THE TEESDALE MERCURY Wednesday, 20th July, 2005 Jinny Howlett UST of planning applications tceived by Teesdale District Teesdale through the ages Council in the week ending July 8: Fairview Farm, Evenwood Gate; outline planning permission for Small is beautiful Section of single dwelling house, fear of Holmfield, Darlington LONTON is tiny. Visitors heading up towards High Force might even miss it. bad, Barnard Castle; outline Lonton is a small cluster of buildings on the Sanning permission for erection of main road up the dale. In 1859 it was described Id single storey dwellings, F amily matters as a hamlet of four houses. Today the village former stab le b lo ck, has no church or school or pub or anything else Barningham Park; LB consent for really and even its name is not particularly Imation of porch and installation memorable. No doubt it’s special to the people ■ door in lieu of window, who live there but is there anything at all about Lonton that makes it different from other small former stab le b lo ck, settlements? brningham Park; formation of Well, for one thing Lonton is recorded in the larch and installation of door in to new MP as Domesday survey of 1069, so it has a bit of age feu of window. on its side. In fact it is the farthest west place 24 Neville Close, Evenwood; recorded in Teesdale. Settlements higher up the Intension to rear of and above dale don't get a mention. Mind you Domesday garage. simply tells us that there was nothing left at Plot 9, Thorngate development; Lonton - or at least nothing worth taxing. Before the Conquest a man called Thorfinnr had LB consent for installation of she gets to grips Lonton plus a carucate of land that was worth balcony to ground floor window. taxing - that’s about 100 acres. However after Plot 9, Thorngate development; the privations caused by the Conquest the installation of balcony to ground whole of Lonton was described as waste and floor window. worth nothing. Domesday says that after the Rat 7, Gloucester Place, Conquest a man called Bodin was given Lonton. Barnard Castle; alteration to Bodin was half brother to Alan the Red the with Dale life Success: Helen Goodman intends to split her time equally overlord of Richmondshire - the man who built south elevation to provide disabled between her constituency and London Richmond Castle. Bodin later became a monk access. at York and Lonton passed with most of Greta Lodge, Wesley Terrace, A NEW political era has begun b y Sophie Doughty said. “Politics is about people living “In the country there’s a better Teesdale to the Fitz Hughs of Cotherstone. Middleton-in-Teesdale; in Bishop Auckland. alongside each other and here in chance of having a proper childhood.” Domesday Book gives the size of Lonton as 3 conservation area consent for The voters of Teesdale and its children as one of her priorities in her Bishop Auckland there is a perfect Helen is determined to protect the leagues long by 1 league wide. demolition of existing dwelling. maiden speech. example of different people living A league was a variable measurement - its neighbouring districts didn’t switch Teesdale environment her family loves length depended on where you were - quite Stephenson Gobin Ltd, High their political allegiance at the recent It was this desire to improve alongside each other. People in so much, and she gave the area a good Etherley; creation of extra off-road useful really. In Teesdale a league is thought to General Election. services for children that sparked County Durham are very friendly and plug in her maiden speech. have measured about 1_ miles in length, so parking. But for the first time in almost 30 Helen’s interest in the Bishop they have a fantastic sense of But she also pointed out some of its Lonton lands therefore extended for 4_ miles. High View, Front Street, years, the Labour majority backed a Auckland seat when she first learned h u m o u r.” stru g g le s. Mickleton lands by contrast were a mere 1_ Ingleton; replacement of existing n ew M P. of Lord Foster’s retirement. But while Helen is fascinated by “In Teesdale, looking after the miles long. Unfortunately Lonton’s lands were front porch. reportedly covered with underwood so they And 47-year-old mother-of-two “W hen Derek resigned, I knew this diversity, she has her sights set environment is really important and Land to rear of 36 Kirk View, can’t have been cultivated for some time. Where Helen Goodman is optimistic that she straight away that I wanted to apply on Teesdale for her constituency it’s a great asset for the people here,” Barnard Castle; erection of were these lands? Did they extend up Teesdale will bring a breath of fresh air to the for this seat,” she said. “I knew a little home, and hopes that she, her sh e said. workshop, shed and greenhouse. to Holwick or were they up Lunedale towards constituency, making this the era for bit about the area and I knew there husband and two children can make “I share the vision of Teesdale Grains o’ Beck? The name of the village 3 Grange Cottages, Whorlton; children and young people in South was a need for more childcare. Barnard Castle their second home. District Council of making Teesdale a suggests the latter. creation of double door access to West Durham. Coming from a similar area in She first discovered the beauty of place where young people w ant to live Lonton has evidently not changed its name garden and internal alteration. over 1000 years - quite an achievement! Born in Nottingham and educated Derbyshire, I knew I could tune in the dale on holiday in 1998. and work, and that means having quite quickly to the issues here.” Sometimes however the name is spelt Lunton in at Oxford, Helen’s CV includes the “I just thought it was fantastic,” she affordable houses and a range of good old deeds and those people who study such G olfer in U K , titles chief executive of a national And Helen believes that her said, “really, really amazing. It is not jobs so it doesn’t turn into commuter things say that the word Lonton means ‘the voluntary organisation, head of election signals the start of a new era just that it is beautiful, it’s the la n d .” settlement by the River Lune’. Villages with strategy for the children’s society, and for the constituency. h isto ry .” “The area has very, very good names ending in ‘ton’ usually acquired their Irish squad civil servant at HM Treasury. “Being new means you get a fresh Helen, her husband Charles, son, tourist potential,” she continued. names at the time of the Saxon invasions - in the 6th or 7th Centuries. There may of course But the down-to-earth politician perspective,” she said. 13, and daughter, eight, now intend to “It amazes me that more people BARNARD Castle golfer Robert have been a settlement before this time near believes it was her experiences as a “It means you might see split their time equally between the don’t know it’s here. Teesdale needs to the confluence of the Lune and Tees but it Dinwiddie has been included in working mother that won over the connections in what people are saying constituency and London. And the have more confidence in what it has wouldn’t have been called Lonton. the British and Irish squad for whole family are making the most of hearts and minds of voters when she that you might not have seen before. I to offer.” So was Lonton once a larger village than it is the Walker Cup. the contrast. took over the reins from Lord Foster. don’t come with a lot of baggage or It seems that Helen has a lot of today? The Domesday Survey seems to The 22-year-old will now form history, so I can focus on the issues “I enjoy walking, and there’s lots of work ahead of her if she is going to suggest that it was bigger than a hamlet before “Obviously I’m going to do things in part of the 10-man team to play themselves.” places you can go for walks around achieve all of the aims she has for William the Conqueror did his worst. Once a different way to Derek, because I’m Lonton recovered there are signs that it the United States of America, in The obvious diversity of the here. We can do that as a family,” she Teesdale, never mind the rest of the a different person,” she told the regained some of its former standing. There are the am ateur version of the constituency from the industrial town said. constituency. Mercury. not many documents surviving from so long ago R y d e r C u p . centre of Bishop Auckland to the “Just last week my daughter and And the first months since her but some of the old tax returns are still about. Dinwiddie, who last month “So much politics is done by middle- remote villages of upper Teesdale was my husband decided to plunge into election have been some of the busiest You might know that those wouldn’t have been won both the Welsh and aged men that I got a really good also one of Helen’s main pulls to the the water at Greta Bridge, which of her life. But Helen is enjoying life destroyed! Scottish Opens, will compete in response from young women.” And area. “It’s very diverse, but that surprised me! Children can have more a s a n MP. What we learn from these tax returns is that the tournam ent on Saturday, true to her word, Helen named makes it very, very interesting,” she freedom here. 14 people from Lonton paid tax in 1301. This “It’s exciting, and it’s interesting, compares with 14 who were taxed in Mickleton August 13, and Sunday, August and it’s very busy,” she said. and 14 in Cotherstone. Was Lonton therefore 14. “I do about 60 hours work a week.’ about the same size as Mickleton and [ The former Barnard Castle Luckily, Helen has her whole family Cotherstone at the beginning of the 14th :hool pupil has just graduated Century? Where did they all live? The people on behind her. tom Tennessee State the list included Adam the Miller and Matilda the niversity, where he was “My children are very tolerant. But Brewer so there was evidently a mill and an ale­ house in the village. There was also Agnes the anked the number one English because it’s such a nice place they like i coming up here, it’s fun for them,” she Dreystr’ - but I can’t find out what that was. Has Eolfer in the USA. anybody got any ideas? There were 3 people on said. “And Charles has always been a the list who were described as servants of the house-husband!” Priest. But why would there be a priest in C r o s s w o r d It is no surprise that when Helen Lonton? Laithkirk wasn’t a church in the early Goodman is not in parliament, 14th Century as far as I know although there had been a chapel at Thrinaarth in the 12th w i n n e r working in the constituency, or sitting Century. But for a priest to nave 3 servants - on a train between London and and Simon, servant of the Priest, actually paid 4 Darlington, the thing she most likes THE winner of last week’s Prize shillings and 6 pence in tax, which is more than to do is spend time with her family. the miller paid. One thing’s for sure, Lonton was Crossword is Eric Bayles, of And despite being elected into the a different sort of place in 1301 to what it is South Thorpe Cottages, Wycliffe, Bishop Auckland seat by a majority of now. who wins our mystery prize. more than 10,000 votes, Helen simply Was 1301 the high point for Lonton? What happened after the Black Death in 1349 or in sees herself as a working mother like the following 400 years? It should be possible to a n y other. M P ’s surgery a find out why there are only a couple of farms at She said: “When people talk about Lonton nowadays when 700 years ago it was a the conflicting demands of work and reasonably-sized village. Did people just move HELEN Goodman MP will hold family, I know what they are talking down the road to Mickleton or was there a surgery at Barnard Castle’s another reason? Someone could set up a study Forthright: Helen speaks of making about and they know I know what group and find out! W itham Hall on Friday, July 22, children’s issues a priority they are talking about.” from 4.30pm-5.30pm. JINNY HOWLETT

S T eesdale M ercury M ystery Prize C rossw ord

6 Cryptic Clues Easy Clues Complete the crossword and the coupon below, cut out the ACROSS DOWN whole panel and send it to Prize Crossword, The Teesdale ■ L ■ ACROSS 7 8 7) Ponder and discuss with i) Get in front in order to intercept 7) Discuss (6) Mercury, 24 Market Place, Barnard Castle, DL12 8NB to reach 1 ceremony and formality (6) and turn aside (4-3) 8) Of race (6) us by first post next Tuesday. The winning entry drawn from 8) J ^ f r ^ j S * ^ ° ^ nati0nal 2) Goes with ..those lazy days of 9) Nervous (4) the hat will receive a mystery prize. and cultural tradition (6) m m m P m summer - find it a bit obscure (4) 10) Antagonist (8) 10 9) Irritable, anxious and very 11) Insult (6) 3) Your supporter and back up (8) r r L ju m p y (4) 13) Many 24 hours (4) 10) Against whom one must 4) Shed tears and make much 14) Self (3) pitch oneself in any competition lamentation (4) 16) Blemish (4) 12 13 (8) 5) Gratitude expressed face to face 17) Ungainly (6) Ctttfbalt H iflmurp r r _ 1 11) Transgress, cause perhaps (5, 3) 19) Souvenir (8) 14 18 21) Hum (4) Ju ly 20 Prize Crossword displeasure and upset (6) 6) Short for instrum ent meaning m 13) N atural periods of time (4) so ft (5) 22) Forgive (6) 16 17 23) Strange and foreign (6) 14) part of the mind that reacts N a m e : 12) Ace, spade, turn the pack, DOWN to reality (3) what an adventure (8) 18 1) A im aw ay (4-3) A d d r e s s : 16) All cars around here cause a 13) Odd odes, vile verse and 2) Misty (4) m blot on the landscape (4) 2 0 21 pompous little poems, all trivial 3) Proposers backer (8) 17) Socially awkward and rh y m e (8) 4) C ry (4) r tactless (6) 15) Was a yuppie, now he,s 5) Grateful note (5, 3) 19) Something to remember one m m m m arrived, he,s young, fast-moving 6) Key instrum ent (5) i 23 by (8) and rich (4-3) 12) Reckless enterprise (8) 21) Sounds like a contented hive 13) Trivial verse (8) 18) Given to mark a campaign - 15) Brilliant young (4) could come with ribbon and bar (5) m 22) Remission of the legal . .. __ _ entrepreneur (4-3) ■ i ■ consequences of a misdemeanour 20) A nut altered radically for its 18) Disc awarded for bravery P o s t c o d e : /g\ relative value (4) (5) Last w eek’s answers Daytime Telephone: 23) Introduced from elsewhere - 21) Sometimes furrowed in pain or 20) Parents sister (4) DOWN: 1) Go the distance, 2) ACROSS: 1) Grate, 4) Bad debt, 8) very unusual (6) worry (4) 21) Forehead (4) Tropics, 9) Tutti, 10) Eden, 11) Abode, 3) Exit, 4) Bisque, 5) Outbound, 13) Camp, 14) Isle, 16) Database, 6) Enthuse, 7) This day and age, 12) Employee, 13) Chortle, Toodle-oo, 17) Clan, 20) Natty, 21) Tw o sets of clues, one set of answ ers. Solution and w inner next w eek Lambada, 22) Element, 23) Theme. 15) Goblet, 18) Lease, 19) Smut.