This picture has been provided by a subscriber who want know if anyone had information about the people in the photo, which was taken during the 1906/7 season. The location looks to be the recreation field [now Riverside housing estate] behind the Crown & Crossed Swords at the bottom of Church Bank.
This is an updated post from September 2020 when Keith Fisher, a north east historian, having researched sword making for many years had then published his research.
He kindly gave the Village Trust permission to post a compressed .pdf version of his book, as a free download.
Since then the book has had many substantial updates and is now paginated with a table of contents and extensive addenda.
There are a limited number of printed copies, purely for the printing cost of £20.00. The book can be acquired direct from Keith’s printer (mail-order if required) by calling Billy at (Photoline.co.uk) 0191 232 5454
[NB: The resolution of the images has been reduced to allow it to be downloaded, while images in the hard copy book are much more detailed.]
Keith explains:
“A request from my friend Yvonne Young (who is a local historian, lecturer and publisher of books on North Eastern heritage) to suggest a topic she could use at men’s clubs and associations, prompted me to give her David Richardson’s famous book on the German swordmakers of Shotley Bridge.
As I attempted to precis the book for her, and studied others like it, I realised this was a huge story that could finally be fully researched given modern information access.
As the story grew it became obvious there were all the ingredients for a TV documentary and I pursued my research with this end in view. None-the-less, the story makes a splendid local history book; so while we wait for TV production to resume, I have converted my research into just such a narrative.
Ultimately, it will end up as a national companion publication to the TV documentary, but until then I am making it freely available to all interested parties, in particular the residents of the Derwent Valley.”
Final version uploaded 7/6/2023. Either scroll through the image below or download a low res .pdf file.
[NB: The original title of the book was “The Sword in the Hat” – Shotley Bridge and the Bushy Tailed Fox.]
Shotley Bridge is one of eight pilot areas in County Durham where the County Council is seeking nominations to add to a new Local Heritage List.
This is a new national project known as the Local Heritage Listing project, a partnership project supported by Government and Historic England. The main purpose of the project is to begin to compile a list of County Durham’s heritage assets which are not currently protected either through legal or planning processes. These could be buildings, structures, items of street furniture, landscapes, open spaces or street signs, for example.
The Village Trust has been asked to promote the project and will itself be nominating potential sites.
If you wish to be involved and have suggestions of what to include on the Local List you can nominate them on the project website. The website gives a thorough overview of the project as well as the nomination form and associated guidance.
You need to either use a grid reference or ‘what3words‘ to precisely identify the location of a site. Just click on the map and note the 3 words in the top left corner. Or you could use the app on your phone.
Deadline for submissions is 5.00pm on Sunday 21 November 2021.
Deadline now extended until 17th December 2021.
Nominations that meet the established criteria will go to a panel made up of representatives from each pilot area, which will have an independent chair. Once the panel have made their decision, nominations that have made it to the Local Heritage List will be put on the Keys to the Past website.
The AGM of the Trust is to be held on Thursday 14th October at 7.00pm, followed by an Open Meeting at 7.30pm.
As our usual venue is not yet available, we are holding the meetings at St Cuthbert’s Church Hall
Members, guests and residents are all welcome.
St Cuthbert’s Church on Church Bank is well known architecturally as a John Dobson masterpiece. But few know about its wonderful stained glass windows, that were a gift of donors to remember those who have worshipped at the church or lived and/or worked in the parish.
Paul Heatherington has recently published an illustrated guide about the windows. The booklet offers helpful explanations of the scriptural background and religious meaning of the various windows. It also provides information about some of the people in whose memory the windows were produced. If you wish to purchase a copy email him at paul@heatherington.me
Copies are also on sale for £5 at Cafe Shrub, in the Land of Oak & Iron Heritage Centre at Winlaton Mill.
Shotley Bridge Village Trust 