Scargill, County Durham facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Scargill |
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 Scargill
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| OS grid reference | NZ050106 |
| Unitary authority | |
| Ceremonial county | |
| Region | |
| Country | England |
| Sovereign state | United Kingdom |
| Post town | Barnard Castle |
| Postcode district | DL12 |
| Police | Durham |
| Fire | County Durham and Darlington |
| Ambulance | North East |
| EU Parliament | North East England |
| UK Parliament |
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Scargill is a small village, also called a hamlet, located in the Pennines mountains in England. It is found near the River Greta. In 2011, fewer than 100 people lived there. Scargill is part of the larger area known as Barningham.
Scargill used to be part of North Riding of Yorkshire. But on April 1, 1974, it became part of County Durham. This change happened because of a law called the Local Government Act 1972.
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What's in a Name?
The name Scargill comes from an old language called Old Norse. It means "Skarri's valley." Skarri was a person's name, and a "gill" is a small valley.
Scargill isn't like a typical village with houses close together. Instead, it's a "dispersed settlement." This means its farms and homes are spread out over a large area.
Scargill Castle: A Look Back in Time
The main part of Scargill long ago was around Castle Farm. Here, you can still see parts of what was once Scargill Castle. This building was more like a strong, fortified manor house than a huge castle. People lived there from at least the late 1100s.
Today, only small pieces of the old walls are left. These ruins are surrounded by large earthworks, which are mounds and ditches made by people long ago. All these old parts are protected as an ancient monument.
Rebuilding and Restoration
The castle was rebuilt in the early 1500s. The gatehouse from this newer building is still standing today. It's considered a very important historical building. For many years, the gatehouse was in danger of falling apart. But between 1999 and 2001, it was carefully restored. More improvements have been made recently, and now people can even rent it for holidays!
In 2008, a TV show called Time Team from Channel 4 visited Scargill Castle. They dug up the area and found many buildings from the Middle Ages and the Tudor period. The show about their discoveries was first shown on January 11, 2009.
Scargill in New Zealand
Did you know there's another Scargill far away? A small town in North Canterbury, New Zealand, was named Scargill. Two men from Yorkshire, England, named it after their home area in County Durham.
