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Daddry Shield

Daddry Shield photos (3 available)

Old photo of Daddry Shield

Daddry Shield maps (2 available)

Old map of Daddry Shield

Daddry Shield books (1 available)

Daddry Shield memories

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You can also read memories of nearby places in County Durham below.

County Durham memories

My Ancestors

My aunt is 95 years old and now lives in San Francisco but she talks a lot about St Johns Chapel. She was born there and went to school there. Her grandfather (John Slater Freeman) was headmaster of the school for a number of years. She was born in a large house there and the tradition was that all first borns had to be born in the house. Evidently the house is now flats.

My aunt's name was Olive Freeman.

My cousin and I are making a trip to Durham so that we can visit St Johns Chapel, somewhere we have heard a lot about.
A memory of St Johns Chapel contributed by Geraldine Lowe

Barmaid Marylin

We used to rent the bottom cottage down from the Co-op and the top house pub. My younger brother had a massive crush on the barmaid of the middle house. She was called Marylin (he is called Ben). Is she still there? I believe her younger brother was a milkman? We rented the cottage for about 4 years on the bounce and had the best holidays ever there. My memories include the pirahna at Horsley Hall, the banana milk from the farm at Ireshopeburn, the Rancho del Rio, playing table tennis near the cement works and the joke shop above the book shop in Alston. Magic memories.
A memory of St Johns Chapel contributed by paul simpson

Good old days

In or around 1959 I went on holiday to Ireshopeburn to my grandparents' house, they lived at Woodbine House which was just up from Earnwell.
My grandfather used to work at West Blackdene spar mine which was on the other side of the River Wear.
I ended up going to school at St. John's Chapel and then on to Wolsingham secondary school.
At home we had a large allotment and also kept a lot of hens which I used to feed nearly every day.
Winter time was good as usually the village or the surrounding area  was snowed in and that meant we got extra days off from school. When holidays came around a lot of my relations used to visit, ...read more here
A memory of Ireshopeburn contributed by Cuthbert Colling

Stanhope Boys Home.. a horrible place to be.

I was in Crawly House in Stanhope Castle School from 1978-1981. My memories were not too good, it was a horrible place to be when you were 11 years old.
I visited Stanhope Home a year ago and it has been turned into flats, the school block looks like it had fallen down and is overgrown with weeds... which is probably the best thing for it!
I went on to Richmond Hill as Stanhope Home closed down. Richmond Hill was a really good home, a lot of activities and the food was good. The staff were ok, unlike Stanhope.
A memory of Stanhope contributed by Trevor Corner

Extracts From Daddry Shield & County Durham books

Daddry Shield, the Village c1955

When lead was discovered in Weardale, the mining rights were granted to the bishops of Durham; by the 13th century, mining, smelting and charcoal burning and so on were on a large scale for the period. Daddry Shield is just one of several hamlets that grew to support an ever-growing population within Weardale.
An extract from from"County Durham Photographic Memories".

Stockton-On-Tees, High Street 1951

Stockton was granted its market charter by Bishop Bek in 1310, but until the 1840s it consisted of little more than the High Street, a few side streets, and a quayside railhead for Stockton & Darlington Railway. On the right can be seen the parish church, which dates from 1712. Other 18th-century buildings were the Town House (1735) and the Customs House (1730).
An extract from from"County Durham Photographic Memories".

Billingham, Shopping Centre c1967

Billingham owes its development to the Great War, when a small chemical works opened nearby for the production of synthetic ammonia for use in explosives. Between the wars the population of Billingham rocketed as the works was expanded for the production of methanol, chemical fertilisers, and petrochemicals. The town centre was redeveloped from the late 1950s by Elder Lester & Partners; the Forum opened in 1967.
An extract from from"County Durham Photographic Memories".

Greatham, High Street c1955

In the 1950s Greatham consisted of little more than the High Street. In 1272 the Prior of Finchale founded a charity and a hospital here for ‘decayed priests’; the local vicar was usually appointed Master. Today the aged and needy do not necessarily have to have been clerics or their widows in order to benefit.
An extract from from"County Durham Photographic Memories".

Seaton Carew, the Green 1914

The Green was, and still is, one of the more picturesque parts of Seaton Carew; the houses were mostly built in the early 19th century. In the corner, with the steep bargeboarded gables, stands Sylvern House, dating from 1864.
An extract from from"County Durham Photographic Memories".