russell, was ‘whipped around the Sandhill’. A number of other individuals were pursued for other minor acts of criminality, such as stealing geese or killing sheep. These incidents gained something of

3668-481: Is usually classified as either " large-scale " (in other words, more detailed) or "small-scale". The Survey's large-scale mapping comprises 1:2,500 maps for urban areas and 1:10,000 more generally. (The latter superseded the 1:10,560 "six inches to the mile " scale in the 1950s.) These large scale maps are typically used in professional land-use contexts and were available as sheets until the 1980s, when they were digitised . Small-scale mapping for leisure use includes

3799-506: The Gateshead Inclosure Act 1809 ( 49 Geo. 3 . c. cxxxv) was finally obtained ordering the enclosure of Gateshead Fell. Enclosure was completed in 1822. Commissioners were appointed to settle claims in land and to apportion the Fell accordingly. The commissioners were empowered to set out such parts as they pleased for roads, drains, quarries, watering places, and one acre as a church-yard and site for building St John's Church : of

3930-611: The Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy (BEIS) appointed Steve Blair as the Chief Executive of the Ordnance Survey. The Ordnance Survey supported the launch of the Slow Ways initiative, which encourages users to walk on lesser used paths between UK towns. On 7 February 2023, ownership of Ordnance Survey Ltd passed to the newly formed Department for Science, Innovation and Technology . The Ordnance Survey produces

4061-602: The OS Explorer and OS Landranger series were printed in Maybush. In April 2009 building began of a new head office in Adanac Park on the outskirts of Southampton. By 10 February 2011 virtually all staff had relocated to the new "Explorer House" building and the old site had been sold off and redeveloped. Prince Philip officially opened the new headquarters building on 4 October 2011. On 22 January 2015 plans were announced for

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4192-533: The Ordnance Survey National Grid 1:1250s, 1:2500s and 1:10,560s after the Second World War. During World War I, the Ordnance Survey was involved in preparing maps of France and Belgium . During World War II, many more maps were created, including: After the war, Colonel Charles Close , then Director General, developed a strategy using covers designed by Ellis Martin to increase sales in

4323-624: The Pilgrims' Way in the North Downs labelled the wrong route, but the name stuck. Similarly, the spelling of Scafell and Scafell Pike copied an error on an earlier map, and was retained as this was the name of a corner of one of the Principal Triangles , despite "Scawfell" being the almost universal form at the time. Colby believed in leading from the front, travelling with his men, helping to build camps and, as each survey session drew to

4454-456: The palatine and Durham Castle . This was a strategic defensive decision by the city's founders and gives the cathedral a striking position. So much so that Symeon of Durham stated: To see Durham is to see the English Sion and by doing so one may save oneself a trip to Jerusalem . Sir Walter Scott was so inspired by the view of the cathedral from South Street that he wrote "Harold

4585-513: The 1960s during a redevelopment spearheaded by Durham City Council ; however, much of the original mediaeval street plan remains intact in the area close to the cathedral and market place. Most of the mediaeval buildings in the commercial area of the city have disappeared apart from the House of Correction and the Chapel of Saint Andrew, both under Elvet Bridge . Georgian buildings can still be found on

4716-588: The 1:25,000 "Explorer" series, the 1:50,000 "Landranger" series and the 1:250,000 road maps. These are still available in traditional sheet form. Ordnance Survey maps remain in copyright for 50 years after their publication. Some of the Copyright Libraries hold complete or near-complete collections of pre-digital OS mapping. The origins of the Ordnance Survey lie in the aftermath of the Jacobite rising of 1745 . Prince William, Duke of Cumberland realised that

4847-513: The Bailey and through Old Elvet. Another local legend has it that Cromwell stayed in a room in the present Royal County Hotel on Old Elvet during the civil war. The room is reputed to be haunted by his ghost. Durham suffered greatly during the civil war (1642–1651) and Commonwealth (1649–1660). This was not due to direct assault by Cromwell or his allies, but to the abolition of the Church of England and

4978-406: The Bailey leads south past Palace Green ; The Bailey is almost entirely owned and occupied by the university and the cathedral. Durham is a hilly city, claiming to be built upon the symbolic seven hills. Upon the most central and prominent position high above the Wear, the cathedral dominates the skyline. The steep riverbanks are densely wooded, adding to the picturesque beauty of the city. West of

5109-470: The Bailey . The medieval city was made up of the cathedral, castle and administrative buildings on the peninsula. The outlying areas were known as the townships and owned by the bishop, the most famous of these being Gilesgate (which still contains the mediaeval St Giles Church ), Claypath and Elvet . The outlying commercial section of the city, especially around the North Road area, saw much change in

5240-483: The Bailey and Old Elvet most of which make up the colleges of Durham University. The table below gives the average temperature, rainfall and sunshine figures taken between 1981 and 2010, and extreme temperatures back to 1850 for the weather station at Durham University Observatory : Like the rest of the United Kingdom, Durham has a temperate climate. At 675.65 millimetres (27 in), the average annual rainfall

5371-553: The Bailey, were created. The final 20th century collegiate addition came from the merger of the independent nineteenth-century colleges of the Venerable Bede and St Hild, which joined the university in 1979 as the College of St Hild and St Bede . The 1960s and 1970s also saw building on New Elvet. Dunelm House for the use of the students' union was built first, followed by Elvet Riverside, containing lecture theatres and staff offices. To

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5502-636: The Bishop's temporal powers were abolished by the Durham (County Palatine) Act 1836 and returned to the Crown. The Representation of the People Act 2000 and is regarded as the second most senior bishop and fourth most senior clergyman in the Church of England . The Court of Claims of 1953 granted the traditional right of the bishop to accompany the sovereign at the coronation, reflecting his seniority. The first census, conducted in 1801, states that Durham City had

5633-570: The British Army did not have a good map of the Scottish Highlands to locate Jacobite dissenters such as Simon Fraser, 11th Lord Lovat so that they could be put on trial. In 1747, Lieutenant-Colonel David Watson proposed the compilation of a map of the Highlands to help in pacifying the region. In response, King George II charged Watson with making a military survey of the Highlands under

5764-593: The Dauntless", a poem about Saxons and Vikings set in County Durham and published on 30 January 1817. The following lines from the poem are carved into a stone tablet on Prebends Bridge: Grey towers of Durham Yet well I love thy mixed and massive piles Half church of God, half castle 'gainst the Scot And long to roam those venerable aisles With records stored of deeds long since forgot. The old commercial section of

5895-547: The Isabella Pit to the Tyne is about 3 miles in length, and the waggons are transmitted along it chiefly by means of inclined planes. . Mining during the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries was notoriously difficult and often resulted in disasters causing numerous fatalities. Sheriff Hill Colliery suffered a number of such incidents, notably on 27 December 1793 when fourteen workers lost their lives in an explosion. On 19 July 1819, when

6026-481: The Market Place towards Framwellgate Bridge and North Road, the other main shopping area of the city. From here, the city spreads out into the Framwelgate , Crossgate , Neville's Cross and viaduct districts, which are largely residential areas. Beyond the viaduct lie the outlying districts of Framwellgate Moor and Neville's Cross . Heading north from the Market Place leads to Claypath. The road curves back round to

6157-568: The authority of William the Conqueror . Malcolm, accompanied by "a retinue of native insurgents and foreign auxiliaries", was met by William's men and was decisively beaten. Little of further note is recorded until approximately 1647, when Gateshead Fell was surveyed and found to contain some 1,300 acres. In that lay much of what is now part of the Metropolitan Borough of Gateshead . The northern boundary reached Whinney House and Beacon House, to

6288-577: The bishop's powers that the steward of Bishop Antony Bek commented in 1299 AD: "There are two kings in England, namely the Lord King of England, wearing a crown in sign of his regality and the Lord Bishop of Durham wearing a mitre in place of a crown, in sign of his regality in the diocese of Durham". All this activity was administered from the castle and buildings surrounding the Palace Green. Many of

6419-477: The bishop. A similar fate befell the cathedral, it being closed in 1650 and used to incarcerate 3,000 Scottish prisoners, who were marched south after the Battle of Dunbar . Graffiti left by them can still be seen today etched into the interior stone. At the Restoration in 1660, John Cosin (a former canon ) was appointed bishop (in office: 1660–1672) and set about a major restoration project. This included

6550-527: The boundaries came through the courts, including that raised by the Bishop of Durham against Sir Henry Liddell in 1714. The Bishop of Durham, suspected of having a close friendship with the notorious Jacobite Thomas Forster, duly lost his case on appeal in 1717, the court evidently finding the evidence of Liddell, a staunch Royalist, much more to their liking. On no fewer than three separate occasions, in 1691, 1735 and 1778, were recommendations made to enclose Gateshead Fell, but none of them made it any further than

6681-470: The cathedral was used to house Scottish prisoners after their defeat at the Battle of Dunbar . During the Industrial Revolution , the Durham coalfield was heavily exploited, with dozens of collieries operating around the city and in nearby villages. Although these coal pits have now closed, the annual Durham Miners' Gala continues and is a major event for the city and region. Historically, Durham

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6812-584: The cathedral, and these also drew medieval pilgrims to the city. Durham's geographical position has always given it an important place in the defence of England against the Scots . The city played an important part in the defence of the north, and Durham Castle is the only Norman castle keep never to have suffered a breach. In 1314, the Bishopric of Durham paid the Scots a 'large sum of money' not to burn Durham. The Battle of Neville's Cross took place around half

6943-510: The centre of Southampton (made worse by the bomb damage of the Second World War). The bombing during the Blitz devastated Southampton in November 1940 and destroyed most of the Ordnance Survey's city centre offices . Staff were dispersed to other buildings and to temporary accommodation at Chessington and Esher, Surrey, where they produced 1:25000 scale maps of France, Italy, Germany and most of

7074-627: The city centre, another river, the River Browney , drains south to join the Wear to the south of the city. There are three old roads out of the Market Place: Saddler Street heads south-east, towards Elvet Bridge , the Bailey and Prebends Bridge . Elvet Bridge leads to the Elvet area of the city, Durham Prison and the south; Prebends Bridge is smaller and provides access from the Bailey to south Durham. Heading west, Silver Street leads out of

7205-501: The city centre. The city also has significant tourism and hospitality sectors. The name "Durham" comes from the Brythonic element dun , signifying a hill fort , and the Old Norse holme , which translates as island. The Lord Bishop of Durham uses a Latin variation of the city's name in his official signature, which is signed " N. Dunelm". Some attribute the city's name to

7336-508: The city encompasses the peninsula on three sides, following the River Wear. The peninsula was historically surrounded by the castle wall extending from the castle keep and broken by two gatehouses to the north and west of the enclosure. After extensive remodelling and "much beautification" by the Victorians the walls were removed with the exception of the gatehouse which is still standing on

7467-476: The city's court complex. The new head office building was designed by the Ministry of Public Building and Works for 4000 staff, including many new recruits who were taken on in the late 1960s and early 1970s as draughtsmen and surveyors. The buildings originally contained factory-floor space for photographic processes such as heliozincography and map printing, as well as large buildings for storing flat maps. Above

7598-507: The city's modern name came into being. Durham is likely to be Gaer Weir in Armes Prydein , derived from Brittonic cajr meaning "an enclosed, defensible site, fort" from Latin castrum , “fort, military settlement” ( cf. Carlisle ; Welsh caer ) and the river-name Wear . Archeological evidence suggests a history of settlement in the area since roughly 2000 BC. The present city can clearly be traced back to AD 995, when

7729-415: The city, making an incised meander which encloses the centre on three sides to form Durham's peninsula . At the base of the peninsula is the Market Place, which still hosts regular markets; a permanent indoor market, Durham Indoor Market , is also situated just off the Market Place. The Market Place and surrounding streets are one of the main commercial and shopping areas of the city. From the Market Place,

7860-558: The closure of religious institutions pertaining to it. The city has always relied upon the Dean and Chapter and cathedral as an economic force. The castle suffered considerable damage and dilapidation during the Commonwealth due to the abolition of the office of bishop (whose residence it was). Cromwell confiscated the castle and sold it to the Lord Mayor of London shortly after taking it from

7991-573: The command of the Duke of Cumberland. Among Watson's assistants were William Roy , Paul Sandby and John Manson. The survey was produced at a scale of 1 inch to 1,000 yards (1:36,000) and included " the Duke of Cumberland's Map " (primarily by Watson and Roy), now held in the British Library . Roy later had an illustrious career in the Royal Engineers (RE), rising to the rank of General, and he

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8122-401: The commissioning of the famous elaborate woodwork in the cathedral choir , the font cover and the Black Staircase in the castle. Bishop Cosin's successor Bishop Lord Nathaniel Crewe (in office: 1674–1721) carried out other renovations both to the city and to the cathedral. In the 18th century a plan to turn Durham into a seaport through the digging of a canal north to join the River Team ,

8253-433: The development of the railways added to pressure that resulted in the Ordnance Survey Act 1841 ( 4 & 5 Vict. c. 30). This granted a right to enter property for the purpose of the survey. Following a fire at its headquarters at the Tower of London in 1841 the Ordnance Survey relocated to a site in Southampton and was in disarray for several years, with arguments about which scales to use. Major-General Sir Henry James

8384-405: The direction of William Mudge , as other military matters took precedence. It took until 1823 to re-establish the relationship with the French survey made by Roy in 1787. By 1810, one-inch-to-the-mile maps of most of the south of England were completed, but they were withdrawn from sale between 1811 and 1816 because of security fears. By 1840, the one-inch survey had covered all of Wales and all but

8515-459: The early 1940s, the OS produced many "restricted" versions of the County Series maps and other War Department sheets for War Office purposes, in a variety of large scales that included details of military significance such as dockyards, naval installations, fortifications and military camps. Apart from a brief period during the disarmament talks of the 1930s, these areas were left blank or incomplete on standard maps. The War Department 1:2500s, unlike

8646-512: The east and beyond it lie Gilesgate , Gilesgate Moor and Dragonville. As part of the wider Tyne and Wear Green Belt area, Durham's portion extends beyond its urban area extents of Framwellgate Moor/ Pity Me , Elvet and Belmont, it being completely surrounded by green belt . This primarily helps to maintain separation from Chester-le-Street, and restrain expansion of the city and coalescence with nearby villages such as Bearpark , Great Lumley and Sherburn . Landscape features and facilities within

8777-451: The final resting place of Saint Cuthbert and Saint Bede the Venerable . The shrine of Saint Cuthbert, situated behind the High Altar of Durham Cathedral, was the most important religious site in England until the martyrdom of St Thomas Becket at Canterbury in 1170. Saint Cuthbert became famous for two reasons. Firstly, the miraculous healing powers he had displayed in life continued after his death, with many stories of those visiting

8908-418: The founding of Durham University thanks to the benevolence of Bishop William Van Mildert and the Chapter in 1832. Durham Castle became the first college ( University College, Durham ) and the bishop moved to Auckland Castle as his only residence in the county. Bishop Hatfield's Hall (later Hatfield College, Durham ) was added in 1846 specifically for the sons of poorer families, the Principal inaugurating

9039-492: The frequent boundary disputes somewhat perplexing. In 1595, for example, when commissioners riding on behalf of the Bishop of Durham rode along the boundary they were harangued by local residents and then confronted by the primary local landowners, William Gascoigne and John Hedworth, who rode on horseback in a fury to confront the transgressors and threatened death by rapier upon all of them. The commissioners evidently believed them, and duly fled. Rather more amicable challenges to

9170-403: The green belt area include Raintonpark Wood, Belmont Viaduct, Ramside Hall, Durham City Golf Course, the River Wear, Browney and Deerness basins, and Durham University Botanic Gardens. It was first drawn up in the 1990s. The historic city centre of Durham has changed little over 200 years. It is made up of the peninsula containing the cathedral, palace green, former administrative buildings for

9301-437: The highwayman, has since been drained and enclosed. The Fell was also reportedly the home of minor criminal gangs. Local press reports referred often to the actions of a notorious family in the name of Clark and the actions and impact of the so-called Gateshead Fell-Bishop Auckland Gang have been scrutinised. However, the gang had ‘a tenuous identity’ and, despite "many arrests, few serious crimes were confirmed in court". It

9432-419: The industrial areas were extensive office areas. The complex was notable for its concrete mural. Celestial , by sculptor Keith McCarter and the concrete elliptical paraboloid shell roof over the staff restaurant building. In 1995, the Ordnance Survey digitised the last of about 230,000 maps, making the United Kingdom the first country in the world to complete a programme of large-scale electronic mapping. By

9563-510: The information now being available in the AddressBase products – so as of 2020, MasterMap consists of Topography and Imagery. Pricing of licenses to OS MasterMap data depends on the total area requested, the layers licensed, the number of TOIDs in the layers, and the period in years of the data usage. OS MasterMap can be used to generate maps for a vast array of purposes and maps can be printed from OS MasterMap data with detail equivalent to

9694-576: The king in 1649. Charles I came to Durham three times during his reign of 1625–1649. Firstly, he came in 1633 to the cathedral for a majestic service in which he was entertained by the Chapter and Bishop at great expense. He returned during preparations for the First Bishops' War (1639). His final visit to the city came towards the end of the civil war; he escaped from the city as Oliver Cromwell 's forces got closer. Local legend stated that he escaped down

9825-485: 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. The bishops had their own court system , including most notably the Court of Chancery of the County Palatine of Durham and Sadberge . The county also had its own attorney general , whose authority to bring an indictment for criminal matters

9956-438: The late 1990s technological developments had eliminated the need for vast areas for storing maps and for making printing plates by hand. Although there was a small computer section at the Ordnance Survey in the 1960s, the digitising programme had replaced the need for printing large-scale maps, while computer-to-plate technology (in the form of a single machine) had also rendered the photographic platemaking areas obsolete. Part of

10087-400: The latter was converted into a new conference centre in 2000, which was used for internal events and also made available for external organisations to hire. The Ordnance Survey became an Executive Agency in 1990, making the organisation independent of ministerial control. In 1999 the agency was designated a trading fund , required to cover its costs by charging for its products and to remit

10218-526: The legend of the Dun Cow and the milkmaid who in legend guided the monks of Lindisfarne carrying the body of Saint Cuthbert to the site of the present city in 995 AD. Dun Cow Lane is said to be one of the first streets in Durham, being directly to the east of Durham Cathedral and taking its name from a depiction of the city's founding etched in masonry on the south side of the cathedral. The city has been known by

10349-531: The leisure market. In 1920 O. G. S. Crawford was appointed Archaeology Officer and played a prominent role in developing the use of aerial photography to deepen understanding of archaeology. In 1922, devolution in Northern Ireland led to the creation of the Ordnance Survey of Northern Ireland (OSNI) and the independence of the Irish Free State led to the creation of the Ordnance Survey of Ireland , so

10480-505: The local legend of 'St Cuthbert's Mist'. This states that the Luftwaffe attempted to target Durham, but was thwarted when Cuthbert created a mist that covered both the castle and cathedral, sparing them from bombing. The exact events of the night are disputed by contemporary eyewitnesses. The event continues to be referenced within the city, including inspiring the artwork 'Fogscape #03238' at Durham Lumiere 2015. 'Durham Castle and Cathedral'

10611-421: The manufacture of mustard and coal extraction. The Industrial Revolution also placed the city at the heart of the coalfields, the county's main industry until the 1970s. Practically every village around the city had a coal mine and, although these have since disappeared as part of the regional decline in heavy industry, the traditions, heritage and community spirit are still evident. The 19th century also saw

10742-465: The mile) for Land Valuation and Inland Revenue purposes: the increased scale was to provide space for annotations. About a quarter of these 1:1250s were marked "Partially revised 1912/13". In areas where there were no further 1:2500s, these partially revised "fifty inch" sheets represent the last large-scale revision (larger than six-inch) of the County Series. The County Series mapping was superseded by

10873-404: The modest means for a smattering of tinkers and cuddies who comprised the majority of the population of the Fell. Gateshead Fell was dominated by heavy industry. One of the predominant industries was on the fell was quarrying , with one observer noting: "The grindstones from the quarries here, known as "Newcastle grindstones," have been celebrated for centuries, and are exported to all parts of

11004-711: The north of England to a scale of 1:2,500. In 1855, the Board of Ordnance was abolished and the Ordnance Survey was placed under the War Office together with the Topographical Survey and the Depot of Military Knowledge. Eventually in 1870 it was transferred to the Office of Works . The primary triangulation of the United Kingdom of Roy, Mudge and Yolland was completed by 1841, but was greatly improved by Alexander Ross Clarke who completed

11135-450: The north-east of England lay so far from Westminster , the bishops of Durham enjoyed extraordinary powers such as the ability to hold their own parliament, raise their own armies, appoint their own sheriffs and Justices , administer their own laws, levy taxes and customs duties, create fairs and markets, issue charters , salvage shipwrecks, collect revenue from mines, administer the forests and mint their own coins. So far-reaching were

11266-470: The old Fell remains divided almost exactly as enclosed, and it was from the enclosure sprang the birth of villages (notably Sheriff Hill and Low Fell ) which form part of the metropolitan borough of Gateshead today. 54°56′02″N 1°34′55″W  /  54.934°N 1.582°W  / 54.934; -1.582 Durham, England Durham ( / ˈ d ʌr əm / DURR -əm , locally / ˈ d ɜːr əm / listen )

11397-476: The one that Roy had used in 1784), and work began on mapping southern Great Britain using a 5 mi (8 km) baseline on Hounslow Heath that Roy himself had previously measured; it crosses the present Heathrow Airport . In 1991, Royal Mail marked the bicentenary by issuing a set of postage stamps featuring maps of the Kentish village of Hamstreet . In 1801, the first one-inch-to-the-mile (1:63,360 scale) map

11528-453: The operation of the colliery ran thus: "The coals are drawn at two shafts by an engine of about 30 horses' power, which raises three corves at once. Another engine, of the same power, is employed in pumping the water to a height of 30 fathoms from the bottom, where it is discharged into a drift of about 1¼ mile in length, and is finally drawn out by an engine at the Low Fell. The waggon-way from

11659-473: The organisation to move from a trading fund model to a government-owned limited company , with the move completed in April 2015. The organisation remains fully owned by the UK government and retains many of the features of a public organisation. In September 2015 the history of the Ordnance Survey was the subject of a BBC Four TV documentary entitled A Very British Map: The Ordnance Survey Story . On 10 June 2019

11790-527: The original Ordnance Survey pulled its coverage back to Great Britain. In 1935, the Davidson Committee was established to review the Ordnance Survey's future. The new Director General, Major-General Malcolm MacLeod , started the retriangulation of Great Britain , an immense task involving the erection of concrete triangulation pillars ("trig points") on prominent hilltops as infallible positions for theodolites. Each measurement made by theodolite during

11921-432: The original buildings associated with these functions of the county palatine survive on the peninsula that constitutes the ancient city. From 1071 to 1836 the bishops of Durham ruled the county palatine of Durham . Although the term "prince bishop" has been used as a helpful tool in the understanding the functions of the bishops of Durham in this era, it is not a title they would have recognised. The last bishop to rule

12052-493: The palatinate, Bishop William Van Mildert , is credited with the foundation of Durham University in 1832. Henry VIII curtailed some of the bishop's powers and, in 1538, ordered the destruction of the shrine of Saint Cuthbert. A UNESCO site describes the role of the bishops in 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

12183-783: The potential threat of invasion during the Napoleonic Wars . Since 1 April 2015, the Ordnance Survey has operated as Ordnance Survey Ltd, a government-owned company , 100% in public ownership. The Ordnance Survey Board remains accountable to the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology . It was also a member of the Public Data Group . Paper maps represent only 5% of the company's annual revenue. It produces digital map data, online route planning and sharing services and mobile apps, plus many other location-based products for business, government and consumers. Ordnance Survey mapping

12314-417: The production of six-inch maps of Ireland was complete. This had led to a demand for similar treatment in England, and work was proceeding on extending the six-inch map to northern England, but only a three-inch scale for most of Scotland. When Colby retired, he recommended William Yolland as his successor, but he was considered too young and the less experienced Lewis Alexander Hall was appointed. After

12445-457: The residue, one-sixteenth part was appropriated to the bishop of Durham as lord of the manor, and another sixteenth part to the boroughholders and freemen of Gateshead, in compensation for their exclusive right of letting stints: the rest of the Fell (except a part for making two waggon-ways) was divided amongst persons having right of common. The whole Fell contained 631 acres, 0 roods, 21 poles, exclusive of roads, quarries and wells. This proved

12576-410: The rest of Europe in preparation for its invasion . Until 1969, the Ordnance Survey largely remained at its Southampton city centre HQ and at temporary buildings in the suburb of Maybush nearby, when a new purpose-built headquarters was opened in Maybush adjacent to the wartime temporary buildings there. Some of the remaining buildings of the original Southampton city-centre site are now used as part of

12707-498: The retriangulation was repeated no fewer than 32 times. The Davidson Committee's final report set the Ordnance Survey on course for the 20th century. The metric national grid reference system was launched and a 1:25000-scale series of maps was introduced. The one-inch maps continued to be produced until the 1970s, when they were superseded by the 1:50000-scale series – as proposed by William Roy more than two centuries earlier. The Ordnance Survey had outgrown its site in

12838-404: The river's course, but the increasing size of ships made this impractical. Moreover, Sunderland had grown as the north east's main port and centre for shipping. In 1787, the Durham infirmary was founded. The 18th century also saw the rise of the trade-union movement in the city. The Municipal Corporations Act 1835 gave governing power of the town to an elected body. All other aspects of

12969-475: The saint's shrine being cured of all manner of diseases. This led to him being known as the "wonder worker of England". Secondly, after the first translation of his relics in 698 AD, his body was found to be incorruptible . Apart from a brief translation back to Holy Island during the Norman Invasion the saint's relics have remained enshrined to the present day. Saint Bede's bones are also entombed in

13100-399: The six northernmost counties of England. Surveying was hard work. For instance, Major Thomas Colby , the longest-serving Director General of the Ordnance Survey, walked 586 mi (943 km) in 22 days on a reconnaissance in 1819. In 1824, Colby and most of his staff moved to Ireland to work on a six-inches-to-the-mile (1:10,560) valuation survey. The survey of Ireland, county by county,

13231-514: The six-inch standard was adopted in Great Britain for the un-surveyed northern counties and the 1:1056 scale also began to be adopted for urban surveys. Between 1842 and 1895, some 400 towns were mapped at 1:500 (126 inches), 1:528 (120 inches, "10 foot scale") or 1:1056 (60 inches), with the remaining towns mapped at 1:2500 (~25 inches). In 1855, the Treasury authorised funding for 1:2500 for rural areas and 1:500 for urban areas. The 1:500 scale

13362-519: The south came Wrekendyke , to the east lay the old Roman road and to the west was Chowdene, now ostensibly part of Low Fell , along with what is now Eighton Banks (near Wrekenton ). Each boundary was marked by a cross, with some engraved with the inscription "I, Christ". By the middle of the eighteenth century, Gateshead Fell had become a place of considerable notoriety. Indeed, when John Wesley arrived in Gateshead in February 1745, he noted that: "It

13493-559: The southeast of the city centre sports facilities were built at Maiden Castle, adjacent to the Iron Age fort of the same name , and the Mountjoy site was developed, starting in 1924, eventually containing the university library, administrative buildings, and facilities for the Faculty of Science. Durham was not bombed during World War II , though one raid on the night of 30 May 1942 did give rise to

13624-468: The standard issue, were contoured . The de-classified sheets have now been deposited in some of the Copyright Libraries, helping to complete the map-picture of pre-Second World War Britain. From 1824, the OS began a 6-inch (1:10,560) survey of Ireland for taxation purposes but found this to be inadequate for urban areas and adopted the five-foot scale (1:1056) for Irish cities and towns. From 1840,

13755-524: The survey are to endeavour to obtain the correct orthography of the names of places by diligently consulting the best authorities within their reach. The name of each place is to be inserted as it is commonly spelt, in the first column of the name book and the various modes of spelling it used in books, writings &c. are to be inserted in the second column, with the authority placed in the third column opposite to each. Whilst these procedures generally produced excellent results, mistakes were made: for instance,

13886-469: The turnpike road, had, in spite of its natural beauty, earned itself a reputation as something of a haven for neer-do-wells and a place of considerable danger for those unaccustomed to it. In 1880, the Monthly Chronicle reflected that: “Gateshead Fell, as the name implies, was once a wild common, over a portion of which lay the road between Durham and Newcastle. The loneliness of the bleak moorland

14017-422: The two scales was completed by the 1890s, with a second edition completed in the 1890s and 1900s. From 1907 till the early 1940s, a third edition (or "second revision") was begun but never completed: only areas with significant changes on the ground were revised, many two or three times. Meanwhile, publication of the one-inch to the mile series for Great Britain was completed in 1891. From the late 19th century to

14148-533: The woman her coin purse, Hazlett continued along the turnpike and encountered a postman, who, despite having been forewarned by Miss Benson, was 'lured into a trap' and robbed. Hazlett was tried within one week of his arrest at the Newcastle Assizes and was convicted. He was sentenced to hang until dead. His remains were hung on chains near a pond on the Fell as a warning to other potential, would-be criminals. That pond, named Hazlett’s Pond in dubious honour of

14279-482: The world." Tyneside has a rich coal mining heritage and Gateshead Fell was no different in this regard. Roger de Fulthorpe and others, in 1368, worked the coal-mines in "Gateside Moore." At one time, there were "eight pittes on Gateside Low Fell," which accounts for the immense extent of pit-waste on this part of the Fell previous to the division. Ellison Main Colliery (sometimes referred to as Sheriff Hill Colliery )

14410-425: Was a sign from the saint, followed her. They settled at a wooded "hill-island" – a high wooded rock surrounded on three sides by the River Wear. There they erected a shelter for the relics, on the spot where Durham Cathedral would later stand. Symeon states that a modest wooden building erected there shortly thereafter was the first building in the city. Bishop Aldhun subsequently had a stone church built, which

14541-594: Was able to move the bier, but did not know where Dun Holm was. The legend of the Dun Cow, which is first documented in The Rites of Durham , an anonymous account about Durham Cathedral, published in 1593, builds on Symeon's account. According to this legend, by chance later that day, the monks came across a milkmaid at Mount Joy (southeast of present-day Durham). She stated that she was seeking her lost dun cow , which she had last seen at Dun Holm. The monks, realising that this

14672-457: Was also known for the manufacture of hosiery, carpets, and mustard. The city is the home of Durham University , which was founded in 1832 and therefore has a claim to be the third-oldest university in England . The university is a significant employer in the region, alongside the local council and national government at the land registry and passport office. The University Hospital of North Durham and HM Prison Durham are also located close to

14803-560: Was among those towns that suffered exceptionally severe hardship. However, the university expanded greatly. St John's College and St Cuthbert's Society were founded on the Bailey , completing the series of colleges in that area of the city. From the early 1950s to early 1970s, the university expanded to the south of the city centre. Trevelyan , Van Mildert , Collingwood , and Grey colleges were established, and new buildings for St Aidan's and St Mary's colleges for women, formerly housed on

14934-536: Was begun in earnest in 1790 under Roy's supervision, when the Board of Ordnance (a predecessor of part of the modern Ministry of Defence ) began a national military survey starting with the south coast of England. Roy's birthplace near Carluke in South Lanarkshire is today marked by a memorial in the form of a large OS trig point . By 1791, the Board received the newer Ramsden theodolite (an improved successor to

15065-515: Was by then Director General, and he saw how photography could be used to make maps of various scales cheaply and easily. He developed and exploited photozincography , not only to reduce the costs of map production but also to publish facsimiles of nationally important manuscripts. Between 1861 and 1864, a facsimile of the Domesday Book was issued, county by county; and a facsimile of the Gough Map

15196-538: Was completed in 1846. The suspicions and tensions it caused in rural Ireland are the subject of Brian Friel 's play Translations . Colby was not only involved in the design of specialist measuring equipment. He also established a systematic collection of place names, and reorganised the map-making process to produce clear, accurate plans. Place names were recorded in "Name Books", a system first used in Ireland. The instructions for their use were: The persons employed on

15327-457: Was considered more 'rational' than 1:528 and became known as the "sanitary scale" since its primary purpose was to support establishment of mains sewerage and water supply. However, a review of the Ordnance Survey in 1892 found that sales of the 1:500 series maps were very poor and the Treasury declined to fund their continuing maintenance, declaring that any revision or new mapping at this scale must be self-financing. Very few towns and cities saw

15458-515: Was dedicated in September 998. This no longer remains, having been supplanted by the Norman structure. The legend is interpreted by a Victorian relief stone carving on the north face of the cathedral and, more recently, by the bronze sculpture 'Durham Cow' (1997, Andrew Burton ), which reclines by the River Wear in view of the cathedral. During the medieval period the city gained spiritual prominence as

15589-420: Was in September 1976, with 87.8 millimetres (3.46 in) falling in 24 hours. Ordnance Survey The Ordnance Survey ( OS ) is the national mapping agency for Great Britain. The agency's name indicates its original military purpose (see ordnance and surveying ), which was to map Scotland in the wake of the Jacobite rising of 1745 . There was also a more general and nationwide need in light of

15720-449: Was issued in 1870. From the 1840s, the Ordnance Survey concentrated on the Great Britain " County Series ", modelled on the earlier Ireland survey. A start was made on mapping the whole country, county by county, at six inches to the mile (1:10,560). In 1854, "twenty-five inch" maps were introduced with a scale of 1:2500 (25.344 inches to the mile) and the six inch maps were then based on these twenty-five inch maps. The first edition of

15851-501: Was largely responsible for the British share of the work in determining the relative positions of the French and British royal observatories. This work was the starting point of the Principal Triangulation of Great Britain (1783–1853), and led to the creation of the Ordnance Survey itself. Roy's technical skills and leadership set the high standard for which the Ordnance Survey became known. Work

15982-713: Was moved by the amazement of the local children (who he described as "neither clothed or naked" to his presence and duly began his preachings. In doing so, Wesley ensured that Methodism was bourne on the Fell. Curiously, the Gateshead Fell movement quickly disassociated itself from the Newcastle circuit and formed itself into a strong, separate existence so that by 1840, well attended Wesleyan services were being held in Carr Hill, Low Fell and in Sheriff Hill Gateshead Fell has been described as 'uninhabitable waste' which made

16113-463: Was named a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1986. Among the reasons given for the decision were 'Durham Cathedral [being] the largest and most perfect monument of "Norman" style architecture in England', and the cathedral's vaulting being an early and experimental model of the gothic style . Other important UNESCO sites near Durham include Auckland Castle , North of England Lead Mining Museum and Beamish Museum . The River Wear flows north through

16244-670: Was no evidence of definite ringleaders or organisation’. Gateshead Fell was once one of the strongest seats of Methodism in the whole of England. This is due almost entirely to the visit of John Wesley , the joint founder of the Methodist movement, in March 1743. It is said that he was returning from Pelton to Newcastle when "...he observed a little village called Chowden [now Chowdene], which they told me consisted of colliers only. I resolved to preach there as soon as possible, for these are sinners and need repentance." He duly returned on 8 March 1743,

16375-483: Was one of the most unpleasant duties of the Commissioners, the greater number having to be taken down by force . Progress was slow, with the last allotment land disputes not settled until almost 1830, but by the time of completion, Gateshead Fell was, at last and after centuries of dispute, enclosed. The divisions which enclosure created were to prove more or less settled: so much so that almost two hundred years later,

16506-513: Was past eight before we got to Gateshead Fell, which appeared a great, pathless waste of white. The snow filling up and covering all the roads, we were at a loss as how to proceed, when an honest man of Newcastle overtook and guided us to safe into the town. Many a rough journey have I had before, but one like this I never had..." By the turn of the 18th century, the essential character of Gateshead Fell had changed very little. Herbage still flourished (composed of " whins and briars") and this formed

16637-497: Was published, detailing the county of Kent , with Essex following shortly afterwards. The Kent map was published privately and stopped at the county border, while the Essex maps were published by the Ordnance Survey and ignored the county border, setting the trend for future Ordnance Survey maps. During the next 20 years, about a third of England and Wales was mapped at the same scale (see Principal Triangulation of Great Britain ) under

16768-431: Was quite guile enough to invest it with terror to travellers a hundred years ago and occasionally there were incidents that served greatly to enhance the evil repute of the locality ” In 1770, Robert Hazlett, a highwayman, was convicted of committing two acts of highway robbery in the same night. In the first instance, he attempted to steal a watch and coins from a lady named Miss Benson. After succeeding in obtaining from

16899-407: Was situated at the summit of Gateshead Fell (now the boundary between Sheriff Hill and Low Fell ). Opened in 1793, ownership of the mine changed hands a number of times: in 1840 the lease was granted to "messers Hutchinson and Lamb under Cuthbert Ellison" whilst by the time of the colliery closure some eighty years later, ownership appears to have been transferred to Heworth Coal Company Ltd. As

17030-579: Was tested by central government in the case of R v Mary Ann Cotton (1873). Certain courts and judicial posts for the county were abolished by the Supreme Court of Judicature Act 1873 . Section 2 of the Durham (County Palatine) Act 1836 and section 41 of the Courts Act 1971 abolished others. The city remained loyal to King Charles I in the English Civil War – from 1642 to the execution of

17161-666: Was unusual in that land registration on transfer of title was made compulsory there in 1900. The 1:1056 sheets were partially revised to provide a basis for HM Land Registry index maps and the OS mapped the whole London County Council area (at 1:1056) at national expense. Placenames from the second edition were used in 2016 by the GB1900 project to crowd-source an open-licensed gazetteer of Great Britain. From 1911 onwards – and mainly between 1911 and 1913 – the Ordnance Survey photo-enlarged many 1:2500 sheets covering built-up areas to 1:1250 (50.688 inches to

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