South Moor
Encyclopedia
South Moor is a village
in County Durham
, in England
. It is located to the south-west of Stanley
on the northern slope of the Craghead
valley. It is a well-developed village, yet still semi rural
, containing a main street (Park Road) of around twelve shops which survive despite their proximity to the front street of Stanley and its Asda
supermarket
.
There was a branch of Stanley Co-op at the bottom of Park Rd and a glove factory above it. On the opposite side in a walled garden stood the Colliery Offices for the district. A local meeting place for teenagers in the 50s and 60s was Boves cafe which had a jukebox
and sold coffee
and snacks. The proprietor also had an icecream factory around the back of the shop and vans travel about to this day selling to the public. The cafe is now home to an award winning Indian restaurant, which has been established since 1987. There is a local church, St. Georges at the bottom of South Moor and "The Woodland Tavern" once was the Miners Hall. There was a hall next to St Georges (now pulled down) and it was the meeting place for Girl Guides and Brownies
and also the venue for many concerts and dances. At the top of the bank above the park is The Jehovah's Witnesses
meeting place. This used to be the Trinity Methodist chapel
and the Central Methodist chapel stood next to the Woodlands Tavern. In the middle of Park Road stands Southmoor Methodist chapel colloquially known as " The tin Chapel". The main clothier was Millers which stood in the centre of Park Rd next to the Hotel public house and the Arcadia cinema.
There is an infant school
and junior school
known as "Greenland school" in the middle of the village and at one time there were two cinema
s ( well used), the Arcadia and the Tivoli. St. Mary's RC Primary School and Church are located opposite one another at the bottom of Tyne
Road in an area known as Hustledown.
There is a large golf course.
In the past year, lots of new housing developments have risen up in the area. Park Road is undergoing new pavement work and the planting of trees. A local campaign is also underway to remove all overhead phone cables to enhance the area.
. Alongside the large gates which denote the entrance to the park are names of local people who died during World War I
. Two names, however, were deleted when it was discovered that the 'victims' had not actually died.
A stream passes through the park. The section of the park adjacent to Park Road features a bowling green
and a public, concrete tennis court
. Recent new development in the area has meant that the park is now undergoing refurbishment work.
The west side of the park
is completely wooded. The main path follows the course of the stream. The remains of the bandstand
is hidden by trees and growth and the remains of a previous paddling pool could be seen opposite the bandstand. This was well used in the thirties by locals.
Village
A village is a clustered human settlement or community, larger than a hamlet with the population ranging from a few hundred to a few thousand , Though often located in rural areas, the term urban village is also applied to certain urban neighbourhoods, such as the West Village in Manhattan, New...
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 located to the south-west of Stanley
Stanley, County Durham
Stanley is a former colliery town and civil parish in County Durham, England. Centred on a hilltop between Chester-le-Street and Consett, the town lies south west of Gateshead....
on the northern slope of the Craghead
Craghead
Craghead is a former mining village in County Durham, England. It is located at the bottom of the valley to the south of Stanley, on the main road between Stanley and Durham, and not far from the village of Edmondsley....
valley. It is a well-developed village, yet still semi rural
Rural
Rural areas or the country or countryside are areas that are not urbanized, though when large areas are described, country towns and smaller cities will be included. They have a low population density, and typically much of the land is devoted to agriculture...
, containing a main street (Park Road) of around twelve shops which survive despite their proximity to the front street of Stanley and its Asda
Asda
Asda Stores Ltd is a British supermarket chain which retails food, clothing, general merchandise, toys and financial services. It also has a mobile telephone network, , Asda Mobile...
supermarket
Supermarket
A supermarket, a form of grocery store, is a self-service store offering a wide variety of food and household merchandise, organized into departments...
.
There was a branch of Stanley Co-op at the bottom of Park Rd and a glove factory above it. On the opposite side in a walled garden stood the Colliery Offices for the district. A local meeting place for teenagers in the 50s and 60s was Boves cafe which had a jukebox
Jukebox
A jukebox is a partially automated music-playing device, usually a coin-operated machine, that will play a patron's selection from self-contained media...
and sold coffee
Coffee
Coffee is a brewed beverage with a dark,init brooo acidic flavor prepared from the roasted seeds of the coffee plant, colloquially called coffee beans. The beans are found in coffee cherries, which grow on trees cultivated in over 70 countries, primarily in equatorial Latin America, Southeast Asia,...
and snacks. The proprietor also had an icecream factory around the back of the shop and vans travel about to this day selling to the public. The cafe is now home to an award winning Indian restaurant, which has been established since 1987. There is a local church, St. Georges at the bottom of South Moor and "The Woodland Tavern" once was the Miners Hall. There was a hall next to St Georges (now pulled down) and it was the meeting place for Girl Guides and Brownies
Girlguiding UK
Girlguiding UK is the national Guiding organisation of the United Kingdom. Guiding began in the UK in 1910 after Robert Baden-Powell asked his sister Agnes to start a group especially for girls that would be run along similar lines to Scouting for Boys. The Guide Association was a founder member of...
and also the venue for many concerts and dances. At the top of the bank above the park is The Jehovah's Witnesses
Jehovah's Witnesses
Jehovah's Witnesses is a millenarian restorationist Christian denomination with nontrinitarian beliefs distinct from mainstream Christianity. The religion reports worldwide membership of over 7 million adherents involved in evangelism, convention attendance of over 12 million, and annual...
meeting place. This used to be the Trinity Methodist chapel
Chapel
A chapel is a building used by Christians as a place of fellowship and worship. It may be part of a larger structure or complex, such as a church, college, hospital, palace, prison or funeral home, located on board a military or commercial ship, or it may be an entirely free-standing building,...
and the Central Methodist chapel stood next to the Woodlands Tavern. In the middle of Park Road stands Southmoor Methodist chapel colloquially known as " The tin Chapel". The main clothier was Millers which stood in the centre of Park Rd next to the Hotel public house and the Arcadia cinema.
There is an infant school
Infant school
An Infant school is a term used primarily in the United Kingdom for school for children between the ages of four and seven years. It is usually a small school serving a particular locality....
and junior school
Junior school
A junior school is a type of school which caters for children, often between the ages of 7 and 11.-Australia:In Australia, a junior school is usually a part of a private school that educates children between the ages of 5 and 12....
known as "Greenland school" in the middle of the village and at one time there were two cinema
Movie theater
A movie theater, cinema, movie house, picture theater, film theater is a venue, usually a building, for viewing motion pictures ....
s ( well used), the Arcadia and the Tivoli. St. Mary's RC Primary School and Church are located opposite one another at the bottom of Tyne
River Tyne
The River Tyne is a river in North East England in Great Britain. It is formed by the confluence of two rivers: the North Tyne and the South Tyne. These two rivers converge at Warden Rock near Hexham in Northumberland at a place dubbed 'The Meeting of the Waters'.The North Tyne rises on the...
Road in an area known as Hustledown.
There is a large golf course.
In the past year, lots of new housing developments have risen up in the area. Park Road is undergoing new pavement work and the planting of trees. A local campaign is also underway to remove all overhead phone cables to enhance the area.
South Moor Park
South Moor Park is located at the bottom of the valley between Oxhill, and the small village of Quaking HousesQuaking Houses
Quaking Houses is a small village near to the town of Stanley in County Durham, in England. It may have been originally settled by Quakers, but during the Industrial Revolution it developed into a mining village with traditional terraced houses. The Quaker origin is supported by the 1873 name for a...
. Alongside the large gates which denote the entrance to the park are names of local people who died during World War I
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
. Two names, however, were deleted when it was discovered that the 'victims' had not actually died.
Bowling green
A bowling green is a finely-laid, close-mown and rolled stretch of lawn for playing the game of lawn bowls.Before 1830, when Edwin Beard Budding invented the lawnmower, lawns were often kept cropped by grazing sheep on them...
and a public, concrete tennis court
Tennis court
A tennis court is where the game of tennis is played. It is a firm rectangular surface with a low net stretched across the center. The same surface can be used to play both doubles and singles.-Dimensions:...
. Recent new development in the area has meant that the park is now undergoing refurbishment work.
The west side of the park
Park
A park is a protected area, in its natural or semi-natural state, or planted, and set aside for human recreation and enjoyment, or for the protection of wildlife or natural habitats. It may consist of rocks, soil, water, flora and fauna and grass areas. Many parks are legally protected by...
is completely wooded. The main path follows the course of the stream. The remains of the bandstand
Bandstand
A bandstand is a circular or semicircular structure set in a park, garden, pier, or indoor space, designed to accommodate musical bands performing concerts...
is hidden by trees and growth and the remains of a previous paddling pool could be seen opposite the bandstand. This was well used in the thirties by locals.