Discover Sacriston

Sacriston offers three specific points of interest for choosing it as a travel destination: ecclesiastical architecture and art history, traces of its mining past, and Witton Gilbert Walks No. 5 to Fulforth Wood. The dates range from the consecration of St Peter in 1866 to the Aged Mineworkers Homes, which, according to a commemorative plaque, opened in 1937. Fulforth Wood adds a designated woodland classification to the picture; the walk has a stated distance and approximate duration. This lets you weigh cultural history and walking plans as distinct priorities.

Churches in Sacriston: architecture and art history

Dunn & Hansom designed St Bede between 1878 and 1881. The church was completed. Bishop Bewick opened it on 5 June 1881. Both the design period and an exact opening date are therefore part of its architectural history.

The Stations of the Cross at St Bede consist of polychrome relief scenes in the Northern Renaissance style, set within Gothic frames; they come from Belgium. Polychrome means multicoloured, and reliefs make their subjects stand out in three dimensions from a flat surface. Their origin, form and framing can thus be distinguished in a single work. The chancel at St Bede also has stained-glass windows from 1901 depicting St Bede and St George. Unlike the reliefs of the Stations of the Cross, the windows portray saints in glass. This makes it possible to identify two different forms of sacred imagery within St Bede.

St Peter provides an earlier point of reference: the church was consecrated in 1866, and an organ from Durham Cathedral was installed there in 1905. Its key dates therefore differ from those of St Bede: St Peter’s dates relate to its consecration and the later organ, while St Bede’s relate to its design, opening and dated windows. Their connections of origin also differ: the organ came from Durham Cathedral, while the Stations of the Cross at St Bede came from Belgium.

Mining history in houses and streets

The Aged Mineworkers Homes on Plawsworth Road and Cross Lane are numbered 1 to 14. According to a commemorative plaque, they opened on 23 January 1937. The street names and numbering help identify exactly which group of buildings is meant; the date adds a historical reference point to that identification.

The surviving building at 85–87 Front Street is the only remaining part of a row of houses that included the Colliery Inn. The George & Dragon was also a pub and is shown on maps from the first Ordnance Survey edition. These two examples show different traces of the area’s history: part of the row of houses survives on Front Street, while the George & Dragon appears on maps as a pub.

Fulforth Wood and Witton Gilbert Walks No. 5

Fulforth Wood is registered as “Ancient Woodland” and included in the Econet system. The wood is therefore not only named as a destination on the walk, but also characterised by two specific designations.

Witton Gilbert Walks No. 5 to Fulforth Wood is of moderate difficulty, 3.24 kilometres long and takes about an hour. It heads towards the road from Witton Gilbert to Sacriston. The duration gives you an approximate indication of the time required, while the distance states the length of the route; the moderate rating adds the level of difficulty. Check the route before setting out, as local paths can change.

Discover more destinations: Burnhope, Headlam, Wycliffe, Woodland, Shincliffe, Middleton-In-Teesdale, Bishop Auckland, Ebchester.

For the broader travel overview: Durham.