Whitburn, South Tyneside
Encyclopedia
Whitburn is a village
in South Tyneside
, on the coast
of North East England
. It lies just to the north of the City of Sunderland
in the ceremonial county of Tyne and Wear
. Until 1974, when the Local Government Act 1972
came into being, it was part of County Durham
. The village has a population of 5,235.
: it means "white barn
or house " from Old English
hwit "white
" and bere-ærn "barn". A record of the name as Wituberne in 1182 proves this.
Following the attack of the Spanish Armada on England in 1588, the vanquished Spanish fleet fled around the coast of England. Two Spanish galleons ran aground on Whitburn Rocks in rough seas and local inhabitants plundered the wreckage. The bell from one of the galleons was placed in Whitburn Church. Spanish oak beams removed from the shipwrecks could still be viewed in the roof of the Whitburn lawnmower shop in the 1950s prior to the buildings demolition.
Whitburn remained fairly undisturbed settlement until 1718 when the Land Enclosure Act came into force and a number of farm
s were created . The settlement was isolated as no roads connected to it, but there was a path on Sea Lane (now East Street) connecting it to Whitburn Bents, a nearby hamlet
. Not until 1866 was a road built over the sandunes to Fulwell
, in northern Sunderland. In 1874 Marsden Pit was sunk and the community increased dramatically as a result. Whitburn Colliery closed in 1968, and the land is now a coastal park and nature reserve
.
It is generally accepted that Lewis Carroll
wrote The Walrus and the Carpenter
while holidaying at his cousins' house in Whitburn. A statue of Carroll is in the library.
Durham County Council, which covered the South Tyneside area until 1974, took ownership of Whitburn Windmill in 1960 from the Church Commissioners
. The building is listed (Grade 2) as it is considered to be of special architectural and historical importance and is protected therefore by the requirements of the Planning (Listed Building and Conservation Areas) Act 1990. In 1991/1992 South Tyneside Council undertook a restoration project of the mill, including restoration of the sails, for which it was awarded the Civic Trust
Award.
There are three schools in Whitburn - Whitburn Village Primary School, Marsden Primary School and Whitburn Church of England Academy (formerly Whitburn Comprehensive School).
To the north of the village, near Marsden Village
, is Whitburn Coastal Park, near which is cared for by the National Trust
team based at the Souter Lighthouse
. This recreation area is a popular haunt for birdwatchers. A sea-watching observatory is used mainly by Durham Bird Club members, who monitor seabird and wildfowl migration throughout the year (activity peaks during July-November), but is open to all bird-watchers. Keys (£12) can be bought at the National Trust shop at Souter Lighthouse but the observatory is normally in use whenever seabird and wildfowl passage is in progress which means it can be accessed by bird-watchers without keys. Whitburn is one of the premier sites on the east coast of England for seawatching with notable list of rarities to its name. A good variety of cetaceans are also seen from here, particularly in late summer.
There are three public houses in Whitburn. The Grey Horse on North Guards, The Jolly Sailor on Front Street and the Whitburn Lodge on the Coast Road which used to be part of the former Whitburn Colliery buildings.
Jack Young and Billy Henderson (footballers)full-backs for West Ham United in 1923 FA Cup Final.
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 South Tyneside
South Tyneside
South Tyneside is a metropolitan borough in Tyne and Wear in North East England.It is bordered by four other boroughs - Newcastle upon Tyne and Gateshead to the west, Sunderland in the south, and North Tyneside to the north. The border county of Northumberland lies further north...
, on the coast
Coast
A coastline or seashore is the area where land meets the sea or ocean. A precise line that can be called a coastline cannot be determined due to the dynamic nature of tides. The term "coastal zone" can be used instead, which is a spatial zone where interaction of the sea and land processes occurs...
of North East England
North East England
North East England is one of the nine official regions of England. It covers Northumberland, County Durham, Tyne and Wear, and Teesside . The only cities in the region are Durham, Newcastle upon Tyne and Sunderland...
. It lies just to the north of the City of Sunderland
City of Sunderland
The City of Sunderland is a local government district of Tyne and Wear, in North East England, with the status of a city and metropolitan borough...
in the ceremonial county of Tyne and Wear
Tyne and Wear
Tyne and Wear is a metropolitan county in north east England around the mouths of the Rivers Tyne and Wear. It came into existence as a metropolitan county in 1974 after the passage of the Local Government Act 1972...
. Until 1974, when the Local Government Act 1972
Local Government Act 1972
The Local Government Act 1972 is an Act of Parliament in the United Kingdom that reformed local government in England and Wales on 1 April 1974....
came into being, it was part 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...
. The village has a population of 5,235.
Etymology
This Whitburn has a different origin to the one in LothianLothian
Lothian forms a traditional region of Scotland, lying between the southern shore of the Firth of Forth and the Lammermuir Hills....
: it means "white barn
Barn
A barn is an agricultural building used for storage and as a covered workplace. It may sometimes be used to house livestock or to store farming vehicles and equipment...
or house " from Old English
Old English language
Old English or Anglo-Saxon is an early form of the English language that was spoken and written by the Anglo-Saxons and their descendants in parts of what are now England and southeastern Scotland between at least the mid-5th century and the mid-12th century...
hwit "white
White
White is a color, the perception of which is evoked by light that stimulates all three types of color sensitive cone cells in the human eye in nearly equal amounts and with high brightness compared to the surroundings. A white visual stimulation will be void of hue and grayness.White light can be...
" and bere-ærn "barn". A record of the name as Wituberne in 1182 proves this.
A brief history
Whitburn is listed in the "Boldon buke" of 1183 as "Whitbern" and was probably a Saxon settlement.Following the attack of the Spanish Armada on England in 1588, the vanquished Spanish fleet fled around the coast of England. Two Spanish galleons ran aground on Whitburn Rocks in rough seas and local inhabitants plundered the wreckage. The bell from one of the galleons was placed in Whitburn Church. Spanish oak beams removed from the shipwrecks could still be viewed in the roof of the Whitburn lawnmower shop in the 1950s prior to the buildings demolition.
Whitburn remained fairly undisturbed settlement until 1718 when the Land Enclosure Act came into force and a number of farm
Farm
A farm is an area of land, or, for aquaculture, lake, river or sea, including various structures, devoted primarily to the practice of producing and managing food , fibres and, increasingly, fuel. It is the basic production facility in food production. Farms may be owned and operated by a single...
s were created . The settlement was isolated as no roads connected to it, but there was a path on Sea Lane (now East Street) connecting it to Whitburn Bents, a nearby hamlet
Hamlet (place)
A hamlet is usually a rural settlement which is too small to be considered a village, though sometimes the word is used for a different sort of community. Historically, when a hamlet became large enough to justify building a church, it was then classified as a village...
. Not until 1866 was a road built over the sandunes to Fulwell
Fulwell
Fulwell is an affluent suburb of northern Sunderland. It borders Seaburn, Southwick, Monkwearmouth, and Roker. Fulwell is located near the district border between Sunderland and South Tyneside. Statistically, it is the most affluent of the City of Sunderland's 25 wards.Housing in the area is varied...
, in northern Sunderland. In 1874 Marsden Pit was sunk and the community increased dramatically as a result. Whitburn Colliery closed in 1968, and the land is now a coastal park and nature reserve
Nature reserve
A nature reserve is a protected area of importance for wildlife, flora, fauna or features of geological or other special interest, which is reserved and managed for conservation and to provide special opportunities for study or research...
.
Features
Whitburn has retained its village character, with its main street, parish church, cricket ground and park with bowling greens and tennis courts.It is generally accepted that Lewis Carroll
Lewis Carroll
Charles Lutwidge Dodgson , better known by the pseudonym Lewis Carroll , was an English author, mathematician, logician, Anglican deacon and photographer. His most famous writings are Alice's Adventures in Wonderland and its sequel Through the Looking-Glass, as well as the poems "The Hunting of the...
wrote The Walrus and the Carpenter
The Walrus and the Carpenter
"The Walrus and the Carpenter" is a narrative poem by Lewis Carroll that appeared in his book Through the Looking-Glass, published in December 1871. The poem is recited in chapter four, by Tweedledum and Tweedledee to Alice. The poem is composed of 18 stanzas and contains 108 lines, in an...
while holidaying at his cousins' house in Whitburn. A statue of Carroll is in the library.
Durham County Council, which covered the South Tyneside area until 1974, took ownership of Whitburn Windmill in 1960 from the Church Commissioners
Church Commissioners
The Church Commissioners is a body managing the historic property assets of the Church of England. It was set up in 1948 combining the assets of Queen Anne's Bounty, a fund dating from 1704 for the relief of poor clergy, and of the Ecclesiastical Commissioners formed in 1836...
. The building is listed (Grade 2) as it is considered to be of special architectural and historical importance and is protected therefore by the requirements of the Planning (Listed Building and Conservation Areas) Act 1990. In 1991/1992 South Tyneside Council undertook a restoration project of the mill, including restoration of the sails, for which it was awarded the Civic Trust
Civic Trust
The Civic Trust of England was a charitable organisation founded in 1957. It ceased operations in 2009 and went into administration due to lack of funds/...
Award.
There are three schools in Whitburn - Whitburn Village Primary School, Marsden Primary School and Whitburn Church of England Academy (formerly Whitburn Comprehensive School).
To the north of the village, near Marsden Village
Marsden, Tyne and Wear
Marsden is a suburb in South Shields, North East England, located on the North Sea coast.The original village of Marsden, was demolished in the 1960s due to the risk of erosion from the encroaching shoreline. What remains are five rows of Victorian terraced houses, which were originally built to...
, is Whitburn Coastal Park, near which is cared for by the National Trust
National Trust for Places of Historic Interest or Natural Beauty
The National Trust for Places of Historic Interest or Natural Beauty, usually known as the National Trust, is a conservation organisation in England, Wales and Northern Ireland...
team based at the Souter Lighthouse
Souter Lighthouse
Souter Lighthouse is a lighthouse located in the village of Marsden in South Tyneside, Tyne and Wear, England.-History:The lighthouse is located on Lizard Point at Marsden, but takes its name from Souter Point, which is located a mile to the south...
. This recreation area is a popular haunt for birdwatchers. A sea-watching observatory is used mainly by Durham Bird Club members, who monitor seabird and wildfowl migration throughout the year (activity peaks during July-November), but is open to all bird-watchers. Keys (£12) can be bought at the National Trust shop at Souter Lighthouse but the observatory is normally in use whenever seabird and wildfowl passage is in progress which means it can be accessed by bird-watchers without keys. Whitburn is one of the premier sites on the east coast of England for seawatching with notable list of rarities to its name. A good variety of cetaceans are also seen from here, particularly in late summer.
There are three public houses in Whitburn. The Grey Horse on North Guards, The Jolly Sailor on Front Street and the Whitburn Lodge on the Coast Road which used to be part of the former Whitburn Colliery buildings.
People from Whitburn
- George FarrowGeorge FarrowGeorge Henry Farrow was an English professional footballer. He played for six clubs in a seventeen-year professional career....
- footballFootball (soccer)Association football, more commonly known as football or soccer, is a sport played between two teams of eleven players with a spherical ball...
er, member of BlackpoolBlackpool F.C.Blackpool Football Club are an English football club founded in 1887 from the Lancashire seaside town of Blackpool. They are competing in the 2011–12 season of the The Championship, the second tier of professional football in England, having been relegated from the Premier League at the end of the...
's 1953 FA CupFA Cup Final 1953The 1953 FA Cup Final, also known as the Matthews Final, was the eighth to be held at Wembley Stadium after the Second World War. The football match was contested between Blackpool and Bolton Wanderers, with Blackpool winning 4-3. The match became famous for the performance of Blackpool winger...
-winning side. - Jack WeddleJack WeddleJohn Robson "Jack" Weddle in Whitburn, South Tyneside was a former Portsmouth centre forward who played during the interwar and post war period. He is best remembered for Portsmouth's Cup run in the 1933/34 season, scoring a hat-trick against Birmingham in front of a 66,000-strong crowd to take...
- footballFootball (soccer)Association football, more commonly known as football or soccer, is a sport played between two teams of eleven players with a spherical ball...
er, striker for Portsmouth F.C.Portsmouth F.C.Portsmouth Football Club is an English football club based in the city of Portsmouth. The club is nicknamed Pompey. Portsmouth's home matches have been played at Fratton Park since the club's formation in 1898. The team currently play in the Football League Championship after being relegated from...
and Blackburn Rovers.
Jack Young and Billy Henderson (footballers)full-backs for West Ham United in 1923 FA Cup Final.
External links
- South Tyneside Council & Community website - Local council website
- History of Mining at Whitburn from the Durham Mining Museum
- Photographs of Whitburn, old and new from the Whitburn Local History Group
- Whitburn Community Website