‘One of the South West Durham black spots.’ That is how Witton Park is often described, but to the villagers it is home, and the life-long inhabitant is loath to leave, despite the designs of the planners who have decreed that Witton Park must cease to exist.

The birth of Witton Park was more eventful than most villages.

It is well over a century ago that Witton Park came into existence with the setting up of the iron works, by Bolckow and Vaughan. The decline of the village started with the closure of the works in 1882.

The village was also the ‘buffer end’ of the first railway line, which took coal from South West Durham to Stockton and became the Stockton and Darlington Railway.

Near the site of the old iron works, there is now one of the biggest dumping grounds in the North East for waste materials.

The Paradise site as it is now known, adjacent to the main Crook to Darlington railway line, was bought by British Railways in 1957 and although dumping has gone on continuously for five years now, it is expected to take at least another 15 years to fill the site in.

Once the site is filled in and levelled it is felt by some villagers that in the 1990s, Witton Park will become just as important as it was in the 1870s and 80s.

Decay is very apparent in the village and houses are being gradually being demolished.

Some time ago Low Thompson Street and Carwood Street and one side of Garden Street were pulled down and the residents re-housed on the new Woodhouse Close estate and shortly, the remaining part of Garden Street and part of John Street will have a similar fate.

Other streets in the lower part of the village will then be considered in turn.

Witton Park residents are much better placed for travelling than many other villages.

In this connection, can be considered the ideal railway facilities available at Witton Park.

It possesses a good train service while there is a bus service to Bishop Auckland every 40 minutes and the bus service to Witton-le-Wear also runs through the village.

Sunnybrow and Byers Green were at one time classed as category D villages but they were reprieved and it is still felt by Witton Park villagers that it is not too late to grant Witton Park the same reprieve.

At the time Witton Park formed a Defence Association and lost the battle in their fight for retention of the village, they fought alone.

But now that other villages, Newfield and Eldon Lane, have realised they are to have the same fate, a concerted effort by these and other villages similarly placed, might meet with more success.

One of the peculiarities of the village is that its railway station is called Etherley, whereas the village of Etherley itself is two miles further away.

The number of passengers leaving Etherley station, mostly workmen between the hours of five and seven o’clock at night would, it is felt, assist the planners in reversing their decision on Witton Park’s future.

The village is served by three telephone exchanges. The principal one is the automatic exchange at Witton-le-Wear but certain subscribers on the edge of the village are served by West Auckland and Bishop Auckland exchanges.

The villages boast two institutes; the War Memorial Institute which was erected in 192O as a memorial to the 63 villagers who were killed in World War 1.

A tablet bears the names and there is a second tablet recording the names of those who died in World War II.

The other institute is The Social Service Centre, erected during the depression years. The latter is sponsored by a local committee and is proving highly successful at the present time; following a spell when it looked as though the centre would finally close down.

The religious life of the village has suffered by the moving population. The Primitive Methodist Church and the Salvation Army Hall closed their doors some time ago and are now derelict buildings, the victims of vandalism; while the Baptist Church closed down recently, following the death of its mainstay, the late Mr Mark Ellis.

The Baptist Church building is now suffering a similar fate as the Primitive Methodist and Salvation. Army buildings and will soon be a complete wreck.

Three denominations remain in the village; the Church of England, Roman Catholics and the Methodists.

In recent years, the Church of England has suffered through the difficulties in obtaining a Vicar. There is a vacancy following the appointment of the Rev. Ross Fraser as Vicar of Ryhope.

There is talk at times that the living may be amalgamated with that of neighbouring Escomb.

St Chad’s R.C. Church, with its priest the Rev. Father McShane, caters for a large congregation which includes residents from Ramshaw, Evenwood, Toft Hill and Cocklield.

The Carwood Methodist Church is a strong body.

One of the chief critics against the obliteration of Witton Park is 76-year-old Mr. Ernest Readman of Carwood Farm, one of the foremost villagers and a social worker.

A life long villager and a former member of the Bishop Auckland Urban District Council, he served during the war years, when Town Planning matters were not considered.

Witton Park for Witton Park People is Mr. Readman’s motto. He was a keen worker in connection with the Witton Park Defence Association and acted as treasurer at the time, and was the means of raising quite a sum for appeal purposes.

Mr. Readman acted in the capacity of treasurer to several organisations including the Witton Park Show, War Memorial Institute, Institute Football Club, the Charity Carnival, the Welcome Home Fund and other organisations.

Mr. Tom Hewitson of 13 High Queen Street, is head of a business established in the village more than 60 years ago, and a prominent Methodist.

Mr. Hewitson, whose father, the late Mr. Featherstone Hewitson was a doyen of Methodism in the village, is an official with the Carwood Methodist Church.

While the congregations, in common with most other churches in the area, have dropped, they maintain quite a good membership, with a lively Wesley Guild and a useful youth club.

As to business factors, despite the moving population, Mr. Hewitson says they have been able to keep in touch with their former customers at Bishop Auckland, as they did in the depression years of the thirties.

Mrs. Esther Hope of 16 High Queen Street is one of the village’s three nonagenarians and she will celebrate her 94th birthday on Saturday.

Mrs. Hope is one of the keenest advocates for the retention of Witton Park and for a housing estate to be established in the village.

An inhabitant here for more than 70 years, she has always been impressed by the family feeling existing among the villages.

She was a founder member of the War Memorial Institute and in its early days she was one of its hardest workers.

Mrs. Hope, besides herself, has five members of her family drawing the old age pension.

Her husband, the late Mr. Joseph Hope, was a coal miner of long standing.

A life long Methodist, she attends Sunday services at the Carwood Methodist Church, and last Saturday was sorely disappointed that changed weather conditions at lunch time prevented her from being there when the new Woodhouse Close Methodist Church at Bishop Auckland was opened.

Up to her late fifties she regularly rode a bicycle, while daily she can be seen attending her garden.

Other nonagenarians are Mrs. Eliza Collins of Woodside and Mr Christopher Casson of Albion Terrace. Despite his advanced age Mr Casson lives by himself, attends two gardens and looks after hens.

No one has done more in the struggle to maintain Within Park and its amenities than Mr. W. Wood, of 2 Station View.

He was the most disappointed man when the appeal made to the Minister of Housing and Local Government was turned down.

At the instigation of Mr. Wood, then a member of the Bishop Auckland Urban District Council, a Defence Association was formed in the village.

Many meetings were held and the Association; of which he was secretary, lodged an appeal against the proposals of the Planning Authority.

The case for the retention of Witton Park was well put at an inquiry, but the decision went against them. Since then the Association has closed.

Mr. Wood, a railway signalman at Etherley, served for many years on the Escomb Parish Council, until its amalgamation with the Bishop Auckland UDC in 1937; and up to a year ago he was one of the three representatives from the Escomb Ward on the Council.

He is Vicar’s warden at St. Paul’s Church; secretary of the War Memorial Institute and will long be remembered for his efforts on behalf of the charity carnival held in the village, now disbanded.

The charity carnival, one of the best in the county, raised appreciable sums yearly; in its later years it raised enough money to enable £1 apiece to be distributed at Christmas to the aged residents of the village.

The disbandment of the Carnival can be attributed, Mr. Wood considers, to the organisers losing heart because of the declining population. No need for 2 to s

Mr Wood feels that there is still hope that the Council may fight to have houses at Witton Park, despite the fact that a recent attempt to have aged people’s dwellings erected in Main Street on an ideal site, was turned down.

Praise for the happy communal life at Witton Park comes from Mrs. H. J. Shuttleworth, wife of Dr. Shuttleworth who has practised in the village for nearly 15 years.

Mrs. Shuttleworth has been a tireless social worker and despite helping her husband during surgery hours and bringing up a family of four, she has found much time to assist various causes in the village, in an official capacity.

Her chief role is as enrolling member for St. Paul’s Church Mothers’ Union, but she has served on the committee of the Women’s Institute, is a Sunday School teacher, a member of the Committee of the War Memorial Institute, an active committee member of the local branch of the Conservative Association, and has recently been appointed representative of SSAFA for the district.

On the re-housing problem, Mrs. Shuttleworth strongly feels that the Council could have considered re-housing Witton Park residents at Witton Park.

Mr. Joe Ferguson who recently retired from the position of caretaker at Witton Park County Mixed School after 20 years, contends that Witton Park amenities are just as good as most of the other villages.

Mr. Ferguson at one time served as a committee member of the Witton Park War Memorial Institute.

Another member of the staff of Witton Park Council School, Miss. M. Curry, the longest serving member with 30 years to her credit, also had adverse comment to make on the transfer of the population to Bishop Auckland.

Miss Curry is now in charge of the school, along with the infants department, following the retirement of Mr. Norman Curry at Christmas.

Mrs. C. S. Simon of 15 High Queen Street, as president of the Women’s Institute established in 1932, reports a decline in membership due to the removal of residents to Bishop Auckland. But fortunately the interest of the other members has been maintained and they possess a lively membership of about 70.

The chief feature of the WI activities is the annual organisation of a re-union of aged residents in the summer and a short outing to the seaside.

By a series of social efforts culminating in the Spring Fayre, which this year will be held on Wednesday May 9, funds for the treat are raised.

Like other residents, Mrs. Simon expresses strong disapproval of the authorities in their efforts to do away with the village. Freedom to live where they wanted should be the first and foremost thought of the Council and it is felt that most of those who have gone to Bishop Auckland would return if suitable and improved housing accommodation was provided.

‘Considering the way Bishop Auckland is filling up, Witton Park could become one of the residential parts of Bishop Auckland, without taking up further valuable agricultural land,’ is the opinion of Mrs. Simon.

As to the sporting life of the village, the Club boasts a football team known as the Witton Park Youth Club. But its strength is well below that of the club in existence in the late twenties, when the team, run in connection with the War Memorial Institute, carried all before them and among the honours gained, was the winning of the Durham Amateur Cup.

It was in those days considered the team of talent among the minor clubs in South West Durham and players of those early days brought to mind are: the late John Oddy, Norman Nattrass, Tommy Hankey, Tot Lye, Percy Newton, Ernie Gowland, Jack Howe, Joe Griffiths, Billy Barker, Frank Quinn, Tommy Gowton, and the late Jack Huntington, all stalwarts who brought honour and credit to the village.

Despite the decline in population, interest in the affairs of the Witton Park Homing Society was never greater. It boasts a sound membership and keen competition in the various races. Mr. Jonty Wilson, a fancier of long standing who is now secretary of the Society, said the members were never keener and the prize money offered was substantial.

This, Mr. Wilson considers, is due to the improvement in the financial status of the worker, which enables him to spend more on his cree and upkeep of birds.

Witton Park has 30 members and every Friday night in the season when the birds are sent away, Etherley Station is a hub of activity.

Angling is another sport enjoyed by the villagers, this being due to the fact that the village stands on the River Wear. Stalwarts like Bob Smith and T. Anderson who regularly fished the Wear, have died; but whereas years ago there was only a small number of anglers, nowadays there has been a decided increase in youthful members. Angling is up and coming among the youngsters.

Cricket has never prospered in the village, although at one time members of Witton Park St. Paul’s Church managed to run a team for a season.

At the six public houses in the village, darts teams have been run from time to time.

The Social Centre has a lively youth section, particularly the female side. There is a strong membership of 150 with a varied programme. Mrs. Annie Tazey, who assists in running the section, said there is a varied programme of events including rock ‘n’ roll sessions, old fashioned dancing, keep fit, table tennis, and they have a strong netball section which won the league last season. The girls themselves show marked keenness and the sessions are well attended.

The Youth Club section runs a team in the second division of the Auckland District League but there is a rumour that owing to the excessive costs the team may cease to function at the end of the present campaign.

Back to Essays, Poems  and Newspaper Articles page!