Durham, County (pop. 522,068), is a unitary authority (local government area) in northeastern England. It is the place where, in 1825, the inventor George Stephenson opened the first public steam railroad in the world. The authority is known for its traditional coal-mining industry and for the city of Durham’s majestic Norman cathedral and castle. The authority’s area and population were reduced in 1974, when local government in England was reorganized.
People and government
Legend and customs.
Durham has many legends about monsters and dragons. They include the legend of the Lambton worm, set in the time of the Crusades (see Crusades). A member of the Lambton family was given advice by a witch on how to kill a monster called the Worm. In return for her help, he promised to kill the first living being he met after killing the monster. But after he slaughtered the monster, his father came running to meet him, and Lambton did not carry out his promise. As a punishment, the witch declared that for many generations, no Lambton would die in his bed. The people of Durham have several versions of the Lambton legend.
Recreation.
The ancient Shrovetide soccer game is still played each year at Sedgefield. The goals are about 1,300 feet (400 meters) apart, and the game sometimes lasts for hours. Horses play an important part in life at Sedgefield, which has a horse-racing course. Fox hunting is also a popular local sport.
Other popular sports include sailing and boating. Boaters sail on the River Wear. Each June, Durham holds a regatta, which is believed to be the oldest British regatta. Facilities for freshwater fishing are found in reservoirs and the upper reaches of the Wear. Sea fishing is a popular activity at Seaham, which also has beaches.
Music plays an important part in people’s lives in Durham. The authority has many brass bands and choral societies. The city of Durham is an important cultural center and hosts an annual festival of contemporary music.
Local government.
An elected council supervises the authority. The Crown Court sits at the city of Durham. The Durham Constabulary, the authority’s police force, also has its headquarters in the city.
Economy
Manufacturing.
Traditional industries in the city of Durham include carpet making and organ building, and both still flourish. In Chester-le-Street, the local industries include brickmaking, engineering, woodworking, and printing.
The town of Barnard Castle developed a leather industry in the 1600’s. Today, some of the town’s workers produce chamois leather gloves or weave woolen cloth. The town also produces antibiotics.
An industrial park in Bishop Auckland has attracted newer industries, including flour milling, engineering, and printing. Shildon has a railroad car factory and factories producing clothing, nylon carpets, and synthetic furs.
Aycliffe (also known as Newton Aycliffe) is a new town (a community planned to attract new industry). Its products include axles and gears, and components for radar, radio, and television. Workers in another new town, Peterlee, produce electrical equipment, electronic components, textiles, and potato chips.
Mining.
For much of the 1800’s and 1900’s, Durham had a thriving coal-mining industry. Although the industry declined in the late 1900’s, it still provides some jobs in eastern Durham. The authority also produces fluorite, which is used in the steel and chemical industries.
Agriculture.
The Easington area has much farming. Crops include wheat, potatoes, and other root vegetables. Some farmers keep hogs or poultry. Others grow vegetables or greenhouse crops. The area around Sedgefield has much dairy farming. In the hill and moorland farms of western Durham, farmers raise sheep and dairy cattle.
Transportation and communications.
The main railroad line between London and Newcastle upon Tyne passes through Durham and Chester-le-Street. The M1 highway runs through the authority. Docks at Seaham export goods, including scrap iron to Spain and agricultural lime to Scotland.
A number of the towns publish their own local weekly newspapers. A community radio station broadcasts from Aycliffe.
The land
Location and size.
County Durham is bordered on the north by Northumberland and the metropolitan districts of Gateshead and Sunderland, on the west by Cumbria, and on the south by North Yorkshire. The North Sea lies to the east, and the unitary authorities of Darlington, Hartlepool, and Stockton-on-Tees lie to the southeast. The greatest distance measured from west to east is about 45 miles (72 kilometers). The greatest distance measured from north to south is about 33 miles (53 kilometers).
Land regions.
The authority consists of four land regions—the Western Hills and Dales, the East Durham Plateau, the Wear-Tyne Lowlands, and the Tees Plain.
The Western Hills and Dales
lie in the Pennines (see Pennines). The Pennines rise to 2,400 feet (730 meters) above sea level and are largely moorland.
The East Durham Plateau,
reaching a height of 600 feet (180 meters) above sea level, is triangular in shape. Its narrowest part lies in the center of the authority at the foot of the Western Hills. From this point, the plateau widens toward the coast.
The Wear-Tyne Lowlands
lie between the Western Hills and the East Durham Plateau, running northward from the center of the authority.
The Tees Plain
is an area of rolling lowlands that runs from the southern end of the East Durham Plateau south to the River Tees and the border with North Yorkshire.
Lakes and rivers.
The authority has two main rivers: the River Tees and the River Wear. The River Tees runs through the southwestern part of the authority. On its course, it passes over two waterfalls, Cauldron Snout and High Force, which is the highest waterfall in all of England. The River Wear runs 70 miles (113 kilometers) eastward across the authority. It passes Bishop Auckland and Durham and reaches the North Sea at Sunderland.
Climate
in the authority is temperate. In the east, average rainfall is less than 25 inches (635 millimeters) a year. The Western Hills is the wettest area, with more than 60 inches (1,520 millimeters) of rain each year. In January, the coldest month, temperatures average 37 °F (3 °C). July is the warmest month, with temperatures averaging about 59 °F (15 °C).
History
Before the Roman occupation, the Durham region was remote and isolated. The Romans occupied the area about A.D. 80. They built several forts and a road through the Durham region from York to Scotland. After the Romans left, Vikings invaded the area.
The Norman king known as William Conqueror and later English kings made Durham a county palatine (province of a feudal lord) in an attempt to stop Scottish border raids. Durham’s medieval prince-bishops ruled like kings until the Tudor monarchs took away much of their power. Each prince-bishop had his own army, barons, mint, and prisons.
Few people lived in Durham until the development of the coal-mining and shipbuilding industries there in the early 1800’s. In 1825, the British engineer George Stephenson opened the world’s first public steam railroad in Durham (see Stephenson, George). In the 1830’s, the area became a center of the Industrial Revolution.
