High Coniscliffe
Encyclopedia
High Coniscliffe is a parish and village in the borough of Darlington
and ceremonial county
of County Durham
, England
. The parish includes Carlbury
and Low Coniscliffe
. It is part of Heighington and Coniscliffe ward
, and is situated approximately 4 miles (6.4 km) west of Darlington
.
It is now a linear village
, with most houses along the north side of the A67
, but is also a doubly nucleated village as it has a village green
and church on the south side of the road, and a history of a community focus at the T-junction of Ulnaby Lane and the A67, where the Methodist
church and post office once were, and where a public house remains. It has always been a small village, but its history goes back to Anglo-Saxon
times, and the earliest part of St Oswald's church is Norman
. The Duke of Wellington pub
is notable for having had a portrait of Napoleon
, Wellington's
defeated enemy, on its sign
from 1975 to 1988.
meadow, and the River Tees
to the south. It has a village green
on the south side of the A67
, but most of the village is along the north side of the road which is called The Green at that point. St Edwin's church is on the south side of the road, backing on to a small cliff and the River Tees, and facing the green and the road. The cliff itself is walled, towered and crenellated
in places, and in the mid−19th century the village was surrounded by quarries. Another focus of the village is the T-junction where Ulnaby Lane meets the A67, and where the A67 is closest to the river. The Teesdale Way
follows the north bank of the river at the south of the village. The name, Coniscliffe, means king's cliff, first recorded in 1040 as Cingcesclife, from the Old English cyning and clif together with the Old Norse
konungr. It is on a ridge or cliff of limestone
, and closer to the river at the west end than the east end of the village, due to the river bend. The village is in Heighington and Coniscliffe ward under Darlington Borough Council
, and Gerald Lee and Eric Roberts are the Conservative
councillor
s for the ward. Wildlife found in the area includes the barn owl
, garden warbler
, and tawny owl
; a rookery
is also located nearby.
, which was part of Northumberland
until 1189. Æthelwald Moll of Northumbria, who may have previously murdered Oswulf of Northumbria
for the succession, killed Oswin, a Bernicia
n nobleman here in 761. In the year 778 AD
a high sheriff called Elduf was killed here. Later there was a coup in which Æthelred I of Northumbria
, Moll's son, was ousted by Ælfwald I of Northumbria
, and several royal nobles were killed in this same village. Richard Thirkeld, a Catholic missionary
priest from the village, was executed at York on 29 May 1583 for high treason due to his Catholicism. On 4 March 1590 another local Catholic priest, Christopher Bayles, was similarly executed.
In 1734 the churchwarden
s of the village were given a house and 6 acre (0.02428116 km²) by Robert Bowes of Thornton Hall
. The rent from the house was donated to the poor at Christmas and midsummer. A venerable native of the village was carpenter Matthew Greathead (23 April 1770−31 December 1871), who became the oldest living Freemason
of his time. His lodge commemorated him with a column
at the gate of St Mary's church, Richmond
.
Edward Liddell, who later became chief constable
of Newark, was born in the parish in 1826. The population has always been low: in 1801 220; in 1811 234; in 1821 245; in 1831 234; in 1841 244; in 1851 248; in 1861 234; in 1871 318; in 1881 355; in 1891 349. In 1893 the village was worth £4,259. From 1590 to 1836 the village had sufficient population to support at least two or three marriages per year. A school was built here in 1830, and that building is now the church hall. The national school
, which may have used the same building but no longer exists, was founded in 1848 for 87 pupils. There is a local legend set at the time when the national school was being built. A native man called Dickenson returned to his village on 28 June 1848 to attempt a cure for paralysis. He asked to be buried up to his neck in the riverbank for four hours, and after much pain his health was improved.
at Carlbury
is in the parish of High Coniscliffe. A small, copper, Bronze Age
tool was found in the village in 1991. Roman
pottery, thought to be related to Piercebridge Roman Fort
, has been found scattered on fields, possibly as fertiliser from a Roman midden
. There is a carving in St Edwin's church of two winged figures on either side of a calf or ram; this is thought to be an Anglo-Saxon
re-carving of a Roman dedication stone.
, built as sanctuary during raids from Scotland. Most of the building dates from the 17th century. Mill house is considered old but has been restored with a heron weather vane
. The Spotted Dog pub
is named after a foxhound
called Blue Cap which won a race at Newmarket
for a wager with a stake of 500 guineas
in 1792. The village's Methodist chapel was built in 1827 where Ulnaby Lane meets the A67, and demolished in the 1940s. There is an old dovecote in the village. The Duke of Wellington pub had a picture of Napoleon
on its sign from 1975 to 1988. The pub's car park is the site of the old post office which doubled as the hackney carriage
station, and where an Elizabethan
stone sundial
was found in the garden. It was near the old golf club and opposite the Methodist
chapel at the southern end of Ulnaby Lane. A recent development of twelve houses called Lawson's Court was built in the village in 2009.
, who declared himself overking of all England and converted to Christianity on 11 April 627 AD
. It is thought that there could have been an earlier church on the site; the present St Edwin's church dates from 1170. It is built of limestone, it is dedicated to Edwin of Northumbria
and has a Norman
carved and arched doorway under the north porch. It has a nave, chancel, north aisle, square tower and octagonal spire. The embattled
tower was built between the Norman and medieval
eras. The chancel arch is Gothic
, and supported on corbels
with carved capitals
; the south corbel appears to be Norman. The east window has rich stained glass
. The building was upgraded in the 13th century when the spire
was added, and it was restored in 1892. In that year it was reseated, the floor relaid, and a new screen, altar and tower clock added; all at a cost of £600. Another source gives the restoration date as 1844. As of 2009 it has a stainless steel
roof.
The vicarage
, next to the church and on the edge of the limestone ridge, was remodelled around 1850 and is said to contain secret passage
s. It has a well in the garden and a coat of arms
on the exterior wall on the west side of the building. In 1848 the vicar had the benefit of the vicarage, a glebe
of 60 acre (0.2428116 km²) and local tithe
s to the value of £7 18s 1½d. The glebe may be associated with the ridge and furrow
field to the north of the village. The church hall was built of stone and slate in 1830 as a school, and it has a later, flat-roofed extension. It was the village school until the early 1960s, then was renovated in 2000 with a grant of £57,000 from Cleartop, a waste management company. Low Coniscliffe
and Merrybent
share the hall with High Coniscliffe.
accreditation scheme, which attempts to make it easier and safer for children to reach school without wasting resources. It achieved an Ofsted
outstanding rating, the top of its four-point scale, in 2007−2008.
Darlington (borough)
Darlington is a local government district and borough in North East England. In 2008 it had a resident population of 100,500 It borders County Durham to the north and west, North Yorkshire to the south along the line of the River Tees, and Stockton-on-Tees to the east.-Council:Traditionally part of...
and ceremonial county
Ceremonial counties of England
The ceremonial counties are areas of England to which are appointed a Lord Lieutenant, and are defined by the government as counties and areas for the purposes of the Lieutenancies Act 1997 with reference to the metropolitan and non-metropolitan counties of England and Lieutenancies Act 1997...
of 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...
, 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...
. The parish includes Carlbury
Carlbury
Carlbury is a hamlet in the civil parish of High Coniscliffe in County Durham, in England. It is situated a few miles to the west of Darlington, on the north bank of the River Tees between Piercebridge to the west, and High Coniscliffe to the east...
and Low Coniscliffe
Low Coniscliffe
Low Coniscliffe is a village in the civil parish of Low Coniscliffe and Merrybent, in County Durham, England. It is situated west of Darlington. Its present built-up area is confined in practice between the A1, the A67 and the Tees, but its old boundaries probably extend much further. Its most...
. It is part of Heighington and Coniscliffe ward
Wards of the United Kingdom
A ward in the United Kingdom is an electoral district at sub-national level represented by one or more councillors. It is the primary unit of British administrative and electoral geography .-England:...
, and is situated approximately 4 miles (6.4 km) west of Darlington
Darlington
Darlington is a market town in the Borough of Darlington, part of the ceremonial county of County Durham, England. It lies on the small River Skerne, a tributary of the River Tees, not far from the main river. It is the main population centre in the borough, with a population of 97,838 as of 2001...
.
It is now a linear village
Linear village
In geography, a linear village, or linear settlement, is a small to medium-sized settlement that is formed around a transport route, such as a road, river, or canal. Wraysbury, a village in Berkshire, is one of the longest villages in England....
, with most houses along the north side of the A67
A67 road
The A67 is a road in England that links Bowes in County Durham with Crathorne in North Yorkshire.-Route:*Bowes *Barnard Castle*Gainford*Piercebridge*Darlington*Durham Tees Valley Airport*Egglescliffe*Yarm...
, but is also a doubly nucleated village as it has a village green
Village green
A village green is a common open area which is a part of a settlement. Traditionally, such an area was often common grass land at the centre of a small agricultural settlement, used for grazing and sometimes for community events...
and church on the south side of the road, and a history of a community focus at the T-junction of Ulnaby Lane and the A67, where the Methodist
Methodism
Methodism is a movement of Protestant Christianity represented by a number of denominations and organizations, claiming a total of approximately seventy million adherents worldwide. The movement traces its roots to John Wesley's evangelistic revival movement within Anglicanism. His younger brother...
church and post office once were, and where a public house remains. It has always been a small village, but its history goes back to Anglo-Saxon
Anglo-Saxons
Anglo-Saxon is a term used by historians to designate the Germanic tribes who invaded and settled the south and east of Great Britain beginning in the early 5th century AD, and the period from their creation of the English nation to the Norman conquest. The Anglo-Saxon Era denotes the period of...
times, and the earliest part of St Oswald's church is Norman
Norman architecture
About|Romanesque architecture, primarily English|other buildings in Normandy|Architecture of Normandy.File:Durham Cathedral. Nave by James Valentine c.1890.jpg|thumb|200px|The nave of Durham Cathedral demonstrates the characteristic round arched style, though use of shallow pointed arches above the...
. The Duke of Wellington pub
Public house
A public house, informally known as a pub, is a drinking establishment fundamental to the culture of Britain, Ireland, Australia and New Zealand. There are approximately 53,500 public houses in the United Kingdom. This number has been declining every year, so that nearly half of the smaller...
is notable for having had a portrait of Napoleon
Napoleon I
Napoleon Bonaparte was a French military and political leader during the latter stages of the French Revolution.As Napoleon I, he was Emperor of the French from 1804 to 1815...
, Wellington's
Arthur Wellesley, 1st Duke of Wellington
Field Marshal Arthur Wellesley, 1st Duke of Wellington, KG, GCB, GCH, PC, FRS , was an Irish-born British soldier and statesman, and one of the leading military and political figures of the 19th century...
defeated enemy, on its sign
Pub names
Pub names are used to identify and differentiate each public house. As many public houses are centuries old, many of their early customers were unable to read, and pictorial signs could be readily recognised when lettering and words could not be read.Modern names are sometimes a marketing ploy or...
from 1975 to 1988.
Geographical and political
High Coniscliffe covers 3008 acres (12.2 km²) and is located between Coniscliffe Moor to the north with its ridge and furrowRidge and furrow
Ridge and furrow is an archaeological pattern of ridges and troughs created by a system of ploughing used in Europe during the Middle Ages. The earliest examples date to the immediate post-Roman period and the system was used until the 17th century in some areas. Ridge and furrow topography is...
meadow, and the River Tees
River Tees
The River Tees is in Northern England. It rises on the eastern slope of Cross Fell in the North Pennines, and flows eastwards for 85 miles to reach the North Sea between Hartlepool and Redcar.-Geography:...
to the south. It has a village green
Village green
A village green is a common open area which is a part of a settlement. Traditionally, such an area was often common grass land at the centre of a small agricultural settlement, used for grazing and sometimes for community events...
on the south side of the A67
A67 road
The A67 is a road in England that links Bowes in County Durham with Crathorne in North Yorkshire.-Route:*Bowes *Barnard Castle*Gainford*Piercebridge*Darlington*Durham Tees Valley Airport*Egglescliffe*Yarm...
, but most of the village is along the north side of the road which is called The Green at that point. St Edwin's church is on the south side of the road, backing on to a small cliff and the River Tees, and facing the green and the road. The cliff itself is walled, towered and crenellated
Battlement
A battlement in defensive architecture, such as that of city walls or castles, comprises a parapet , in which portions have been cut out at intervals to allow the discharge of arrows or other missiles. These cut-out portions form crenels...
in places, and in the mid−19th century the village was surrounded by quarries. Another focus of the village is the T-junction where Ulnaby Lane meets the A67, and where the A67 is closest to the river. The Teesdale Way
Teesdale Way
The Teesdale Way is a long distance walk between the North Sea coast of North Yorkshire and the Cumbrian Pennines in England. The walk is 100 miles / 161 km in length, it links in with other long distance walks such as the Pennine Way and the E2 European Walk between Harwich and Stranraer.The...
follows the north bank of the river at the south of the village. The name, Coniscliffe, means king's cliff, first recorded in 1040 as Cingcesclife, from the Old English cyning and clif together with the Old Norse
Old Norse
Old Norse is a North Germanic language that was spoken by inhabitants of Scandinavia and inhabitants of their overseas settlements during the Viking Age, until about 1300....
konungr. It is on a ridge or cliff of limestone
Limestone
Limestone is a sedimentary rock composed largely of the minerals calcite and aragonite, which are different crystal forms of calcium carbonate . Many limestones are composed from skeletal fragments of marine organisms such as coral or foraminifera....
, and closer to the river at the west end than the east end of the village, due to the river bend. The village is in Heighington and Coniscliffe ward under Darlington Borough Council
Darlington (borough)
Darlington is a local government district and borough in North East England. In 2008 it had a resident population of 100,500 It borders County Durham to the north and west, North Yorkshire to the south along the line of the River Tees, and Stockton-on-Tees to the east.-Council:Traditionally part of...
, and Gerald Lee and Eric Roberts are the Conservative
Conservative Party (UK)
The Conservative Party, formally the Conservative and Unionist Party, is a centre-right political party in the United Kingdom that adheres to the philosophies of conservatism and British unionism. It is the largest political party in the UK, and is currently the largest single party in the House...
councillor
Councillor
A councillor or councilor is a member of a local government council, such as a city council.Often in the United States, the title is councilman or councilwoman.-United Kingdom:...
s for the ward. Wildlife found in the area includes the barn owl
Barn Owl
The Barn Owl is the most widely distributed species of owl, and one of the most widespread of all birds. It is also referred to as Common Barn Owl, to distinguish it from other species in the barn-owl family Tytonidae. These form one of two main lineages of living owls, the other being the typical...
, garden warbler
Garden Warbler
The Garden Warbler, Sylvia borin, is a common and widespread typical warbler which breeds throughout northern and temperate Europe into western Asia. This small passerine bird is strongly migratory, and winters in central and southern Africa...
, and tawny owl
Tawny Owl
The Tawny Owl or Brown Owl is a stocky, medium-sized owl commonly found in woodlands across much of Eurasia. Its underparts are pale with dark streaks, and the upperparts are either brown or grey. Several of the eleven recognised subspecies have both variants...
; a rookery
Bird colony
A bird colony is a large congregation of individuals of one or more species of bird that nest or roost in close proximity at a particular location. Many kinds of birds are known to congregate in groups of varying size; a congregation of nesting birds is called a breeding colony...
is also located nearby.
History
The parish once belonged to the wapentake of SadbergeSadberge
Sadberge is a village in the borough of Darlington and ceremonial county of County Durham, England. It is situated between Darlington and Stockton-on-Tees. The village of Sadberge was once the Wapentake of the Viking settled area north of the Tees known as the Earldom of Sadberge which stretched...
, which was part of Northumberland
Northumberland
Northumberland is the northernmost ceremonial county and a unitary district in North East England. For Eurostat purposes Northumberland is a NUTS 3 region and is one of three boroughs or unitary districts that comprise the "Northumberland and Tyne and Wear" NUTS 2 region...
until 1189. Æthelwald Moll of Northumbria, who may have previously murdered Oswulf of Northumbria
Oswulf of Northumbria
Oswulf was king of Northumbria from 758 to 759. He succeeded his father Eadberht, who had abdicated and joined the monastery at York. Oswulf's uncle was Ecgbert, Archbishop of York....
for the succession, killed Oswin, a Bernicia
Bernicia
Bernicia was an Anglo-Saxon kingdom established by Anglian settlers of the 6th century in what is now southeastern Scotland and North East England....
n nobleman here in 761. In the year 778 AD
Anno Domini
and Before Christ are designations used to label or number years used with the Julian and Gregorian calendars....
a high sheriff called Elduf was killed here. Later there was a coup in which Æthelred I of Northumbria
Æthelred I of Northumbria
Æthelred was king of Northumbria from 774 to 779 and again from 788 or 789 until his murder in 796. He became king after Alhred was deposed...
, Moll's son, was ousted by Ælfwald I of Northumbria
Ælfwald I of Northumbria
Ælfwald was king of Northumbria from 778 to 788. He is thought to have been a son of Oswulf, and thus a grandson of Eadberht Eating.Ælfwald became king after Æthelred son of Æthelwald Moll was deposed in 778...
, and several royal nobles were killed in this same village. Richard Thirkeld, a Catholic missionary
Missionary
A missionary is a member of a religious group sent into an area to do evangelism or ministries of service, such as education, literacy, social justice, health care and economic development. The word "mission" originates from 1598 when the Jesuits sent members abroad, derived from the Latin...
priest from the village, was executed at York on 29 May 1583 for high treason due to his Catholicism. On 4 March 1590 another local Catholic priest, Christopher Bayles, was similarly executed.
In 1734 the churchwarden
Churchwarden
A churchwarden is a lay official in a parish church or congregation of the Anglican Communion, usually working as a part-time volunteer. Holders of these positions are ex officio members of the parish board, usually called a vestry, parish council, parochial church council, or in the case of a...
s of the village were given a house and 6 acre (0.02428116 km²) by Robert Bowes of Thornton Hall
Thornton Hall, High Coniscliffe
Thornton Hall is a privately owned 16th century manor house at High Coniscliffe, near Darlington, County Durham. It is a Grade I listed building....
. The rent from the house was donated to the poor at Christmas and midsummer. A venerable native of the village was carpenter Matthew Greathead (23 April 1770−31 December 1871), who became the oldest living Freemason
Freemasonry
Freemasonry is a fraternal organisation that arose from obscure origins in the late 16th to early 17th century. Freemasonry now exists in various forms all over the world, with a membership estimated at around six million, including approximately 150,000 under the jurisdictions of the Grand Lodge...
of his time. His lodge commemorated him with a column
Headstone
A headstone, tombstone, or gravestone is a marker, usually stone, that is placed over a grave. In most cases they have the deceased's name, date of birth, and date of death inscribed on them, along with a personal message, or prayer.- Use :...
at the gate of St Mary's church, Richmond
Richmond, North Yorkshire
Richmond is a market town and civil parish on the River Swale in North Yorkshire, England and is the administrative centre of the district of Richmondshire. It is situated on the edge of the Yorkshire Dales National Park, and serves as the Park's main tourist centre...
.
Edward Liddell, who later became chief constable
Chief Constable
Chief constable is the rank used by the chief police officer of every territorial police force in the United Kingdom except for the City of London Police and the Metropolitan Police, as well as the chief officers of the three 'special' national police forces, the British Transport Police, Ministry...
of Newark, was born in the parish in 1826. The population has always been low: in 1801 220; in 1811 234; in 1821 245; in 1831 234; in 1841 244; in 1851 248; in 1861 234; in 1871 318; in 1881 355; in 1891 349. In 1893 the village was worth £4,259. From 1590 to 1836 the village had sufficient population to support at least two or three marriages per year. A school was built here in 1830, and that building is now the church hall. The national school
National school (England and Wales)
A national school was a school founded in 19th century England and Wales by the National Society for Promoting Religious Education.These schools provided elementary education, in accordance with the teaching of the Church of England, to the children of the poor.Together with the less numerous...
, which may have used the same building but no longer exists, was founded in 1848 for 87 pupils. There is a local legend set at the time when the national school was being built. A native man called Dickenson returned to his village on 28 June 1848 to attempt a cure for paralysis. He asked to be buried up to his neck in the riverbank for four hours, and after much pain his health was improved.
Archaeological finds
Smotherlaw barrowTumulus
A tumulus is a mound of earth and stones raised over a grave or graves. Tumuli are also known as barrows, burial mounds, Hügelgrab or kurgans, and can be found throughout much of the world. A tumulus composed largely or entirely of stones is usually referred to as a cairn...
at Carlbury
Carlbury
Carlbury is a hamlet in the civil parish of High Coniscliffe in County Durham, in England. It is situated a few miles to the west of Darlington, on the north bank of the River Tees between Piercebridge to the west, and High Coniscliffe to the east...
is in the parish of High Coniscliffe. A small, copper, Bronze Age
Bronze Age
The Bronze Age is a period characterized by the use of copper and its alloy bronze as the chief hard materials in the manufacture of some implements and weapons. Chronologically, it stands between the Stone Age and Iron Age...
tool was found in the village in 1991. Roman
Roman Britain
Roman Britain was the part of the island of Great Britain controlled by the Roman Empire from AD 43 until ca. AD 410.The Romans referred to the imperial province as Britannia, which eventually comprised all of the island of Great Britain south of the fluid frontier with Caledonia...
pottery, thought to be related to Piercebridge Roman Fort
Piercebridge Roman Fort
Piercebridge Roman Fort is a scheduled ancient monument situated in the village of Piercebridge on the banks of the River Tees in County Durham, England. There were Romans here from about 70 AD until at least the early 5th century...
, has been found scattered on fields, possibly as fertiliser from a Roman midden
Midden
A midden, is an old dump for domestic waste which may consist of animal bone, human excrement, botanical material, vermin, shells, sherds, lithics , and other artifacts and ecofacts associated with past human occupation...
. There is a carving in St Edwin's church of two winged figures on either side of a calf or ram; this is thought to be an Anglo-Saxon
Anglo-Saxons
Anglo-Saxon is a term used by historians to designate the Germanic tribes who invaded and settled the south and east of Great Britain beginning in the early 5th century AD, and the period from their creation of the English nation to the Norman conquest. The Anglo-Saxon Era denotes the period of...
re-carving of a Roman dedication stone.
Significant buildings
Old Hall Farm incorporates a farmhouse, at 23 The Green, whose north-west wing could be a 13th century bastle houseBastle house
Bastle houses are a type of construction found along the Anglo-Scottish border, in the areas formerly plagued by border Reivers. They are farmhouses, characterised by elaborate security measures against raids...
, built as sanctuary during raids from Scotland. Most of the building dates from the 17th century. Mill house is considered old but has been restored with a heron weather vane
Weather vane
A weather vane is an instrument for showing the direction of the wind. They are typically used as an architectural ornament to the highest point of a building....
. The Spotted Dog pub
Public house
A public house, informally known as a pub, is a drinking establishment fundamental to the culture of Britain, Ireland, Australia and New Zealand. There are approximately 53,500 public houses in the United Kingdom. This number has been declining every year, so that nearly half of the smaller...
is named after a foxhound
English Foxhound
The English Foxhound is one of the four foxhound breeds of dog. They are scent hounds, bred to hunt foxes by scent.-Appearance:The English Foxhound is about 21-25 inches tall to the withers, and weighs anywhere between 65-75 pounds, although some English Foxhounds bred for the show ring can be...
called Blue Cap which won a race at Newmarket
Newmarket Racecourse
The town of Newmarket, in Suffolk, England, is the headquarters of British horseracing, home to the largest cluster of training yards in the country and many key horse racing organisations. Newmarket Racecourse has two courses - the Rowley Mile Course and the July Course. Both are wide, galloping...
for a wager with a stake of 500 guineas
Guinea (British coin)
The guinea is a coin that was minted in the Kingdom of England and later in the Kingdom of Great Britain and the United Kingdom between 1663 and 1813...
in 1792. The village's Methodist chapel was built in 1827 where Ulnaby Lane meets the A67, and demolished in the 1940s. There is an old dovecote in the village. The Duke of Wellington pub had a picture of Napoleon
Napoleon I
Napoleon Bonaparte was a French military and political leader during the latter stages of the French Revolution.As Napoleon I, he was Emperor of the French from 1804 to 1815...
on its sign from 1975 to 1988. The pub's car park is the site of the old post office which doubled as the hackney carriage
Hackney carriage
A hackney or hackney carriage is a carriage or automobile for hire...
station, and where an Elizabethan
Elizabethan era
The Elizabethan era was the epoch in English history of Queen Elizabeth I's reign . Historians often depict it as the golden age in English history...
stone sundial
Sundial
A sundial is a device that measures time by the position of the Sun. In common designs such as the horizontal sundial, the sun casts a shadow from its style onto a surface marked with lines indicating the hours of the day. The style is the time-telling edge of the gnomon, often a thin rod or a...
was found in the garden. It was near the old golf club and opposite the Methodist
Methodism
Methodism is a movement of Protestant Christianity represented by a number of denominations and organizations, claiming a total of approximately seventy million adherents worldwide. The movement traces its roots to John Wesley's evangelistic revival movement within Anglicanism. His younger brother...
chapel at the southern end of Ulnaby Lane. A recent development of twelve houses called Lawson's Court was built in the village in 2009.
St Edwin's church, vicarage and hall
The church is dedicated to Edwin of NorthumbriaEdwin of Northumbria
Edwin , also known as Eadwine or Æduini, was the King of Deira and Bernicia – which later became known as Northumbria – from about 616 until his death. He converted to Christianity and was baptised in 627; after he fell at the Battle of Hatfield Chase, he was venerated as a saint.Edwin was the son...
, who declared himself overking of all England and converted to Christianity on 11 April 627 AD
Anno Domini
and Before Christ are designations used to label or number years used with the Julian and Gregorian calendars....
. It is thought that there could have been an earlier church on the site; the present St Edwin's church dates from 1170. It is built of limestone, it is dedicated to Edwin of Northumbria
Edwin of Northumbria
Edwin , also known as Eadwine or Æduini, was the King of Deira and Bernicia – which later became known as Northumbria – from about 616 until his death. He converted to Christianity and was baptised in 627; after he fell at the Battle of Hatfield Chase, he was venerated as a saint.Edwin was the son...
and has a Norman
Norman architecture
About|Romanesque architecture, primarily English|other buildings in Normandy|Architecture of Normandy.File:Durham Cathedral. Nave by James Valentine c.1890.jpg|thumb|200px|The nave of Durham Cathedral demonstrates the characteristic round arched style, though use of shallow pointed arches above the...
carved and arched doorway under the north porch. It has a nave, chancel, north aisle, square tower and octagonal spire. The embattled
Battlement
A battlement in defensive architecture, such as that of city walls or castles, comprises a parapet , in which portions have been cut out at intervals to allow the discharge of arrows or other missiles. These cut-out portions form crenels...
tower was built between the Norman and medieval
Middle Ages
The Middle Ages is a periodization of European history from the 5th century to the 15th century. The Middle Ages follows the fall of the Western Roman Empire in 476 and precedes the Early Modern Era. It is the middle period of a three-period division of Western history: Classic, Medieval and Modern...
eras. The chancel arch is Gothic
English Gothic architecture
English Gothic is the name of the architectural style that flourished in England from about 1180 until about 1520.-Introduction:As with the Gothic architecture of other parts of Europe, English Gothic is defined by its pointed arches, vaulted roofs, buttresses, large windows, and spires...
, and supported on corbels
Corbel arch
A corbel arch is an arch-like construction method that uses the architectural technique of corbeling to span a space or void in a structure, such as an entranceway in a wall or as the span of a bridge...
with carved capitals
Capital (architecture)
In architecture the capital forms the topmost member of a column . It mediates between the column and the load thrusting down upon it, broadening the area of the column's supporting surface...
; the south corbel appears to be Norman. The east window has rich stained glass
Stained glass
The term stained glass can refer to coloured glass as a material or to works produced from it. Throughout its thousand-year history, the term has been applied almost exclusively to the windows of churches and other significant buildings...
. The building was upgraded in the 13th century when the spire
Spire
A spire is a tapering conical or pyramidal structure on the top of a building, particularly a church tower. Etymologically, the word is derived from the Old English word spir, meaning a sprout, shoot, or stalk of grass....
was added, and it was restored in 1892. In that year it was reseated, the floor relaid, and a new screen, altar and tower clock added; all at a cost of £600. Another source gives the restoration date as 1844. As of 2009 it has a stainless steel
Stainless steel
In metallurgy, stainless steel, also known as inox steel or inox from French "inoxydable", is defined as a steel alloy with a minimum of 10.5 or 11% chromium content by mass....
roof.
The vicarage
Rectory
A rectory is the residence, or former residence, of a rector, most often a Christian cleric, but in some cases an academic rector or other person with that title...
, next to the church and on the edge of the limestone ridge, was remodelled around 1850 and is said to contain secret passage
Secret passage
Secret passages, also commonly referred to as hidden passages or secret tunnels, are hidden routes used for stealthy travel. Such passageways are sometimes inside buildings leading to secret rooms. Others allow occupants to enter or exit buildings without being seen...
s. It has a well in the garden and a coat of arms
Coat of arms
A coat of arms is a unique heraldic design on a shield or escutcheon or on a surcoat or tabard used to cover and protect armour and to identify the wearer. Thus the term is often stated as "coat-armour", because it was anciently displayed on the front of a coat of cloth...
on the exterior wall on the west side of the building. In 1848 the vicar had the benefit of the vicarage, a glebe
Glebe
Glebe Glebe Glebe (also known as Church furlong or parson's closes is an area of land within a manor and parish used to support a parish priest.-Medieval origins:...
of 60 acre (0.2428116 km²) and local tithe
Tithe
A tithe is a one-tenth part of something, paid as a contribution to a religious organization or compulsory tax to government. Today, tithes are normally voluntary and paid in cash, cheques, or stocks, whereas historically tithes were required and paid in kind, such as agricultural products...
s to the value of £7 18s 1½d. The glebe may be associated with the ridge and furrow
Ridge and furrow
Ridge and furrow is an archaeological pattern of ridges and troughs created by a system of ploughing used in Europe during the Middle Ages. The earliest examples date to the immediate post-Roman period and the system was used until the 17th century in some areas. Ridge and furrow topography is...
field to the north of the village. The church hall was built of stone and slate in 1830 as a school, and it has a later, flat-roofed extension. It was the village school until the early 1960s, then was renovated in 2000 with a grant of £57,000 from Cleartop, a waste management company. Low Coniscliffe
Low Coniscliffe
Low Coniscliffe is a village in the civil parish of Low Coniscliffe and Merrybent, in County Durham, England. It is situated west of Darlington. Its present built-up area is confined in practice between the A1, the A67 and the Tees, but its old boundaries probably extend much further. Its most...
and Merrybent
Merrybent
Merrybent is a linear village in the civil parish of Low Coniscliffe and Merrybent in County Durham, in England. It is situated on the A67 road to the west of Darlington, a short distance to the north of the River Tees and the Teesdale Way...
share the hall with High Coniscliffe.
High Coniscliffe Primary School
High Coniscliffe CE Primary School is the only school in the village. It opened in 1963 with 40 children, and now has about 100. It has achieved the sustainable level of the national School Travel planTravel plan
A travel plan is a package of actions designed by a workplace, school or other organisation to encourage safe, healthy and sustainable travel options. By reducing car travel, Travel Plans can improve health and wellbeing, free up carparking space, and make a positive contribution to the community...
accreditation scheme, which attempts to make it easier and safer for children to reach school without wasting resources. It achieved an Ofsted
Ofsted
The Office for Standards in Education, Children's Services and Skills is the non-ministerial government department of Her Majesty's Chief Inspector of Schools In England ....
outstanding rating, the top of its four-point scale, in 2007−2008.
External links
- Coniscliffe map
- Walks around Darlington: Online leaflet No.5, Coniscliffe Moor and Teesdale Way (pdf file)
- http://docs.google.com/viewer?a=v&q=cache:WQ4eMzLSnRsJ:www.darlington.gov.uk/dar_public/documents/Development%2520and%2520Environment/Countryside/coniscliffemoorandteesdaleway.pdf+duke+of+wellington,+high+coniscliffe&hl=en&gl=uk&pid=bl&srcid=ADGEESi0_P3yelDO9SX5mkFSoHdhxeozilQUVi0py4UZApuCNkbbSOGgv0WrTEcUdzpWXgc0atGF3XGPsAgDer8J86_EGO09JbU7VEMDWeJhUqyANCISXn8ulnIN-WtZDeDJistV7Wt4&sig=AHIEtbT7F4jaiznlrmreFlR6KahAVA4FkAWalks around Darlington: Online leaflet No.5, Coniscliffe Moor and Teesdale Way] (Google document version)