St John's Chapel, County Durham
Encyclopedia
St John's Chapel is a village in County Durham
, in England. It is situated in Weardale
, on the south side of the River Wear
on the A689 road
between Daddry Shield
and Ireshopeburn
. The 2001 census reports a population of 307, of which only 43 are children under 16 (as of 2001). In 1980 there were 160 children in the village.
The nearest secondary school is 14 miles away, as is the nearest swimming pool, and the nearest library is 22 miles away. This population makes the village marginal in terms of thresholds for service provision. Although the population of the ward (1,446, including surrounding hamlets) has remained fairly stable for 30 years, this masks the out-migration mainly of the younger generation affecting the population structure.
Although this area has a high quality of life with low pollution and crime rates, in 2001 16 residents were unemployed and 26% of households were without a car. Originally St John's chapel was a medieval hunting stop, it then grew as a centre of lead mining after 1600. The area is also keen for hikers and walkers alike, this is because the area is host to many areas of natural beauty. Pubs in the village include the Blue Bell and the Golden Lion.
St John's Chapel was the penultimate stop of the Weardale Railway
extension which opened on 21 October 1895, being mainly a freight line carrying limestone
, iron ore, lead ore and fluorspar to the industrial areas of North East England. It closed to passenger traffic in 1953 and later to freight in 1963. The station was entirely demolished.
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. It is situated in Weardale
Weardale
Weardale is a dale, or valley, of the east side of the Pennines in County Durham, in England. Large parts of Weardale fall within the North Pennines Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty - the second largest AONB in England and Wales. The upper valley is surrounded by high fells and heather grouse...
, on the south 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:...
on the A689 road
A689 road
The A689 is a road in northern England, that runs east from Junction 44 of the M6 motorway, north of the centre of Carlisle in Cumbria, to Hartlepool, in the North East....
between Daddry Shield
Daddry Shield
Daddry Shield is a village in County Durham, in England. It is situated on the south side of the River Wear in Weardale, a short distance from St John's Chapel....
and Ireshopeburn
Ireshopeburn
Ireshopeburn is a village in County Durham, in England. It is situated on the south side of Weardale, between St John's Chapel and Wearhead, and on the other side of the Wear from West Blackdene and New Ho...
. The 2001 census reports a population of 307, of which only 43 are children under 16 (as of 2001). In 1980 there were 160 children in the village.
The nearest secondary school is 14 miles away, as is the nearest swimming pool, and the nearest library is 22 miles away. This population makes the village marginal in terms of thresholds for service provision. Although the population of the ward (1,446, including surrounding hamlets) has remained fairly stable for 30 years, this masks the out-migration mainly of the younger generation affecting the population structure.
Although this area has a high quality of life with low pollution and crime rates, in 2001 16 residents were unemployed and 26% of households were without a car. Originally St John's chapel was a medieval hunting stop, it then grew as a centre of lead mining after 1600. The area is also keen for hikers and walkers alike, this is because the area is host to many areas of natural beauty. Pubs in the village include the Blue Bell and the Golden Lion.
St John's Chapel was the penultimate stop of the Weardale Railway
Weardale Railway
The Weardale Railway is a British single-track branch line railway providing regular daily passenger service between Bishop Auckland , Wolsingham, Frosterley and Stanhope. Services began on 23 May 2010 after a lapse of almost sixty years. The railway originally ran from Bishop Auckland to...
extension which opened on 21 October 1895, being mainly a freight line carrying 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....
, iron ore, lead ore and fluorspar to the industrial areas of North East England. It closed to passenger traffic in 1953 and later to freight in 1963. The station was entirely demolished.