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Ushaw Moor
Ushaw Moor Field.jpg
Ushaw Moor is located in County Durham
Ushaw Moor
Ushaw Moor
Population 3,941 (2011 census)
OS grid reference NZ22894261
Unitary authority
Ceremonial county
Region
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
  • City of Durham
List of places
UK
England
County Durham
54°46′41″N 1°38′44″W / 54.778°N 1.64565867°W / 54.778; -1.64565867

Ushaw Moor is an old pit village in County Durham, in England, on the north side of the River Deerness. It is situated to the west of Durham, a short distance to the south of Bearpark. Ushaw Moor falls within the Deerness electoral ward in the City of Durham constituency, whose MP since 2019 has been Mary Foy.

Etymology

It seems most likely that the name 'Ushaw' comes from Scandinavian origin which, when translated, means wolves wood. With the addition of moor we get 'the moor near the wood of wolves'.

History

Parish registers suggests that the settlement dates to a least the sixteenth century. The village existed in a largely agricultural state, with a windmill being its one feature up till the nineteenth century.

In 1858 a drift mine was established at Ushaw Moor Colliery selling coal on the landsale system. This was purchased in 1879 by Henry Chaytor of Witton Castle. During his tenure there was a large strike, following the deliberate sacking of an elected union leader in 1881. The strike was ended when a number of policemen were brought into the village to evict the strikers and their families; such treatment was not uncommon in those times.

Mr Chaytor, sick of the years of industrial unrest, sold Ushaw Moor colliery to Pease & Partners in 1883. From this time, the workmen and community had an easier life, the new owners helping rather than opposing them. However, Ushaw Moor colliery closed in 1960, as part of the collapse of the Durham coal fields.

In the last thirty years it has grown and become the centre of the Deerness Valley, becoming unusually prosperous where most pit villages have struggled. Good links with Durham and Newcastle and good local schools and amenities has meant it is very popular with first time buyers.

Sports

Ushaw Moor Cricket Club was established in 1881 and has 2 senior teams and 4 junior teams.

Education

Ushaw Moor is the location of Silver Tree Primary School and St. Joseph's Roman Catholic Primary School. Durham Community Business College is the main secondary school for the village, with Durham Studio Sixth Form opening in 2011 on the same site.

Ushaw College, until its closure in 2011, was a Roman Catholic seminary and one of the constituent colleges of the University of Durham. The college is currently being used by Durham University Business School whilst its own site is redeveloped. Ushaw College also hosts the annual Ushaw Jazz Festival.

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