Stannington people

[Jane123]

I'm not native Stannington but I did grow up and mis-spend my youth there on Roscoe Mount! All my family still live up there but no longer on Roscoe - they are spread a little wider now. Still miss the place to bits and would love to move there as an Honourary Native : )

 

Native of Roscoe Bank, not Stannington !!

[caronlel]

Well if we need to define boundaries.... I'll get the map out shall I

 

Roscoe Mount (not Bank) backs on to the Turnbull, Liberty Hill - this is defined as Stannington in it's postal address so there

[Daven]

Oh dear ! Here we go again !

[Daven]

I think these days anyone with a S6 post code claims to live in Stannington. Historically , the village of Stannington began at the Sportsman pub .

[skippy]

Historically , the village of Stannington began at the Sportsman pub .

 

When the bus first started running to Stannington, I think there were only 2 buses a day & they ran from Malin Bridge, it terminated at a pub & people had to walk the rest of the way if they lived in the village.

Later they extended the route so that it went to another pub that was opposite Stannington Public school & we still had a good walk, thankfully the route was extended again by 2 stops, one being at the monument opposite the Hare & Hounds & the terminus a bit further down the road, by that time the other terminus was on Campo Lane.

Winter in the 40's was a problem, the bus could not run very often as the snow was very deep in those days & people got cut off for days on end, my mother told me about my grandfather having to walk on the walls & battle snowdrifts to get to work, my uncle worked at the water treatment plant near Riverlin Post Office, he would ride down to work on his pushbike & walk back home pushing it up the hills.

People also had dry toilets in those days, usually a big bucket in a shed at the bottom of the garden, I had no problem doing what I went there for as a child, especially when the cows put their heads under the back of the shed and did a big MOO.

Once a year,people went to Underbank Chapel for what they called the sermons, they would be tarted up in their Sunday best and walking on the paths across the fields to reach it & the voices of the choirs could be heard echoing across the valley, most of my relatives are buried in the churchyard there, is the chapel still there ?

[Darkoak]

When the bus first started running to Stannington, I think there were only 2 buses a day & they ran from Malin Bridge, it terminated at a pub & people had to walk the rest of the way if they lived in the village.

Later they extended the route so that it went to another pub that was opposite Stannington Public school & we still had a good walk, thankfully the route was extended again by 2 stops, one being at the monument opposite the Hare & Hounds & the terminus a bit further down the road, by that time the other terminus was on Campo Lane.

Winter in the 40's was a problem, the bus could not run very often as the snow was very deep in those days & people got cut off for days on end, my mother told me about my grandfather having to walk on the walls & battle snowdrifts to get to work, my uncle worked at the water treatment plant near Riverlin Post Office, he would ride down to work on his pushbike & walk back home pushing it up the hills.

People also had dry toilets in those days, usually a big bucket in a shed at the bottom of the garden, I had no problem doing what I went there for as a child, especially when the cows put their heads under the back of the shed and did a big MOO.

Once a year,people went to Underbank Chapel for what they called the sermons, they would be tarted up in their Sunday best and walking on the paths across the fields to reach it & the voices of the choirs could be heard echoing across the valley, most of my relatives are buried in the churchyard there, is the chapel still there ?

 

Yes Skippy, Underbank Chapel is still there. I don't think it's changed it's appearance since it was built several hundred years ago!

[skippy]

Yes Skippy, Underbank Chapel is still there.

 

Thanks for that info Darkoak, can you enlighten me on the 2 pubs on the bus route, I know one was the Sportsman but can't remember what the other was called, is that the Sportsman just down the road from the monument ?

[Darkoak]

Yes Skippy, Underbank Chapel is still there.

 

Thanks for that info Darkoak, can you enlighten me on the 2 pubs on the bus route, I know one was the Sportsman but can't remember what the other was called, is that the Sportsman just down the road from the monument ?

 

Skippy, I've spoken to my Mum, who has lived in the village for over 60yrs and she believes the bus service you have referred to was set up in the 1930's (?) by a local entrepreneur called Mr.Thraile. The route ran from Malin Bridge (as you reckoned), up Stannington road passing The Sportsman PH (although this would have been the old building which was demolished to be replaced by the existing structure on virtually the same site in the 60's).

 

The route then went up the steep section of the road (passed what is now the shops), passed The Peacock PH on your right, before swinging left at Knowle Top Chapel onto Uppergate Road, then turning right at the War Memorial towards The Riggs. On the left just after that junction used to stand the pub I think you refer to, namely the 'old' Hare and Hounds. The area it used to occupy is now the former car park of the (sadly) disused cricket pitch. My Mum thinks the 'old' pub was badly damaged by a fire in the 50's/60's (?), was declared unsafe and was re-built where the existing (now closed) pub is today. That stretch of road was/is locally known as 'Gray's Hill', after the long-standing landlord of the pub at the time.

 

The bus carried on a short way passed here and terminated in the front car park of The Crown & Glove (aka 'Top House). So your'e right in saying that residents who lived higher up would have a steep walk to get home.

 

Hope this helps.

[Darkoak]

Skippy, further to the above (and to avoid any confusion - I hope!), the pub you mention as "just down the road from the monument" is 'Minnies' / Rose & Crown. The 'old' Hare & Hounds used to stand virtually opposite the War Memorial (monument).

[teddie]

Thanks everyone for this I can picture Stannington after all these years. I had actually forgotten the war Memorial where it was, but now thanks to you it is all clear again. Thanx XX