Esh, County Durham facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Esh
Esh Cross and village green
Esh
Population	4,984 (2011 census)
OS grid reference	NZ 1944
Civil parish	Esh
Unitary authority	County Durham
Ceremonial county	County Durham
Region	North East
Country	England
Sovereign state	United Kingdom
Post town	DURHAM
Postcode district	DH7
Dialling code	0191
Police	Durham
Fire	County Durham and Darlington
Ambulance	North East
EU Parliament	North East England
UK Parliament	North West Durham
List of places UK England County Durham 54°47′26″N 1°42′22″W / 54.790537°N 1.706048°W / 54.790537; -1.706048

Esh is a small village in County Durham, England. It's about five miles north-west of the city of Durham. Esh is a quiet, countryside village surrounded by farms.

In the middle of the village, you'll find an old stone cross. People in Esh call it St Cuthbert's Cross. It has the letters "I. H. S." and the year 1687 carved into it. The village has two primary schools, a local pub, and two churches. These are St Michael and All Angels (Church of England) and St. Michael's (Roman Catholic).

Exploring Esh Parish

Esh parish includes Esh village and other small places nearby. These include Ushaw Moor, Esh Winning, and Langley Park. Many of these places used to be coal mining villages. They were built on top of the Durham Coalfield. This was a big area where coal was dug up from the late 1800s. More homes were needed for all the miners.

The number of people living here grew a lot because of the coal industry. Look at the table below to see how much the population increased. It grew nine times bigger in just twenty years!

Esh's Past: A Look Back in Time

The small village of Esh is sometimes called Old Esh. Its name comes from an old word for 'Ash' (like the tree). This shows the old Northumbrian language once spoken in the north of England.

Medieval Times and the De Esh Family

A family called De Esh lived here in medieval times. They even took their name from the village. Simon De Esh was an important official in Durham in the 1300s. Esh village, which dates back to 1283, might be where their family chapel once stood.

The stone cross on the village green is very old. It has the letters 'I.H.S' and is from 1687. Near the cross is Esh Hall, a farmhouse built by the Smythe family in the 1600s.

The Smythe Family and Their Faith

The Smythe family took over from the De Esh family. They were very strong Roman Catholics. This was even during the Tudor era, when Catholics were often treated badly. They had a secret place to worship nearby called Newhouse. This secret church was used until 1798.

Later, a Catholic church was built there for Irish Catholic miners. Sir Edward Smythe built a new church in 1800. It was in a place west of Esh village called Esh Laude. This church was made to look like a farmhouse. This was probably to keep it safe from past problems. It is the oldest Roman Catholic church in the Hexham and Newcastle area.

Local Government

Esh has its own electoral ward. A ward is an area that elects someone to represent it in local government. This ward also includes other areas like Cornsay. In 2011, about 6,570 people lived in the Esh ward.

Churches in Esh

St Michael and All Angels Church, Esh, County Durham

There has been a church on the site of St. Michael and All Angels since at least 1283. Much of the church was rebuilt in the 1770s. It was made new again in the 1850s. King Edward I even attended a church service here in 1306. He was on his way to Hexham and left a gift of seven shillings. Inside the church, there is an old stone statue of a lady. People think it might be one of the De Esh family members.

An old Christian story says that monks rested in Esh. They were carrying the body of St Cuthbert on their way to Durham. This story helps explain why the village cross is called St Cuthbert's Cross.

Another famous person linked to St. Michael and All Angels was Temple Chevallier. He was a British astronomer. From 1835 until he died, he was the Church of England priest in Esh. He also taught at Durham University and helped restore the church.

Schools in Esh

Esh has two primary schools. Both schools have connections to Christian churches.

St Michael's Esh Laude RC Primary School

This school was once a Catholic Convent. It is thought to have started in 1795. This would make it the oldest Roman Catholic primary school in the area. The convent closed in 2010 when Sister Anna Ryan left. This ended 121 years of a nun leading the school.

A former student, Helen McDaid, became the Head of the school. The school is still doing very well. It received an "outstanding" report from Ofsted in 2010.

Esh Church of England Aided Primary School

Temple Chevallier founded this school around 1836. It was built on land that used to be part of Glebe Farm. Mr Andy Parks is the Head of this school. It is a Church of England primary school. It also helps teach about Christianity.

The school's motto is 'Everyone Smiles Here'. An inspection found that this motto helps students behave well towards each other. This is seen as a great example for others.

Esh's Population

In 2021, Esh ward had 2093 homes. The total population was 5023 people. The table below shows the age groups of people living in Esh. A large number of residents were between 30 and 59 years old. Both schools in the area are highly rated.

Esh Parish Walk

You can start a walk around Esh Parish from Langley Park. It's about seven miles long. The walk takes around three hours to finish. It's mostly easy, but there is one steep climb at the start. You can find the full route on the Esh Parish website. Maps that cover the area include the Landranger map No. 88 and Pathfinder maps No's 571 Lanchester and 572 Durham.

The Cross Keys Pub

The Cross Keys

The Cross Keys is the only pub in Esh village. It has been there since the 1300s! People even think that Edward I visited it. The Good Pub Guide says that The Cross Keys is a nice pub in a "picturesque village." It has beautiful views and a full menu.