© Howden-le-Wear History Society 2015
Howden-le-Wear History Society
TIMELINES
Australian & Hargill Corner
Denebridge
Bridge Street
High Street
As
with
many
County
Durham
towns
and
villages,
expansion
and
development
did
not
really
happen
until
the
arrival
of
an
efficient
way
of
transporting
the
natural
wealth
of
the
region
–
coal
and
other
minerals.
The
Stockton
and
Darlington
Railway
Company
built
the
first
railway
into
Howden-
le-Wear
in
1842.
The
branch
from
Bishop
Auckland
to
Crook
was
opened
for
freight
on
19
th
April
1842
then
for
passengers
on
8
th
April
1843.
The
link
finally
closed
on
5
th
July
1965
when
Dr
Beeching
wielded
his
axe.
The
whole
area
has
since
been
reclaimed
and
landscaped
by
Durham
County Council – the deep cutting at Howden filled with waste from nearby colliery heaps
.
The railway station was called ‘BEECHBURN for HOWDEN-le-WEAR’
The
general
region
was
Beechburn,
and
originally
there
were
two
railway
stations,
one
at
Howden
and
the
other
at
High
Beechburn
(Greenhead).
The
Beechburn
Station
closed
soon
after
it
was
opened
and
the
name
added
to
Howden-le-Wear
–
the
larger
of
the
two
villages.
This
also
prevented any ambiguity with other ‘Howdens’ as on Tyneside or Humberside.
