Seaham Blue Plaque Heritage Trails

Take a walk through 200 years of the history and heritage of Seaham and experience the rich and diverse culture of our town.

The Clock site, bottom of North Railway Street Visit the Clock site and read the interpretive panels. Follow the two gentle but instructive trails which each take about 1 ½ hours to complete.

North Terrace (early 1900’s)

Discover the to start that journey is to follow the hidden stories blue plaques that have been about our erected on buildings of historical significance. These offer a taste of town’s past what went before and, when If you'd like to find out more about viewed as a group, begin to build up our historic town of Seaham there's a picture of the town’s past. no better place to start than on our Seaham Blue Plaque Heritage Walks.

Take two circular walks through Seaham's past taking in the blue plaque buildings providing a Seaham Infirmary 1917 fascinating insight into the rich history of our town.

Seaham is a wonderful town to The Seaham Blue Plaque Heritage stroll around and find hidden gems, Walks take you on a journey past interesting buildings and many points of interest, spectacular architecture; industries that have coastal views and buildings that will enrich your understanding of Seaham’s remarkable history.

Seaham Bottle Works circa 1880 flourished and declined and visit places where historical events have played out in the past.

Wherever we stand we are surrounded by history. Sometimes that history is highly visible. Other times it lies beneath the surface and requires a journey of exploration for the unique character of our town to Dawdon Colliery under construction Circa 1900 be truly appreciated. An ideal way 2

Seaham Blue Plaque Heritage The church of St Mary the Virgin* is an Anglo-Saxon church listed as being one of Walk “A” (See map on Page 8) twenty pre-Viking churches in the country. Founded This circular walk begins at the around the 7th location of the oldest part of century, the Seaham. This was the ancient chancel was rebuilt in the Norman period and a tower around the beginning of the hamlet between the Church of St 14th century. It overlooks the cliffs and the Mary’s and the manor house which sea of the Durham coast. Still in use, the was cleared to build Seaham Hall. church is a quiet and valued part of the The walk then proceeds to blue historic settlement of Old Seaham, with its plaque sites and places of interest in links with Byron and the coal-owning Seaham Colliery. Londonderry family. Seaham was a very poor parish, very sparsely populated; in The walk will take between 1.5 the year 1821 it only contained 40 hours and 2 hours depending upon inhabited houses, occupied by 44 families, the time spent at each blue plaque and had a total population of only 198. site and the ability of the walker. Retrace your steps for 10 yards and take the path bearing to the left. Difficulty: Medium, Mostly flat, Mixture of grass, gravel and urban Follow the path pathway, one flight of steps. with the Seaham Hall boundary Start fence on your Seaham Hall car right. park (Tonya’s Café Carry on over the old coach bridge. and toilets) After approximately 30 yards there Cross the road and go through the are steps on the right. Going down big gates for Seaham Hall. After the first 15 steps we turn left, walk a twenty yards go through the small few paces along this almost hidden gate to the left of the road and little path. The brick egg-shaped follow the grass path for 200 yards. structure in front is the Grade II listed “Ice House” built c1800 to store and preserve ❶ St Mary’s Church (Time to ice for Seaham Hall. Return back up this point 5 mins/Cumulative 5 the steps to the main track and mins)

3 continue right along the track. At industrial plant (Coal and Allied Industries) the top of the path take the left fork for the production of coke and motor spirit from coal opened in 1935. This Continue along “The New Drive.” experimental plant on the 59 acre site never made a commercial success and The “New Drive” was built for Lady closed in 1940. Frances Anne (Marchioness of Continue along The New Drive to Londonderry) after her Seaham Rail Station. husband died in 1854. It was built to shorten Seaham (Colliery) station on the Seaham her drive to the Londonderry Offices and Sunderland railway was opened in overlooking the harbour. 1855.

On your left is the new East Shore Continue forward down Harbour Village built on the site of Vane Walk. Tempest Colliery. On the left pass St Mary Magdalen Church and continue on for about 20 yards.

❸ Londonderry Dene House (Time to this point 8 mins/Cumulative 28 mins)

Londonderry Sunk in 1923 this was the youngest of Dene House Seaham collieries and in the 1950’s was built in employed over 1800 people. It Closed in 1857 for the 1993. Londonderry Continue along the New Drive Agents. The Londonderry Agents acted in the capacity of Managing Director of the ❷Seaham Harbour Cricket Club Londonderry Collieries, Docks, Estates and (Time to this point 15 mins / commercial ventures on behalf of Lord and Lady Londonderry. The Londonderry Cumulative 20 mins) Agents T G Shaw, John Daglish, John B SHCC* was established in 1868 by the Eminson, Sam Ditchfield and Malcolm Londonderry family for the benefit of Dillon lived here. employees and the Retrace your steps to St Mary town. On the other side of the New Magdalene Church. Drive a large

Cross the road and Pass the former New Seaham Inn take the right path (now The Kestrel Convenience of the disused Stores). Rainton & Seaham The inquest on Railway heading up towards the the deaths of 26 railway station. men in an explosion at Go through the subway under the Seaham Colliery railway line and pass by the Care in 1871 was held here. In 1882 the New Home on the right (formerly, Seaham Londonderry Benevolent Cycling Seaham Secondary Modern School). Club was formed at The New Seaham Inn.

Go straight over the mini ❹ Birkbeck Villa (Time to this roundabout and up Station Road for point 16mins/ Cumulative 44 about half a mile. mins)

Take a slight detour just after the This building opened as a joint residence th row of bungalows. Turn left at and post office on 18 October 1886. Birkbeck Villa Cheviot Gardens for about fifty was designed yards to the AT Motors Garage in by Mr Forster Bankhead Street which is (junior) of unrecognisable now but was Seaham originally four colliery houses. Harbour for postmaster, parish clerk and choirmaster The garage is all that is left of the 824 Joseph Birkbeck. colliery houses built for miners at Seaham Colliery between 1861 and 1891. During Pass by New Seaham Conservative World War II the garage was used as a fire Club on the left. station. Over the disused railway line Built at a cost of £1,200 New Seaham stood Seaham Brickworks built in 1868. Conservative Club was opened by Lord Twelve kilns could produce 18,000 bricks Londonderry in October 1895. at each firing. Employing more than 500 men the brickworks closed in 1965. Pass Christchurch on the right

Retrace your steps and continue up Christchurch was Station Road. erected at the sole expense of Lady Frances Ann, Marchioness of

Londonderry, for the benefit of the mining Parliamentary Election campaign of 1874 community. A scroll was deposited when the landlord held off an angry mob underneath the foundation stone for two hours. The original name of The dedicating the church to the memory of Mill Inn may have been The Windmill and her late husband. was run by Tommy Chilton who was locally known as “knicky knack”. On the opposite side of the road to Christchurch was the entrance to Cross back over the road and enter Seaham Colliery. Seaham Park. Take the path past the children’s play area.

On the left up the hill is the original Seaham War Memorial.

The memorial was first unveiled by the Marquess of Londonderry on July 1, 1923, Sunk in 1849 the pit began production in after it was bought by the people of 1852. Three major explosions occurred Seaham at a cost of £1,300. It stands 30ft here. In 1852 six miners died; in 1871 high and is topped with a winged and twenty-one miners died and in 1880 in torch-bearing figure of liberty. Pillars at what was to be known as the Seaham each side carry a soldier of the Durham Mining Disaster one hundred and sixty Light Infantry. A Royal Navy sailor, with a four men and boys died. The youngest polished granite panel bearing a fatality is believed to have been in the dedication stood between them. 1852 explosion where Charlie Halliday was Pass the adult exercise area on the thought to have been only eight years old. right of the path. Carry on down the bank and, taking Take the left path great care, cross the busy road at past the bridge and the mini roundabout. continue on up the steps on the left. ❺ Mill Inn public house (Time to this point 7 mins/Cumulative At the top of the steps turn left past 51mins) Seaham School of Technology.

The Mill Inn* was built around 1827. It Continue to the end of the cul-de- was the scene of a siege during the sac and take the path on the left leading down to Byron’s Walk.

On reaching Byron’s Walk turn right and continue for about 400 yards to

Seaham Hall railway crossing. 1827, hero of the Napoleonic conflict and Opened circa 1855 this was originally Lord future Prime Minister. Amongst other Londonderry’s private railway station. illustrious guests to visit Seaham Hall were Prime Minister Benjamin Disraeli and King Edward VII. The seventh Marquess donated the Hall and grounds to the county as a sanatorium in the 1920s and it survived as a hospital of various sorts until the 1970s. Seaham Hall performed the first of its “hole-in-the-heart” operations here in 1965.

Continue down Byron’s Walk passing Hall Farm on the right.

Continue over the crossing for Finish about 400 yards. Arrive back at Seaham Hall car park ❻ Seaham Hall (Time to this and Tonya’s Café and Toilets (Time point 22 mins/ Cumulative 1 to this point 7 mins/ Cumulative 1 hour 13 mins) hour 20 mins)

The old village of Seaham was located in the vicinity of Seaham Hall. Seaham Hall has had many illustrious guests since its construction by Sir Ralph Milbanke in 1792. Anne Isabella Milbanke first met the famous poet Lord Byron in London and they were married here on 2nd January 1815. The first important guest of the 3rd Marquess was the Duke of Wellington in

Seaham Blue Plaque Heritage ❼ Woods & Co Bank and Bath

Walk “B” (See map on Page 8) Terrace

This circular walk includes some of Woods & Co Bank was built in 1861 and opened in 1862 to provide banking the earliest buildings and industrial services to the community and businesses sites in what was known as Seaham in the new town. It was rebuilt in 1895 and Harbour. Many of the important became Barclays in 1902. Bath Terrace industries to the south of the town such as the Londonderry Bottle Works; the Chemical Works; the Blast Foundry and Iron Works; the Ropery; Seaham Pottery and Dawdon Colliery have long since been demolished and are not was designed by Newcastle architect John Dobson. The construction of the finest included in this walk but should be houses in Seaham began in 1848. The 3rd. remembered for the role they Marquess of Londonderry originally played in the growth of the town. envisaged a magnificent town built in this style but shortage of cash prevented this This walk takes between 1.5 hours and in fact compelled him to lease land to and 2 hours depending on the anyone. ability of the walker. Cross the road to the corner of Difficulty: Medium, Mostly flat, North Terrace and Tempest Road. Mixture of grass, gravel and urban pathway, one railway bridge with On this corner is the site of the four flights of nine steps, one steep Seaham Infirmary. path for about two hundred yards.

Start

The Terrace Green car park in North Terrace.

To the side of the Terrace Green is a row of white stone Georgian Built in 1844 for all workers in the buildings. coalmines, railway and engine works and sailors on ships entering the harbour. The building was financed from the proceeds

9 of the sale of the book by the Marchioness the building. Seaham’s first swimming club of Londonderry, Lady Frances Anne, and was formed here in 1866. entitled “A Journal of a Three Month Tour of Portugal, Spain and Africa in 1843”. It Carry on up Tempest road. On the was later enlarged in 1857 to contain 25 corner of Vane beds. All ships entering harbour were Terrace (now a charged one shilling which entitled all block of flats) seamen to be treated free at the was Seaham Infirmary. The mass murderer Mary Ann Magistrates Cotton may have worked here briefly in the summer of 1865. The building served Court and Police Station built in the people of Seaham for every 1861. conceivable medical incident including From 1846 the Magistrates Court was held cholera and smallpox outbreaks and in a room above The Lord Seaham public treating the survivors of the Seaham house until this new Courthouse was built. Colliery disasters of 1852, 1871 and 1880. The building was demolished in 1975. It was used as Council Offices from 1920- 64 finally being used as the Town Library Next door to the Police Station before being demolished in 1969. stood the first Roman Catholic Continue up Tempest Road for 100 Church and School to be built in yards and you will pass The Seaham in 1869.

Londonderry Literary Institute on For many years Lady Francis Anne was your left. asked to give permission for a Roman Catholic Church to be built in Seaham. It Seaham’s finest building and designed by was not until after T Oliver of Newcastle was built at a cost of her death that her £1,500 and opened in January 1855. son eventually Originally it had a hall to accommodate granted permission 400 people, and provided land a reading for the building of room well St. Mary Magdalene Church. A new church supplied opened in 1907 in Harbour Walk next to with Dene House and this original RC Church newspapers building was demolished in 1975. and a library with 400 volumes. A grand bizarre of items donated by the A further fifty yards up the road you Marchioness of Londonderry, her family will pass The Beau Brummell and friends was held at Seaham Hall in Clothing Factory. This was the site 1853 to raise funds for the construction of of the Castlereagh Drill Hall built for

10 the thousand strong Seaham families. The Manor of Dalden was th Artillery Volunteers in 1888 as they probably in existence in the 12 Century and the tower was later built by the Bowes had outgrown the original building family. The Collingwood’s in Vane Hall. are believed to have On the junction of Tempest Road abandoned the Tower and Hall circa 1600 for and Castlereagh Road where the their more comfortable Telephone Exchange stands was the home in the adjacent site of Dene House Farm. manor of Seaham which they also owned. The Collingwood’s sold This was one of the few inhabited farms in the twin estates of Seaham and Dalden to old Seaham prior to the building of the the Milbankes’ in 1676/78 and they in turn harbour in 1828. The farm was sold out to the Londonderry’s in 1821. By demolished in 1955. then Dalden Hall had been converted to a Pass under the farmhouse and the Tower had long been Strangford in ruins. Dalden Hall had not been inhabited since the 1850’s and was Road Bridge demolished in 1965. and cross the road at the roundabout to meet the Walk through the Dalden Tower site path above the Park. and through the opening leading back onto the main road. Turn to Just before the end of the path take the left back the way you came. the right turn down into the Park. Cross over the bridge at the bottom. Continue up the steep path following the road up to Maureen Follow the path passing the Terrace. children’s recreation area and out of the Park gates into the Dalton-le- Pass St John’s Vicarage on the left. Dale road. Continue along Maureen Terrace Turn right and walk for about 600 towards the bridge over the railway yards. At the brown road sign line “Dalden Tower” turn right and enter Cross over the bridge over the the grounds of the ancient railway line. The bridge overlooks monument. the former Londonderry Engine The Tower, Hall and Manor of Dalden Works on your left. have passed through the hands of the de Dalden, Bowes, Collingwood and Milbanke

the debt of £700 on the construction of the church.

Turn left past the church and walk along Blandford Place for 100 yards The LEW opened in 1855 to service, build ❽Vane Hall (Time to this point and maintain the steam engines and rolling stock for the Londonderry Railways 6mins/ Cumulative 48 mins) and Docks. At the beginning of the In 1859 the Government, alarmed by the 20thCentury 13 locomotives were apparent belligerency maintained. They were painted green, of France under picked out with orange and yellow lines Napoleon III invited with the initials “L.R.,” and a coronet in towns and cities to between. In 1907 a petrol engine car was look to their own built at the Engine Works for the 6th defence. The Marquess of Londonderry. The SHEW car Marchioness of is now in Beamish Museum. From 1910 Londonderry responded by creating the petrol engine lorries were Seaham Volunteer Artillery Brigade in built here. Seaham 1860. In 1862 she financed and built Vane Harbour Railway Station Hall, Seaham’s first Drill Hall and HQ for was prefabricated at the Artillery Volunteers which were later Londonderry Engine Works to replace the nd to be called the 2 Durham Artillery original station built in 1855. Brigade. A much larger drill hall was built Continue down George Street, cross in Castlereagh Road in 1888 for the 1,000 strong brigade and Vane Hall was used as over the pedestrian crossing and a livery stable and then Officers Club. walk down passing the Marlborough (previously the Seaham Harbour Cross the road and walk down Conservative Club). South Railway Terrace. On your left notice the disused Rainton and Continue down and through St Seaham Railway. Pass the Golden John’s churchyard. Lion public house (the first house to be St John’s completed in Seaham Harbour) and walk Church was through the cut on the bottom right built in 1841. of the town car park. A grand bazaar was ❾The Londonderry Arms, now held of items donated by The Marchioness Massimos (Time to this point 6 of Londonderry and friends under the mins/ Cumulative 54 mins) patronage of Queen Adelaide to liquidate

system. The Incline to the docks was closed in 1988 and the lines were removed. Many people were fatally injured riding these wagons between the harbour and Seaham Colliery before public transport was available.

This was the first house to be commenced Cross the road after Barclays Bank in the newly inaugurated town of Seaham and take the road leading down to Harbour. The brass inscription on the the new Marina. foundation stone was laid by the 7 year rd old son of the 3 Marquess on 28th ❿The Georgian North Dock November 1828. It was lost for many (Time to this point 6 mins/ years but was recovered from the cellar Cumulative 1 hour 1 min) and incorporated in the base of “The Wheel” across the road. Itinerant exhibitions, wild animal shows and travelling show booths regularly put on entertainment in the area behind this building.

Continue for thirty yards

The last remaining rails of the The original Georgian north dock Rainton and Seaham Railway are completed in July 1831 was commissioned preserved in front of Barclays Bank. by the 3rd Marquess of Londonderry at a cost of £165,000 to enable the shipping of coal from his wife's family's collieries at Rainton. A new town and railway were integral to plans for its construction, and an Act of Parliament had to be obtained prior to its construction. The harbour's designer was Whitby-born engineer The Rainton & Seaham Railway which William Chapman who first drew up plans opened in 1831 at a cost of £20,000 was for it in 1820 for Sir Ralph Milbanke. initially only 5 miles long and ran from However in 1821 Lord Londonderry bought Seaham Harbour to the main Londonderry the Manors of Seaham and Dalden and pit at Rainton Meadows. Later additions commissioned Chapman to design a larger created a network of over 16 miles of scheme. The foundation stone was laid on railway track. The last leg of the railway, 28th November 1828 and the second from the top of the Mill Inn Bank at stage, the south dock, was completed in Seaham Colliery to the new harbour, was 1835. A further extension of the south downhill and utilized a self-acting incline

13 dock was completed in 1905. The building in the Italian style with French of the harbour was the catalyst for the ornamentation. It was the headquarters building, growth and prosperity of the and administrative offices for the town. Londonderry Collieries, Docks and ancillary industrial ventures. The building has Turn left around the corner. magnificent views over the harbour. Two new wings were added in 1909. It was ⓫The Lifeboat House (Time to used as the town police station from 1965 this point 1 min/ Cumulative 1 before conversion to the Marquess Point hour 2 min) apartments in 2006.

Built to house Continue along North Terrace with Seaham’s first the Terrace Green on your right. RNLI Lifeboat, The Sisters Carter of Pass the Lord Seaham (now The Harrogate, from Harbour View) and back to the 1870. It was Terrace Green car park. refurbished by East Durham Heritage Group and re-opened in 2013 as the home The Seaham Artillery Volunteers paraded of the lifeboat The George Elmy and trained on the Tea, coffee, snacks and toilets can Terrace be found at The Lookout café. Green. In the centre of The Re-trace steps back up to the top of Green stood a 36 pounder Russian cannon the road to arrive at The Wheel. captured at Sebastopol during the Turn right along North Terrace for Crimean War and presented to Seaham by Queen Victoria in 1858. Take some time to about twenty yards. visit Seaham’s centenary WW1 sculpture ⓬The Londonderry Offices “Tommy” financed by public subscription in 2014 (Time to this point 4 mins / Cumulative 1 hour 6mins) Finish

Arrive back at the Terrace Green where there are many café’s, restaurants, fish and chip shops and bars with toilets.

The Londonderry Offices were built in 1857 for the Marchioness of Londonderry

The Seaham Blue Plaque Heritage Trail was designed and developed by Seaham Heritage Association with funding provided by REG Windpower South Sharpley Community Benefits Fund administered through The County Durham Community Foundation.

Seaham Heritage Association gratefully acknowledges the support and assistance given by Seaham Town Council and Durham County Council in the development of this project and for the unique photographs from the David Angus collection, Fred Cooper, Durham County Council, East Durham Heritage & Lifeboat Centre and the Seaham Family History Group archives.

Visit: http://www.seaham.gov.uk/Core/Seaham-Town-Council/Pages/Default_4.aspx to download walk guide, information and map or follow the route shown in this brochure or zap/scan this QR matrix. (1.9 Mb)

North Railway Street circa 1915

*The blue plaques located on St Mary’s Church, Seaham Harbour Cricket Club and The Mill Inn have been funded and erected by independent organisations.