Categories: uncategorized
Date: 05 April 2009 15:33:48
Got to go walking in the countryside today and see some of the local history - something I should do far more often, particularly with the beautiful views around here.
Went to look at the ruins of the prior's house and chapel of Beaurepaire, (more commonly known as Bear Park). The Keys to the Past site gives the history of the period in which the house and chapel were built in more detail.
On the walk back we went through a landscaped area which now covers where the local mine was. The evergreen trees that cover the site now are a reminder of how artificial the landscapes we have are.
The Durham Mining Museum site gives more information on the local mine and the village, which in the late 1800's was exclusively a mining community. As with many communities around here the pit wheel is mounted outside the local community centre, a visible reminder.