Medomsley

Medomsley is a village in County Durham, in England. It is situated to the north-east of Consett, near the village of Ebchester; the River Derwent and the Northumberland border.

The village has its own cricket club, situated at High Westwood which has been in existence since 1926.

Medomsley is first recorded as Medmesley in the Boldon Book (1183). The placename (from Old English) may mean the “middlemost clearing” or “Maethhelm’s clearing”.

The Church, which is dedicated to St. Mary Magdalene appears to have been started in the mid 12th century, extended in the late 13th century and, as with many churches, restored in the late 19th century. In the case of St. Mary Magdalene, the church had fallen into a state of disrepair, and from 1877–78 it was vastly restored as a new roof and a north aisle were added, while still retaining many of its historic features.

Like nearby Ebchester, Medomsley's church served many inhabitants of Shotley Bridge for christenings, marriages and burials until the creation of Shotley Bridge in the 19th century. Again this meant that sword-makers of Shotley Bridge were regular visitors of the church for such purposes, and many accounts of such events in their lives can be found in the parish registers.

The antiquarian and physician Christopher Hunter (1675-1757) was born in Medomsley Hall.

There were two collieries near the village. Medomsley Colliery to the south west; Derwent Colliery to the north east. Medomsley Colliery (also known as the Busty pit, and not to be confused with South Medomsley Colliery near Annfield Plain) opened in 1839 and closed in 1972. The Derwent Colliery opened in 1856 and closed in 1964. Both collieries were operated by Edward Richardson & Co. when opened but were later taken over from the 1860s by the Consett Iron Co. Both collieries were eventually nationalised in 1947.

Plans for opencast mining by the National Coal Board were rejected in 1976 by Tony Benn.

...
Wikipedia