Chester Le Street

The tower and spire of the parish church of St Mary and St Cuthbert dominates the skyline in this market day picture. There was a church built of stone on the site as early as 1056; before that, Saxon bishops ruled County Durham from Chester-le-Street’s timber-built monastic cathedral, where the bones of St Cuthbert himself were interred from 883 to 995.
An extract from from"County Durham Photographic Memories".

We can see from the size of the bus queues that private car ownership was still something of a novelty. In 1954, sales of new cars in the UK totalled 394,362, with just 4660 imported cars. In 1955 sales were 511,420 with 11,131 imports, but growth was stymied by Government interference. Purchase tax on new cars was increased from 50 to 60 per cent, and purchasers were required to pay a deposit of 15 per cent and the balance over two years.
An extract from from"County Durham Photographic Memories".

This wonderful photograph shows a beautiful convertible car, probably belonging to one of the landed gentry; the two delivery men enjoy a break whilst their horses tuck into their nosebags; and the little boy watches the cameraman at work. The spire of St Nicholas’s dominates the Market Place. In 1857 this Victorian church replaced an earlier church of St Nicholas, which dated from the 12th century - it had a tower. On the left, next to the Prudential Assurance building, is the Market Tavern, where the Miners Union was formed in 1871. In the foreground is the statue of Neptune on top of the octagonal pant (a northern word for a public fountain). Neptune was placed here in 1729 to symbolise an ambitious plan to turn Durham into an inland sea port; this would have resulted in the unthinkable - the joining of the rivers Tyne and Wear! Neptune’s neighbour is the statue of the 3rd Marquess of Londonderry, who owned collieries around Durham and also constructed Seaham Harbour in 1828. The statue was sculpted by Raphael Monti, who reputedly committed suicide following the discovery of a flaw in his creation. According to legend, Monti had boasted that his statue was perfect, but a blind beggar man was feeling in the mouth of the horse and discovered that it had no tongue.
An extract from from"Durham Photographic Memories".

Once a vital part of the city’s defences, the river in recent times has been used for more pleasurable purposes. Boating is a popular pastime, and the river is used by a variety of pleasure and competitive craft. In the foreground we see a couple of moored rowing boats that would be used to take lady friends for a gentle meander along the river on a fine, sunny afternoon, whereas on the river are a couple of skiffs that would be used for more competitive purposes.
An extract from from"Durham Photographic Memories".

After climbing through the narrow streets of Durham, we suddenly come upon a dramatic opening into the light and space of Palace Green, dominated by the awesome cathedral. This great space was created by Bishop Flambard at the beginning of the 12th century: he decided to demolish the clutter of wooden houses and the market place because of the potential fire hazard to the castle and cathedral.
An extract from from"Durham Photographic Memories".