Elvet
Encyclopedia
Elvet is an area of the city of Durham
, in County Durham
, in England
. It is situated on the opposite side of the River Wear
from Durham Cathedral
and forms the south-eastern part of central Durham. Elvet is currently unparished
. Historically, the word 'elvet' is a word meaning 'swan
' or 'swan-stream' from the Old English elfetu or ilfetu. The public house 'The Swan and Three Cygnets' on Elvet Bridge, is a reminder of the historical name given to this part of Durham City.
Elvet grew up from two medieval settlements based around Old Elvet and St Oswald's Church and includes Church Street, Hallgarth Street, Whinney Hill and much of Durham University
's science site. Elvet is home to Durham Prison
and Durham's Crown Court
(Court Lane), County Court
(New Elvet) and Magistrates' Court
(Old Elvet).
Elvet House, a former Crown building (c. 1951) in Hallgarth Street, is currently the base for Durham's Jobcentre Plus
, Crown Prosecution Service
, Driving Standards Agency
and Tribunals Service
. The County Court vacated its purpose-built 1960's annex to Elvet House in October 2008 to relocate alongside the Magistrates' Court
.
Whinney Hill is a street on a hill of the same name in the Elvet area, that name being derived from the whin
(gorse) shrub that grows there in profusion. The street runs north-south from Durham Prison
and the Durham City Cricket
Grounds, on the banks of the River Wear
, to the roundabout on the Stockton-on-Tees
road near the Durham University
science site. The lower site of Durham Johnston Comprehensive School
was located on it until September 2009 when the school's sites merged.
Durham's first passenger station, Durham Elvet, opened in 1893 at the north end of Whinney Hill, closing in 1954. Its site is now occupied by Durham Magistrates' Court and the university's Parsons Field buildings.
Durham
Durham is a city in north east England. It is within the County Durham local government district, and is the county town of the larger ceremonial county...
, in County Durham
County Durham
County Durham is a ceremonial county and unitary district in north east England. The county town is Durham. The largest settlement in the ceremonial county is the town of Darlington...
, in England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
. It is situated on the opposite side of the River Wear
River Wear
The River Wear is located in North East England, rising in the Pennines and flowing eastwards, mostly through County Durham, to the North Sea at Sunderland.-Geology and history:...
from Durham Cathedral
Durham Cathedral
The Cathedral Church of Christ, Blessed Mary the Virgin and St Cuthbert of Durham is a cathedral in the city of Durham, England, the seat of the Anglican Bishop of Durham. The Bishopric dates from 995, with the present cathedral being founded in AD 1093...
and forms the south-eastern part of central Durham. Elvet is currently unparished
Unparished area
In England, an unparished area is an area that is not covered by a civil parish. Most urbanised districts of England are either entirely or partly unparished. Many towns and some cities in otherwise rural districts are also unparished areas and therefore no longer have a town council or city...
. Historically, the word 'elvet' is a word meaning 'swan
Swan
Swans, genus Cygnus, are birds of the family Anatidae, which also includes geese and ducks. Swans are grouped with the closely related geese in the subfamily Anserinae where they form the tribe Cygnini. Sometimes, they are considered a distinct subfamily, Cygninae...
' or 'swan-stream' from the Old English elfetu or ilfetu. The public house 'The Swan and Three Cygnets' on Elvet Bridge, is a reminder of the historical name given to this part of Durham City.
Elvet grew up from two medieval settlements based around Old Elvet and St Oswald's Church and includes Church Street, Hallgarth Street, Whinney Hill and much of Durham University
Durham University
The University of Durham, commonly known as Durham University, is a university in Durham, England. It was founded by Act of Parliament in 1832 and granted a Royal Charter in 1837...
's science site. Elvet is home to Durham Prison
Durham (HM Prison)
HM Prison Durham is a local Category B men's prison, located in the Elvet area of Durham in County Durham, England. The prison is operated by Her Majesty's Prison Service.-History:...
and Durham's Crown Court
Crown Court
The Crown Court of England and Wales is, together with the High Court of Justice and the Court of Appeal, one of the constituent parts of the Senior Courts of England and Wales...
(Court Lane), County Court
County Court
A county court is a court based in or with a jurisdiction covering one or more counties, which are administrative divisions within a country, not to be confused with the medieval system of county courts held by the High Sheriff of each county.-England and Wales:County Court matters can be lodged...
(New Elvet) and Magistrates' Court
Magistrates' Court
A magistrates' court or court of petty sessions, formerly known as a police court, is the lowest level of court in England and Wales and many other common law jurisdictions...
(Old Elvet).
Elvet House, a former Crown building (c. 1951) in Hallgarth Street, is currently the base for Durham's Jobcentre Plus
Jobcentre Plus
Jobcentre Plus was a government agency for working-age people in Great Britain. The agency was formed when the Employment Service, which operated Jobcentres, merged with the Benefits Agency, which ran social security offices, and was re-named Jobcentre Plus on 1 April 2002...
, Crown Prosecution Service
Crown Prosecution Service
The Crown Prosecution Service, or CPS, is a non-ministerial department of the Government of the United Kingdom responsible for public prosecutions of people charged with criminal offences in England and Wales. Its role is similar to that of the longer-established Crown Office in Scotland, and the...
, Driving Standards Agency
Driving Standards Agency
The Driving Standards Agency is an executive agency of the UK Department for Transport .DSA’s vision is 'Safe Driving for Life'. Its overall mission is to contribute to the public service agreement objective to achieve 40% reduction in riders and drivers killed or seriously injured in road...
and Tribunals Service
Tribunals Service
The Tribunals Service was an executive agency of the Ministry of Justice in the United Kingdom between April 2006 and March 2011.The Tribunals Service was responsible for:*Adjudicator for HM Land Registry*Asylum and Immigration Tribunal...
. The County Court vacated its purpose-built 1960's annex to Elvet House in October 2008 to relocate alongside the Magistrates' Court
Magistrates' Court
A magistrates' court or court of petty sessions, formerly known as a police court, is the lowest level of court in England and Wales and many other common law jurisdictions...
.
Whinney Hill is a street on a hill of the same name in the Elvet area, that name being derived from the whin
WHIN
WHIN , licensed to Gallatin, Tennessee, is a radio station broadcasting a country music format. The station is owned by Whin, Inc..-History:...
(gorse) shrub that grows there in profusion. The street runs north-south from Durham Prison
Durham (HM Prison)
HM Prison Durham is a local Category B men's prison, located in the Elvet area of Durham in County Durham, England. The prison is operated by Her Majesty's Prison Service.-History:...
and the Durham City Cricket
Cricket
Cricket is a bat-and-ball game played between two teams of 11 players on an oval-shaped field, at the centre of which is a rectangular 22-yard long pitch. One team bats, trying to score as many runs as possible while the other team bowls and fields, trying to dismiss the batsmen and thus limit the...
Grounds, on the banks of the River Wear
River Wear
The River Wear is located in North East England, rising in the Pennines and flowing eastwards, mostly through County Durham, to the North Sea at Sunderland.-Geology and history:...
, to the roundabout on the Stockton-on-Tees
Stockton-on-Tees
Stockton-on-Tees is a market town in north east England. It is the major settlement in the unitary authority and borough of Stockton-on-Tees. For ceremonial purposes, the borough is split between County Durham and North Yorkshire as it also incorporates a number of smaller towns including...
road near the Durham University
Durham University
The University of Durham, commonly known as Durham University, is a university in Durham, England. It was founded by Act of Parliament in 1832 and granted a Royal Charter in 1837...
science site. The lower site of Durham Johnston Comprehensive School
Durham Johnston Comprehensive School
Durham Johnston Comprehensive School is a secondary school in Durham, UK.IntroductionDurham Johnston is a 1500-place 11-18 school serving Durham City and communities beyond to the south and west. It is situated on Crosssgate Moor, on the A167...
was located on it until September 2009 when the school's sites merged.
Durham's first passenger station, Durham Elvet, opened in 1893 at the north end of Whinney Hill, closing in 1954. Its site is now occupied by Durham Magistrates' Court and the university's Parsons Field buildings.