Shincliffe
Encyclopedia
Shincliffe is a village in the County Durham
in England
. It is situated just over a mile to the south-east of Durham
city centre, on the A177 road
to Stockton
. Shincliffe is also a civil and ecclesiastical parish
consisting of Shincliffe Village, High Shincliffe
, Sherburn House
and Whitwell House
.
Shincliffe is regarded as one of the most affluent villages in Durham City and has been designated a conservation area
to preserve its historic character.
In the Middle Ages Shincliffe was an agricultural community belonging to the Prior
of Durham Cathedral
. The population grew significantly due to coal mining at nearby Houghall
, Old Durham
and Shincliffe Colliery (now High Shincliffe
) but declined following mine closure
s in the late 19th century.
and recent archaeological investigations suggest Shincliffe may have been the site of a Roman crossing. Durham's first railway station opened at Shincliffe in 1839 as the passenger terminus between the Durham area and Sunderland but closed in 1893 once a line had been run from Sherburn House to Durham itself. A goods line continued to Houghall
and Croxdale
Colliery. In the 1920s, Back Lane along the eastern side of the village was enlarged to become a bypass for it.
in 1826. Shincliffe became a parish in its own right in 1831, however the Parish Church, St. Mary's, was not built until 1851. John Wesley
preached in Shincliffe in 1780. A (Wesleyan) Methodist Chapel opened in Shincliffe in 1874. William Sever, Bishop of Durham (1502-1505) was born in Shincliffe.
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 just over a mile to the south-east of Durham
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...
city centre, on the A177 road
A177 road
The A177 is a road in County Durham, England. It runs from Stockton to Durham, passing Sedgefield. It therefore links the two main centres for Durham University: Durham City and the university's Queen's Campus in Stockton, via the NetPark knowledge park in Sedgefield, in which the university is a...
to Stockton
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...
. Shincliffe is also a civil and ecclesiastical parish
Parish
A parish is a territorial unit historically under the pastoral care and clerical jurisdiction of one parish priest, who might be assisted in his pastoral duties by a curate or curates - also priests but not the parish priest - from a more or less central parish church with its associated organization...
consisting of Shincliffe Village, High Shincliffe
High Shincliffe
High Shincliffe is a village in County Durham, England. It is situated about two miles south-east of Durham City, on the A177 road to Stockton-on-Tees...
, Sherburn House
Sherburn House
Sherburn House is a hamlet in County Durham, England. It is situated approximately south-east of Durham between Sherburn and Shincliffe Village. It is in the civil parish of Shincliffe.Sherburn House is the location of Sherburn Hospital.- External links :...
and Whitwell House
Whitwell House
Whitwell House is a place in County Durham, in England situated a few miles to the south-east of Durham. It now consists of the hamlet of Whitwell Grange, but was from 1836 was the site of the village of Whitwell Colliery...
.
Conservation area
A conservation areas is a tract of land that has been awarded protected status in order to ensure that natural features, cultural heritage or biota are safeguarded...
to preserve its historic character.
In the Middle Ages Shincliffe was an agricultural community belonging to the Prior
Prior
Prior is an ecclesiastical title, derived from the Latin adjective for 'earlier, first', with several notable uses.-Monastic superiors:A Prior is a monastic superior, usually lower in rank than an Abbot. In the Rule of St...
of 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...
. The population grew significantly due to coal mining at nearby Houghall
Houghall
Houghall is a hamlet in County Durham, in England. It is situated approximately to the south of Durham city centre. It is also the location of the Houghall Campus of East Durham College, associated gardens, a small number of houses and a restaurant....
, Old Durham
Old Durham
Old Durham is a hamlet in County Durham, in England. It is situated approximately 1 mile east of central Durham and south of Gilesgate.The most northerly remains of a Romanised farmstead in the Roman Empire were excavated at Old Durham during the 1940s....
and Shincliffe Colliery (now High Shincliffe
High Shincliffe
High Shincliffe is a village in County Durham, England. It is situated about two miles south-east of Durham City, on the A177 road to Stockton-on-Tees...
) but declined following mine closure
Mine closure
Mine closure is the period of time when the ore-extracting activities of a mine have ceased, and final decommissioning and mine reclamation are being completed. It is generally associated with reduced employment levels, which can have a significant negative impact on local economies...
s in the late 19th century.
Archaeology
Shincliffe is the site of a mediaeval bridge over the River WearRiver 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:...
and recent archaeological investigations suggest Shincliffe may have been the site of a Roman crossing. Durham's first railway station opened at Shincliffe in 1839 as the passenger terminus between the Durham area and Sunderland but closed in 1893 once a line had been run from Sherburn House to Durham itself. A goods line continued to Houghall
Houghall
Houghall is a hamlet in County Durham, in England. It is situated approximately to the south of Durham city centre. It is also the location of the Houghall Campus of East Durham College, associated gardens, a small number of houses and a restaurant....
and Croxdale
Croxdale
Croxdale is a village in the civil parish of Croxdale and Hett, about 3 miles south of Durham City, in County Durham in England and on the A167 road, formerly part of the Great North Road.It is the location of Croxdale Hall, a Grade I listed building...
Colliery. In the 1920s, Back Lane along the eastern side of the village was enlarged to become a bypass for it.
Religion
Shincliffe was an outlying part of the large Durham parish of St. Oswald's. A rectory was built in the village in 1800, and a Chapel of EaseChapel of ease
A chapel of ease is a church building other than the parish church, built within the bounds of a parish for the attendance of those who cannot reach the parish church conveniently....
in 1826. Shincliffe became a parish in its own right in 1831, however the Parish Church, St. Mary's, was not built until 1851. John Wesley
John Wesley
John Wesley was a Church of England cleric and Christian theologian. Wesley is largely credited, along with his brother Charles Wesley, as founding the Methodist movement which began when he took to open-air preaching in a similar manner to George Whitefield...
preached in Shincliffe in 1780. A (Wesleyan) Methodist Chapel opened in Shincliffe in 1874. William Sever, Bishop of Durham (1502-1505) was born in Shincliffe.