Wolsingham

Wolsingham is a small market town about 15 miles west of Durham, on the River Wear. It is a charming place, with very few modern buildings - I guess it is just a bit too far from the big cities for an easy commute. There is a wonderful collection of buildings, seemingly every one aligned to a different angle.

This is looking west along Front Street, which is what they call the High Street in County Durham.


At the back you can see the Black Bull, grade II listed and built mid-eighteenth century.


On the other side, and slightly further along, is the war memorial. To the right of it is the town hall, built 1861. Now the library.


The Baptist church.


I think these are the oldest houses in the town, dating to 1677.


Stepping back, and you can also see Kiln House; built as recently as 1740, and so apparently does not warrant getting listed.


This is on the corner of the Causeway, which heads west to the river, and then the old station. A short way down - as far as we ventured - is the remains of some kind of industry.


The vents on the roof make me suspect a brewery, producing lots of carbon dioxide, and the building on the right could have been a tap house, but old maps give no suggestion there was a pub there or anything of note here at all.

On the other corner is Old Bank House, built seventeenth century.


Across the road is Church Lane.


And at the end is St Mary's and St Stephen's Church. It has immaculately kept gardens, but they do obscure the view of the church.


Rectory Lane takes us back east, past more random buildings.


This is the former Rectory, now Desmesne Hall (pronounced, and meaning, domain by the way!).


This was the county of the Prince Bishops, which I guess accounts for why a rectory was pretty much a stately home.

Hound Hill takes us to Angate.


A quick look up Meadhope Street, and we see the Black Lion pub.


And going South, that becomes Market Place.


And back to where we began!

I only had half an hour to spare, and I am note sure I really did Wolsingham justice, but this certainly offers a taste of the town.








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