Tanfield, County Durham facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Tanfield |
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 St Margaret of Antioch's Church |
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 Tanfield
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| Population | 8,270 (2011.Ward) |
| OS grid reference | NZ191557 |
| Civil parish | |
| Unitary authority |
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| Ceremonial county | |
| Region | |
| Country | England |
| Sovereign state | United Kingdom |
| Post town | Stanley |
| Postcode district | DH9 |
| Dialling code | 01207 |
| Police | Durham |
| Fire | County Durham and Darlington |
| Ambulance | North East |
| EU Parliament | North East England |
| UK Parliament |
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Tanfield is a village in County Durham, England. It's located near the town of Stanley. Tanfield is well-known for the Tanfield Railway, which is one of the oldest working railways in the world! You can also find the famous Causey Arch bridge and Tanfield School here. Long ago, Tanfield was a busy village where many people worked in coal mines.
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A Look Back: Tanfield's History
The name "Tanfield" was first written down in 1179. People think it comes from an old English phrase meaning "field by the River Team". However, the village was actually mentioned even earlier, in a story from 1138 about a Scottish invasion. The church in Tanfield is very old, dating back to the 10th century.
Tanfield's Local Government Changes
For a long time, Tanfield was a "chapelry," which is like a small church district. In 1866, it became its own official local area called a civil parish. This meant it had its own local government. But on April 1, 1937, the Tanfield parish was combined with other nearby areas like Stanley, Consett, and Lamesley. In 1931, before it merged, about 9,236 people lived in the Tanfield parish.
Working in Tanfield: The Coal Mines
For many years, coal mining was a very important part of life in Tanfield. The area had several large coal mines, called collieries.
- Tanfield Lea Colliery: This mine was located in Tanfield Lea. It closed on August 25, 1962.
- Tanfield Moor Colliery: This mine opened before 1828 and was located in Tantobie. It stopped operating in October 1948.
- East Tanfield Colliery: Also in Tantobie, this mine opened in 1844. It continued to operate until January 1965.
These collieries provided jobs for many people in the village and helped power homes and industries across the country.
Places of Worship in Tanfield
The main church in the village is St. Margaret of Antioch's Church. Its history goes all the way back to 900 AD, making it over 1,100 years old! However, the building you see today was mostly built in the 18th century. This church used to be the main church for Beamish Hall, a large estate where important families like the Eden, Joicey, and Shafto families lived. There is also a Methodist church located in Tanfield Lea.
Famous Faces from Tanfield
Tanfield was once home to a special person named Tommy Armstrong (1848–1919). He was known as the "pit-man poet" because he wrote poems and songs about the lives of coal miners. You can find his grave in the village cemetery.
