Chester-le-Street: Our Home And Place Where Our Business Was Born
Chester-le-Street in County Durham lies in a vale formed by the River Wear. To the West, the land rises sharply towards Waldridge Fell, and to the East towards the magnesian limestone plateau of the Sunderland area. A fantastic view of its amazing setting can be seen from the nearby village of Great Lumley to the East, which is also the home of Lumley Castle. This major landmark is a fine example of a gorgeous English Castle; now a luxury hotel, steeped in history, elegant decor, and beautiful natural surroundings. Rumour has it, the Castle even has its own Ghost!
Chester-le-Street is a Market Town, which dates back to Roman Times when it was called ‘Concangis’. It then became home to a group of Monks driven out of Lindisfarne who stopped there to build a wooden shrine and Church to St Cuthbert, whose body they carried with them. Then it fell under Norman authority before becoming a coal mining Town in the late 17th Century and began to grow as a centre for the local coal settlements.
Chester-le-Street has some interesting facts and here are our Top Nine:
1. The Roman Fort of Chester-le-Street, known as Concangis, is thought to have been founded around A.D. 216. This was built along the Roman road Cades Road (now the Front Street) and close to the River Wear, around 100 A.D. and occupied until the Romans left Britain in 410 A.D.
2. The Parish Church of St Mary and St Cuthbert is where the body of St Cuthbert remained for 112 years before being transferred to Durham Cathedral. Whilst St Cuthbert lay in rest in Chester-le-Street, City status was awarded to the Town.
In 2017, Durham Cathedral showcased an exhibition entitled: “Treasures of Saint Cuthbert”, which brought to public view a rare set of Anglo-Saxon artefacts including a gold Pentecostal Cross, and the conserved coffin of St Cuthbert.
3. The Monks of Chester-le-Street carried out the first translation of the Latin Gospels; commonly referred to as the Lindisfarne Gospels, in old English. A copy of the Gospels is available for public viewing at St Mary’s Church, Chester-le-Street. A curator is available on site who imparts the wonderfully rich history of the Church, which includes a tour around the site and the Anchorage.
4. From the late 17th Century onwards coal was mined in increasing quantities in the region and Chester-le-Street was the centre of coal mined and shipped away down the River Wear towards its destination of the Port of Sunderland for distribution.
5. Chester-le-Street was also the site of a curious Football game, which was played on Shove Tuesday, with many players on each side. It is thought that its origin is almost certainly medieval.
6. On the evening of 5th October 1936 the Jarrow Marchers stopped at the Town Centre after their first day’s walk. The Church Hall was used to house the weary walkers before they continued onwards towards London on their journey the following day.
7. The Chester-le-Street ‘burn viaduct’ to the North West of the Town centre was completed in 1868 for the North Eastern Railway, to enable trains to travel at high speed on a more direct route between Newcastle and Durham. This perhaps is the HS2 of its day!
8. The Riverside Ground at Chester-le-Street is home to Durham County Cricket Club which became a first-class County in 1992. This also sits a stone’s throw away from Riverside Park, created in 1930 and redeveloped in more recent years.
9. Chester-le-Street is what can be described as a “Commuter Corridor” linking it to Durham, Newcastle, Sunderland, and surrounding villages and hamlets, and beyond.
Chester-le-Street in County Durham has been our home for many years, and it’s the place where Pressed not Stressed was born. As well as serving our Home Town of Chester-le-Street, we are more than happy to reach out to offer and provide our Services to those living in and around the surrounding areas. We are incredibly proud to be joined together by a rich network of Towns, Villages, and Hamlets within County Durham, and beyond, sharing a rich history, culture, and many traditions unique to the North East of England.
