Crook, County Durham

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Crook
Town
View down Hope Street, Crook - geograph.org.uk - 4533426.jpg
Hope Street
Durham UK location map.svg
Red pog.svg
Crook
Location within County Durham
Population10,019  [1]
OS grid reference NZ165356
Unitary authority
Ceremonial county
Region
Country England
Sovereign state United Kingdom
Post town Crook
Postcode district DL15
Dialling code 01388
Police Durham
Fire County Durham and Darlington
Ambulance North East
UK Parliament
List of places
UK
England
County Durham
54°42′47″N1°44′56″W / 54.713°N 1.749°W / 54.713; -1.749

Crook is a market town in the Durham County Council unitary authority and ceremonial county of County Durham, England. It is located on the edge of Weardale and sometimes referred to as the "Gateway to Weardale".[ citation needed ]

Contents

Crook lies about 9 miles (14 km) south-west of the historic city of Durham, 5 miles (8.0 km) north-west of Bishop Auckland and 2 miles (3.2 km) from Willington. The A689 road from Durham leads up through Wolsingham and Stanhope into the upper reaches of Weardale. Until 1974, the town was in Crook and Willington Urban District and had a parish council.

History

Crook first appeared as an agricultural village around 1795 although its surrounding districts; Billy Row, Stanley, White Lea and Helmington Row, were established much earlier. [2] In these days Crook was predominantly farmland; however, it also had an Inn and a blacksmith shop, consequently the primary field of employment was within the agricultural industry. 40 years later; Crook became a mining village, and thrived as the coal was very close to the surface [2] and soon there were over 20 mines around the Crook area. By the end of the nineteenth century the town had developed rapidly, in population and economy. However, the local population declined in the following century, as the coal mines and industries closed. With at one point over 34% of the population being unemployed. [2]

Crook's football team, Crook Town F.C., have won the FA Amateur Cup five times, most recently beating Enfield F.C. in 1964, before the cup was abolished in 1974. This record is second only to Crook's near neighbours, Bishop Auckland F.C. The club have also reached the third round of the FA Cup and formed a key role in the development of FC Barcelona, playing a number of friendly matches in the 1910s and 1920s.

Landmarks

The Devil's Stone a.k.a. The Blue Stone The Devil's Stone a.k.a. The Blue Stone.jpg
The Devil's Stone a.k.a. The Blue Stone

War Memorial

There is a World War I and World War II War Memorial in Crook's town centre. [3]

The Devil's Stone \ The Blue Stone

An erratic, originally part of the Borrowdale volcanic group and found at Dowfold Hill, is situated in Crook's market place. [3]

Plaque on The Devil's Stone Glaciar Stones Plaque.jpg
Plaque on The Devil's Stone

Amenities

The centre of Crook, a designated conservation area, features a variety of shops and businesses with the market held on Tuesday mornings and a few stalls on a Saturday. There are prominent churches, the centrally located St Catherine's CE and Our Lady Immaculate & St Cuthbert's RC on Church Hill. Grade 2 listed St Andrew's Church is an LEP between URC and Methodist Churches. On top of the hills to the east sits Crook Golf Club.[ citation needed ]

Crook was home to the first purpose built cinema in the north of England, built as the Electric Palace and opened on 21 November 1910. Some of the building's original interior features remain. [4]

Education

Nursery

Crook Nursery School

Crook Nursery is an average-sized school that serves the immediate area. [5] [6]

Primary

Crook Primary School

Crook Primary School was opened formally in 1950. A larger than average community school that shares a site with Crook Nursery School [7] , it has a pupil capacity of 371. [8] [9]

Marilyn Tempest – a teacher – retired after thirty years of employment on 30 April 2014 and received a standing ovation from the then current pupils and teachers. During an interview with The Northern Echo, she said "I have had the most wonderful time here, teaching is the best job in the world.". [10]

Hartside Primary School

A smaller than average primary academy, it has a pupil capacity of 210. [11] [12]

St Cuthbert's RC Primary School

An average-sized primary academy, with a pupil capacity of 210. [13] [14]

Culture

Empire Electric Palace Theatre stage events including pantomimes. [15]

Crook Carnival is held in early July and features a parade, rides, stalls and live music.[ citation needed ] Crook's annual Winter Light Parade is held at the end of November and culminates with switching on the town's Christmas lights. [16]

Crookfest is a one day music festival held on the Sunday of the early May Bank Holiday weekend, across three stages, within Crook AFC's ground. [17]

Crook has a relatively large number of public houses and eateries for a town of its size. Pictogram voting comment.svg  Is this verifiable from a source or just someone's opinion? Indeed, what exactly are 'eateries'?[ citation needed ]

Notable people

Transport

Bus

To the north a once a day Crook to Consett service 765. A once an hour Arriva North East service 1 runs to Tow Law Monday to Saturday.

Towards Willington and Durham the Arriva North East X46 services runs every 20 minutes Monday to Saturday and every 30 minutes on Sundays.

Towards the south (Bishop Auckland and Darlington) Weardale Travel run every hour to Bishop Auckland with their service 101 and Arriva North East service 1 runs every 30 minutes during the day Monday to Saturday.

Landscape

Crook Landscape.jpg
Crook landscape

Crook has a backdrop of traditional and modern buildings. The hills surround the town on all sides apart from the south side of the town. The tallest hill stands at 300 metres above the town, about 980 ft. The highest point in the town is on West Road where the height is 210 metres (about 690 ft).

Approximately 2 miles to the west of Crook on the A689, back towards Wolsingham and Weardale is the surviving World War II Harperley POW Camp 93.

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Willington, County Durham</span> Human settlement in England

Willington is a town and former civil parish, now in the parish of Greater Willington, in County Durham and the ceremonial county of Durham, England. Willington stands in the foothills of the Pennines and near the River Wear close to Crook, Bishop Auckland and Durham.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Wear Valley</span> Former local government district in County Durham, England

Wear Valley was, from 1974 to 2009, a local government district in County Durham, England. Its council and district capital was Crook.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Weardale Railway</span> Heritage railway in County Durham, England

The Weardale Railway is an independently owned British single-track branch line heritage railway between Bishop Auckland, Witton-le-Wear, Wolsingham, Frosterley and Stanhope. Weardale Railway began services on 23 May 2010, but decided to run special trains rather than a scheduled service for the 2013 season. The line was purchased by the Auckland Project in 2020 with a view to restarting passenger services. In 2021, a bid was submitted to the Restoring Your Railway fund. In October 2021, the Department for Transport allocated funding for the development of a business case.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bishopton, County Durham</span> Human settlement in England

Bishopton is a village in the borough of Darlington and the ceremonial county of County Durham, England. It is situated to the west of Stockton-on-Tees. It originated as a farming community with rows of cottages and several farms forming a long wide village street, with an adjacent green. St Peter's Church stands at the centre of the village. The hamlet of Little Stainton and the town of Great Stainton were formerly part of the parish of Bishopton.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">St John's Chapel, County Durham</span> Human settlement in England

St John's Chapel is a village in the civil parish of Stanhope, in County Durham, England. It is situated in Weardale, on the south side of the River Wear on the A689 road between Daddry Shield and Ireshopeburn. The 2001 census reported a population of 307.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Wolsingham</span> Human settlement in England

Wolsingham is a market town in Weardale, County Durham, England. It is situated by the River Wear, between Crook and Stanhope.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Weardale</span> Open valley in County Durham, England

Weardale is a dale, or valley, on the east side of the Pennines in County Durham, England. Large parts of Weardale fall within the North Pennines Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB) – the second-largest AONB in England and Wales. The upper dale is surrounded by high fells and heather grouse moors. The River Wear flows through Weardale before reaching Bishop Auckland and then Durham, meeting the sea at Sunderland.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Escomb</span> Village in England

Escomb is a village and former civil parish on the River Wear about 1+12 miles (2.4 km) west of Bishop Auckland, in the County Durham district, in the ceremonial county of Durham, England. In 2001 it had a population of 358. In 2011 the ward had a population of 3323.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Stanhope, County Durham</span> Town in County Durham, England

Stanhope is a market town and civil parish in the County Durham district, in the ceremonial county of Durham, England. It lies on the River Wear between Eastgate and Frosterley, in the north-east of Weardale. The main A689 road over the Pennines is crossed by the B6278 between Barnard Castle and Shotley Bridge. In 2001 Stanhope had a population of 1,633, in 2019 an estimate of 1,627, and a figure of 1,602 in the 2011 census for the ONS built-up-area which includes Crawleyside. In 2011 the parish population was 4,581.

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North West Durham was a constituency represented in the House of Commons of the UK Parliament.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">A689 road</span> Road in England

The A689 is a road in northern England that runs east from the A595, 3.1 miles (5.0 km) to the west of Carlisle in Cumbria, to Hartlepool in County Durham.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bishop Auckland railway station</span> Railway station in County Durham, England

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Eastgate railway station</span> Disused railway station in Eastgate, County Durham

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References

  1. Population figure is an accumulation of North and South
  2. 1 2 3 The development of Crook: some background history Archived 12 January 2008 at the Wayback Machine
  3. 1 2 Manuel, Michael. Nooks & Crannies, A Chronicle of Crook and District 1840–2012. Lintons Printers.
  4. Whetstone, David (1 December 2015). "A glorious Edwardian cinema in Crook could be back in use if plans bear fruit". Chronicle Live. Archived from the original on 11 December 2023. Retrieved 23 April 2024.
  5. "EduBase - Crook Nursery School". Archived from the original on 8 March 2014. Retrieved 27 February 2014.
  6. "Find an inspection report and registered childcare". Ofsted.gov.uk. 14 December 2017. Archived from the original on 4 March 2014. Retrieved 3 December 2018.
  7. "Crook Primary School | Inspection report". Archived from the original on 8 April 2013. Retrieved 8 April 2013.
  8. "EduBase - Crook Primary School". Archived from the original on 8 March 2014. Retrieved 27 February 2014.
  9. "Find an inspection report and registered childcare". Ofsted.gov.uk. 5 July 2018. Archived from the original on 3 March 2014. Retrieved 3 December 2018.
  10. "Retiring Crook teacher gets standing ovation after 30 years service". The Northern Echo . Archived from the original on 23 April 2024. Retrieved 3 December 2018.
  11. "EduBase - Hartside Primary School". Archived from the original on 8 March 2014. Retrieved 27 February 2014.
  12. "Find an inspection report and registered childcare". Ofsted.gov.uk. 5 July 2018. Archived from the original on 4 March 2014. Retrieved 3 December 2018.
  13. "EduBase - St Cuthberts Roman Catholic Voluntary Aided Primary School". Archived from the original on 8 March 2014. Retrieved 27 February 2014.
  14. "Find an inspection report and registered childcare". Ofsted.gov.uk. 14 December 2017. Archived from the original on 4 March 2014. Retrieved 3 December 2018.
  15. "What's on". Empire Electric Theatre. Archived from the original on 9 January 2024. Retrieved 23 April 2024.
  16. Fraser, Kayleigh (27 November 2023). "Pictures: Crook winter light parade brightens up the night". Northern Echo. Archived from the original on 27 November 2023. Retrieved 23 April 2024.
  17. "About Crookfest". Crookfest. Archived from the original on 13 August 2022. Retrieved 24 April 2024.
  18. Johnson, Lee; Leatherdale, Duncan (7 May 2016). "Jack Greenwell: From Durham miner to Barcelona FC coach". BBC News. Archived from the original on 7 May 2016. Retrieved 7 May 2016.
  19. Sloman, Tony (12 October 1992). "Obituary: Bill Rowe". The Independent. Archived from the original on 3 August 2016. Retrieved 25 April 2024.