Shincliffe Local History Society

2000- onwards

2023 Shincliffe celebrates the Coronation of King Charles III

2022 Death of HM Queen Elizabeth II at Balmoral on September 6th

2022 Shincliffe celebrates the Platinum Jubilee of HM Queen Elizabeth II

2018 Shincliffe WI celebrate their Centenary.

2017 Redevelopment of East Durham College's Houghall Campus is officially opened by HRH The Princess Royal on 13th January.

2009 The “Houghall Canyon” is formed on 19th July after 24 hours of heavy rain.

2006 The Rev. Stephen Sandham retires and the Rev. Peter Kashouris becomes Priest in Charge of Shincliffe and St Oswalds parishes.

1950-1999

1999 The Rev. Stephen Sandham becomes Chaplain to Christ’s Hospital at Sherburn in addition to being Priest in Charge at St Mary’s.

1999 First meeting of 'Shincliffe Local History Group' on 20th May in Shincliffe Church Hall.

1994 Shincliffe Parish Council celebrates its Centenary.

1993 Shincliffe’s petrol station (next door to the Rose Tree) closes permanently in July.

1988 Shincliffe Bridge designated a Grade II listed building.

1983 Shincliffe Community Association established.

1977 Durham County Council's 'Category D' policy is abandoned.

1975 Shincliffe represents Durham and Northumberland in the Festival of Villages.

1974 Local Government Act 1972 abolishes Durham Rural District Council.

1973 High Shincliffe by-pass built.

1970 Shincliffe Pre-School Playgroup opened; it serves the community for almost 30 years, closing in 2000.

1970 The railway line through Shincliffe Station (the Leamside Line) is mothballed.

1969 New ring of six bells dedicated at St Mary's Church on 20th December.

1969 The first houses are completed in Heathways, High Shincliffe.

1969 Shincliffe Colliery renamed High Shincliffe on 1st April.

1968 Shincliffe Church of England (Controlled) Primary school built on the site of the old pit at Shincliffe Colliery.

1966 Houghall Manor House demolished.

1964 Hill Meadows built at Shincliffe Colliery.

1962 St Mary's Close built in Shincliffe Village.

1960 Falling numbers threatens Shincliffe school with closure.

1959 Prime Minister Harold Macmillan visits Durham County School of Agriculture at Houghall on 15th January.

1955 Harry Appleton retires as Headmaster of Shincliffe School. Alice Chapelow is appointed new head.

1951 Durham County Council Development Plan is published. Shincliffe Colliery is designated Category ‘D’.

1900-1949

1949 Educational reorganisation results in the school losing its older pupils.

1949 Isolation Hospital closed; building becomes student accommodation for Houghall College.

1947 Second World War Memorial Window installed at St Mary's Church.

1941 Shincliffe Station closed to passengers.

1939 Start of the Second World War.

1938 County Durham School of Agriculture at Houghall officially opened 20th October.

1935 Durham University sells the remainder of its land at Houghall to DCC for the Agricultural College.

1934 Shincliffe by-pass built.

1924 A meteorological station is established at Houghall.

1923 Shincliffe Memorial Hall destroyed by fire. It is rebuilt and reopens in December of the same year. It becomes the home of Shincliffe WI.

1923 Church Hall built.

1922 Shincliffe Memorial Hall built.

1921 Harry Appleton appointed Headmaster of Shincliffe School.

1920 World War I Memorial reredos is installed in St Mary's Church.

1920 Durham County Council purchases land at Houghall from the University to provide a site for an Agricultural College.

1918 Shincliffe Women's Institute formed.

1914 Start of The Great War.

1914 15th May 1914 - Final meeting at Shincliffe Racecourse under National Hunt rules.

1913 26th November 1913 - Queen Mary visits Aged Miners' Homes at Shincliffe Colliery.

1908 Shincliffe Saw Mills closed.

1907 Harrison and Harrison organ installed in St Mary's Church.

1901 64 houses in Shincliffe Colliery, and 32 in Houghall, purchased from Joseph Love by DAMHA for use as Aged Miners' homes.

1901 1st edition of Shincliffe St Mary's parish magazine in January.

1850-1899

1897 Shincliffe Town station & the line from Sherburn House closed completely.

1895 15th May 1895 - First meeting at Shincliffe Racecourse.

1894 The first Parish Council election takes place in Shincliffe in December. Voting is by show of hands at a public meeting.

1894 Local Government Act 1894 abolishes Durham Rural Sanitary Authority, Durham Rural District Council created, and Shincliffe Parish Council becomes responsible for secular parish matters previously the concern of the Church.

1893 Shincliffe Town Station closed to passengers (New station for Durham opened at Elvet )

1893 Houghall Isolation Hospital opens in the former Houghall Parochial School

1887 Houghall Colliery closed.

1886 The Bank Foot school is reopened with John Carr as Headmaster.

1886 Shincliffe Colliery is closed, the colliery school at Bank Top is also closed.

1881 Bank Foot school closed due to fall in numbers.

1880 Old Durham mine closed.

1875 Whitwell Colliery closed.

1875 Shincliffe Colliery starts to be run down. Population begins to decline.

1874 The second school at Bank Foot is extended and the colliery owners build another school at Bank Top.

1874 Wesleyan Methodist Chapel opened in Shincliffe. It closed in 1999 and is now a private residence.

1872 Public Health Act 1872 establishes Durham Rural Sanitary Authority.

1871 Church spire is completed.
1871 Durham Railway Station is redeveloped.

1866 A second school at Bank Foot is opened. The girls and infants move into this new school; the boys move from Bank Top to the old Bank Foot school. The school at Bank Top is closed. The building is later sold and eventually becomes two private houses.
1861 The first school at Bank Foot is opened for 42 girls and 44 infants (boys continue to attend the Bank Top school).

1861 Station at Shincliffe Village renamed "Shincliffe Town" .

1860 Pit houses built at Houghall.

1857 Durham Station opened on the Leamside to Bishop Auckland Line. (Gilesgate station closed to passengers.)
1856 Locomotives introduced on the old Durham & Sunderland Railway.

1855 Sinking of Pit C at Whitwell Colliery.

1851 The Church of St Mary the Virgin is consecrated.

1800-1850

1850 Building work starts on new Church.

1849 Lord Ernest Pit at Old Durham opened.

1844 A second Shincliffe Station is opened on the Newcastle and Darlington Junction Railway on 19th June.

1842 Mineral line extended from Shincliffe Station (in Shincliffe Village) to Houghall Colliery.

1842 Houghall Colliery opened.

1841 The first Parochial School at Bank Top is opened with room for 80 pupils.

1839 Durham & Sunderland Railway reaches Shincliffe. Station opened in Shincliffe village on the 28th of June. Initially it is the nearest station for the city of Durham.

1839 First coal extracted from Shincliffe Colliery.

1838 Sinking of Pit B at Whitwell Colliery.

1837 Sinking of pit at Shincliffe Colliery.

1837 Durham & Sunderland Railway reaches Sherburn.

1836 Sinking of first pit (Pit A) at Whitwell Colliery.

1836 Durham University established. Land and Manor House at Houghall endowed to the new University of Durham by the Dean and Chapter.
1836 Construction of Durham & Sunderland Railway line reaches Ryhope.

1831 Shincliffe becomes a Parish separate from St Oswald's.

1828 Rectory Built.

1826 The Tithe Barn at Shincliffe becomes a Chapel of Ease within the Parish of St Oswalds.

1826 A new bridge is built at Shincliffe, designed by County Surveyor Ignatius Bonomi.

1824 The bridge over the River Wear at Shincliffe, built by Bishop Skirlaw in 1405, is condemned as "Incommodious and unsafe".

1750-1799

1780 Charles Wesley preaches in Shincliffe on 31^st May.

Pre 1750

1502 William Sever (or Senhouse) appointed Bishop of Durham on 27th June. Believed to have been born in Shincliffe, date unknown. Previously Bishop of Carlisle.

1405 Bishop Skirlaw has a bridge built over the river Wear at Shincliffe.