High Spen

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High Spen
County Durham

Ramsay Street, High Spen
Location
Grid reference: NZ139594
Location: 54°55’52"N, 1°46’59"W
Data
Local Government
Council: Gateshead

High Spen is an old mining village in the County Durham countryside. There is an entrance to Chopwell Wood (whose Christmas tree sales attract many visitors to the village every year).

The parish church St Patrick's.

The village has one pub, called The Bute Arms, and two Working Men's clubs. There is also a Primary school, called High Spen Primary School.[1]

Threat and development

High Spen was categorised as a "category D village"[2] by Durham County Council, one of many scheduled for destruction and demolition following the decline of mining in the west of the county in the 1950s and 1960s.

The D-village policy was cancelled in 1977, since when the village has gradually grown and developed, serving as a commuter village accessible to the centres of Newcastle upon Tyne, Gateshead and Durham City.

Outside links

("Wikimedia Commons" has material
about Spen High Spen)

References