Metadata
WORK ID: NEFA 21225 (Master Record)
Title | Year | Date |
DOWNSTREAM THROUGH DURHAM | 1957 | 1957-01-01 |
Details
Original Format: 16mm Colour: Colour Sound: Silent Duration: 32 mins 58 secs Credits: Newcastle & District Amateur Cinematographers' Association George Cummin Genre: Travelogue Subject: Travel Sport Rural Life Architecture |
Summary This amateur travelogue focuses on rural and picturesque (non-industrial) locations along the River Wear, from source in the Upper Weardale hills to the industrial river mouth at the North Sea, and the coastline from Tynemouth to the Roker lighthouse. Footage includes sequences on farming in Upper Weardale, fluorspar mining, quarrying for ganister ... |
Description
This amateur travelogue focuses on rural and picturesque (non-industrial) locations along the River Wear, from source in the Upper Weardale hills to the industrial river mouth at the North Sea, and the coastline from Tynemouth to the Roker lighthouse. Footage includes sequences on farming in Upper Weardale, fluorspar mining, quarrying for ganister stone, quilting in the dales, church architecture, Durham Cathedral, Raby and Brancepeth castles, Durham Regatta and the famous Durham Miners'...
This amateur travelogue focuses on rural and picturesque (non-industrial) locations along the River Wear, from source in the Upper Weardale hills to the industrial river mouth at the North Sea, and the coastline from Tynemouth to the Roker lighthouse. Footage includes sequences on farming in Upper Weardale, fluorspar mining, quarrying for ganister stone, quilting in the dales, church architecture, Durham Cathedral, Raby and Brancepeth castles, Durham Regatta and the famous Durham Miners' Gala at its most popular. This film was a Newcastle & District Amateur Cinematographers Association (ACA) production, probably led by George Cummin.
Title: Downstream Through Durham (title over old map)
Title: A Journey down the River Wear (with side trips) which we hope will prove that County Durham means much more than Shipbuilding and Mining
Title: High among the hills of the Durham – Cumberland border the Kilhope [sic.] and Burnhope Burns rise. Where they unite the River Wear begins –
The film begins with general views of the hilly landscape of Upper Weardale, the Burnhope Burn, and Burnhope Reservoir, and nearby villages (possibly Cowshill).
Shot of the Wearhead road sign on the B6295 road and of the main road through the village.
General views of the River Wear in its upper reaches, just a rocky stream. A stone bridge straddles the river. General view of farms nestled in the hills.
A farmer leads a cow through a farmyard. A farmer’s wife grapples with a young calf. She lets a calf suckle on her fingers. A farmer digs up a field of potatoes. A sheepdog and farmer herd up a flock of sheep.
Title: Though obviously a farming district it has some rather unusual industries. The Romans, they say, got lead from this mine -
Miners emerge from the dark of an old lead mine entrance, possibly at Blackdene Mine, their miners’ lamps glowing in the gloom. One miner rides with a short train of tubs pulled by a pit pony.
Title: It now produces fluorspar for the Steel industry – lead is only a bye-product – and is blended so well with its surroundings that it passes unnoticed in the general picture –
General views of a field of cattle and the village of St John’s Chapel in the landscape. Shot of road sign for St John’s Chapel on the B6293. General view of town and a road sign in the town pointing to nearby locations – Langdon Beck, Middleton-in-Teesdale, Alston and Allendale.
Title: This road to the south is the highest in England. It serves another industry peculiar to Durham – quarrying ganister stone, again for the steel trade -
Men quarry for stone, a dumper truck nearby. A sequence of shots records the setting of explosives in the rock face, the blast itself, the loading of rock by hand onto a truck, and the washing down of the rock on the truck using a hose.
Title: This washing water, reaching the Wear by way of Harthope Burn, joins us on our trip downstream –
A woman walks down to the Harthope Burn. General views follow of the upper reaches of the River Wear and Eastgate Falls.
Title: Eastgate’s falls are quite charming but for a real waterfall we must go across the fells to Teesdale and Caldron[sic] Snout -
General views of the bleak upper Teesdale Valley and of a couple of men perched on top of the Cauldron Snout falls on the upper reaches of the River Tees, immediately below the dam of the Cow Green Reservoir. General views follow of the waterfall.
Title: This is shared with Yorkshire, of course, but it is big enough to stand it, as is High Force, some miles lower down the river –
General views of the powerful High Force waterfall, near Middleton-in-Teesdale.
Title: The road back into Weardale brings us out above the dale’s capital – Stanhope -
General views of the hills around Stanhope and the town itself nestled in a valley. A signpost reads Stanhope B6278 I mile. General views of a ford with stepping stones across the River Wear, and of the small market town, including its church.
Title: -but we must not leave the upper dale without mention of the craft of Durham quilting –
Sarah Annie Peart walks outside on a windy day around St John's Chapel and drapes a hand-crafted quilt over a chair in the garden. Details of the stitching are shown. Her grandaughter joins her outside with another example of a quilt. Sarah Annie and her granddaughters pose with examples of their quilted work.
Title: Possibly the ladies get their colours and designs from the local wild flowers –
A woman picks a bunch of wild primroses. The many varieties of wild flowers in the local region are shown.
Title: Up among the broom you might come across raw material of yet another local trade – Shetland ponies for the mines –
Shetland ponies graze in a field.
Title: Away below them the valley is opening out and we come to Wolsingham –
Various general views follow of Wolsingham follow – the church, Whitfield Place on Front Street, where there are three cottages, one dated 1677 and with the initials 'DM'.
Title: This ancient town is modern enough to have a steelworks although along the river there is little sign of this –
General views of the picturesque River Wear where a group of boys plunge in for a swim, one-by-one.
Title: On the south bank at Escomb is one of England’s oldest churches. The nearby Roman camp of Vinoria provided the stone to build it –
General views of the exterior of Escomb Church
Title: A few miles further south there are other historic buildings – Staindrop Church –
General views of the exterior of Staindrop Church including close-up of an Anglo-Saxon sundial, built into the chancel.
Title: Barnard’s castle and town –
General view looking towards the stone bridge at Barnard Castle. There’s a close-up of a sign for Raby Castle and general exterior views of the castle.
Title: Barnard and Raby covered the old road to the North – Dere Street – and another link in this military chain was Brancepeth Castle –
General views follow of an ivy covered row of cottages and the imposing Brancepeth Castle with grand entrance.
Title: But Whitworth Hall is more of a naval HQ – the seagoing Bobby Shafto lived here –
General views of the exterior of the country house, Whitworth Hall, on the outskirts of Spennymoor and shots of the resident fallow deer wandering around the parkland and near an ornamental pond. General view of an imposing stone bridge over the River Wear.
Title: Leaving the Wear to make a very winding approach, we go direct to one of Britain’s most famous views – Durham Cathedral from the railway –
General views of Durham Cathedral. Three women look at the sanctuary knocker on the Cathedral’s northern door. There are shots of statues above an entrance, a stained glass window from the interior, an interior courtyard, the lawn in Palace Green, cottages, the tower and an overhead view from the Cathedral of Durham City and the River Wear.
Title: Coming down to earth again we find that all the old town’s streets seem to lead eventually to the river –
General views of a Durham street, possibly Silver Street, Durham Market Place with the 1861 statue of the 3rd Marquess of Londonderry, and another street leading from the Market Place, possibly Elvet Street (with shops including Dewhurst the butchers). General view of Elvet Bridge over the Wear, and people boating and rowing on the river.
Title: A quiet scene – but the Regatta, claimed to be the oldest in the country brings Durham people flocking to the river banks –
General view of viewing stands for the Durham Regatta set up on a pedestrian bridge over the Wear, possibly Baths Bridge. People lounge on a grassy river bank. Various shots record the boat teams competing on the river, the regatta taking place on the 14 May and including Durham ABC and Hatfield College teams.
Title: And for the Miners’ Gala each July the city centre is completely closed to wheeled traffic, for obvious reasons –
The streets of Durham city centre are crammed with crowds of people during the Miners' Gala, possibly on North Road looking towards the Viaduct, many women in summer dresses on a gloriously sunny day. Amongst the crowd, banners are carried in the procession. There are close-ups amidst the crowd, as the banners and a brass band pass by in the parade. A woman observes the parade. People are dancing and enjoying the parade. Two policemen chat together in the crowd. A teenage girl is carried on the shoulders of a male friend. Various shots from the crowd show National Union of Mineworkers banners, a brass band playing trombones, the Beamish Air Lodge banner. The parade moves through Market Place, the main assembly point for the march to Old Elvet, and downhill on Sadler Street, towards the Elvet Bridge.
There are huge crowds at Durham Racecourse as everyone assembles after the parade. A woman is spread-eagled on the grass, her face shaded against the sun, whilst a group of older people are sitting on a low wall behind her. Close-up of a boy eating an ice-cream amongst the crowd of adults. Various shots follow of the racecourse crowd, the “parked” banners, people enjoying picnics, holding balloons. A band’s brass instruments are discarded beneath a banner. One of the banner bearers looks out over the crowd. Close-ups of children enjoying the Gala. A clown musician entertains the crowd. Women in summer frocks sip soft drinks at a stall. A man sells balloons at the racecourse.
People make their way back along the streets after the event, the focus on some of the children in the crowd. A balloon seller in a toy clown’s hat blows up a balloon. A child clings on to his balloon decorated with two caricature African boys.
Back at the racecourse, there are still crowds enjoying the day, a Valentines ice cream van parked at the edge of the field.
Title: As evening falls we go on downstream once more for a last look at the Cathedral –
General views of Elvet Bridge at dusk, and of Durham Cathedral.
Title: From here to the sea industry is more and more in evidence but there is also much that is worth seeing. Historic castles and houses – Lumley, Lambton, Hylton –
General views of Lumley Castle and Lambton Castle. Close-ups of heraldic details on the west façade of Hylton castle. There are also shots of the Washington Arms pub and Washington Old Hall.
Title: Ancient religious establishments, some in ruins, as at Finchale and Hylton, others still in use –
There are shots of the Finchale Priory ruins and a church board for the Parish Church of Saint Paul Jarrow, “The Home of the Venerable Bede from AD 685 – 735”. General views of the church follow. A man wanders around the ruins of St Paul’s monastery next to the church.
Next, there’s a sign for Monkwearmouth Parish Church and general views follow.
Title: In its last few miles before Sunderland and its shipping the river still has pleasant reaches with their own kinds of activity –
Pleasure boats, speedboats, a water skier and canoeist enjoy leisure time on the River Wear, towards the outskirts of Sunderland.
Shot from across the river, general view of Penshaw Monument, a Victorian folly replica of an ancient Greek temple with Doric columns, on Penshaw Hill between the districts of Washington and Houghton-le-Spring,
Title: High above them stands Penshaw’s never completed monument and from it Durham’s coastline is in view. It stretches from the Tyne’s mouth in the north to the Tees in the south.
After a general view of the countryside, this section looks at coastline locations starting at a quite empty beach at South Shields looking towards Tynemouth, sailing on a river, Marsden Rock with its distinctive arch down the coast south of South Shields, various sandy coves moving down the coast, sand dunes, and a children’s competition on a beach, perhaps a treasure hunt. On an empty beach (not identified) an old boat has been transformed into a home, its chimney smoking. There’s also a shot of the Roker lighthouse at the end of a harbour breakwater.
Title: - and, midway along this coast, past the ships and cranes of Sunderland, our travels come to an end as our river comes to the sea –
Shipyards and cranes line the banks and coast at the mouth of the River Wear. There’s a shot of the harbour and Roker Lighthouse. The film ends with a shot zooming out to the North Sea.
Title: Our journey downstream has revealed a little of non-industrial Durham. To anyone who did not know this historic country, we hope it may be a signpost to many more discoveries.
Title: The End
[The quilter is Sarah Annie Peart and her grandaughters. She lived at The Garage, Hood Street, St John's Chapel and her husband, Joseph Emerson Peart had the first ambulance in the Dale and was also a Wesleyan preacher.]
Context
Wanderlust along the Wear
Retired 1930s dance band musician and director George Cummin takes a meditative trip along the River Wear on a tireless mission to promote the picturesque and resourceful rural North East. Banners and brass and North Country quilters are featured; just some of the working class traditions and crafts encountered on the trip. Shot in Kodachrome, the rich colour of rural Weardale is brought to life in this filmic endeavour to show a less industrial, more elegant side...
Wanderlust along the Wear
Retired 1930s dance band musician and director George Cummin takes a meditative trip along the River Wear on a tireless mission to promote the picturesque and resourceful rural North East. Banners and brass and North Country quilters are featured; just some of the working class traditions and crafts encountered on the trip. Shot in Kodachrome, the rich colour of rural Weardale is brought to life in this filmic endeavour to show a less industrial, more elegant side of the north east. George Cummin made this film during his association with Newcastle & District Amateur Cinematographers (ACA). For more information about this cine club check out this article on our website http://www.yorkshirefilmarchive.com/news/newcastle-district-aca-treasures-cine-club-world. He was a professional saxophonist and a reserve fireman during World War Two and started making films in 1933, working on documentary and fiction films into the 1960s. The Newcastle & District ACA has been making cine stories and capturing the north east on film for nearly a century. It is the sole survivor of the five original ACA organisations in Britain, first set up in 1927. Downstream through Durham can be described as a travelogue, a film which promotes travel or tourist attractions generally, while avoiding the recommendation of particular tour operators. A travelogue film is an early form of travel documentary, acting as an exploratory ethnographic film. Since the late nineteenth century, travelogues have allowed the public to observe different towns, countries and cultures and are now considered to be a form of ‘virtual tourism.’ As with historical travelogues, such as this film, we are now also able to become tourists of the past, observing the natural delights and cultural heritage of a bygone Weardale. Throughout the film, we are taken on a tour of local villages, notably St. John’s Chapel situated deep in the Pennines and south of the River Wear. Originally a medieval hunting stop, the village grew to become a lead mining centre after 1600. St John's Chapel was the penultimate stop of the Weardale Extension Railway, which opened on 21 October 1895. The line was mainly used as a freight line to carry limestone, iron and lead ore and fluorspar to the industrial areas of the north east. The line closed to freight in 1963, but closed to passengers in 1953, meaning by the time this film was made, the village would not have been reachable by train. While in St John’s Chapel, we see local quilter Sarah Annie Peart and her granddaughters who display the handcrafted quilts they have made and the motifs and stitching which appear on them. Passed on through the generations, patchwork and quilting have been practised as practical and decorative crafts for centuries. Heavily associated with the folk crafts of Wales, the Scottish Borders and the North Country, each area developed their own particular style and popular motifs. The late 19th to the early 20th centuries saw the heyday of the ‘Wholecloth’ quilt. North Country quilts, sometimes referred to as Durham quilts (despite being made across the counties of Northumberland, Durham and Yorkshire), became well known for their impressive, usually large and elaborate centre design, with motifs of flat irons, roses, feathers, twisted ropes, leaves and ferns. North Country quilts are whole cloth quilts, meaning instead of being crafted from scraps of fabric to make a patchwork, they are made from a continuous piece of fabric. In keeping with most historic crafts, the fabric used would traditionally be cheap and readily available, usually cotton, the exception being the cheaper-made utility ‘stripy’ quilt (Moss). We are shown several churches throughout the film. Nestled in the hills of Weardale, the Grade II listed Church of St. Mary and St. Stephen in Wolsingham was entirely rebuilt in 1848 by W. Nicholson, with the exception of the lower stage of the tower which dates from the late twelfth century and is in the Norman Transition style. The rest of the church is in the Early English style, comprising nave, north and south aisles, chancel, and tower (“Wolsingham”). Founded in c.670-675 and now a Grade I listed building, Escomb Church is one of the oldest Anglo-Saxon churches in England and one of only three complete Anglo-Saxon churches remaining in England. Much of the stone came from the nearby Roman Fort of Vinovia at Binchester. On the south wall is a 7th or early 8th Century sundial, and on the north wall is a reused Roman stone with the markings “LEG VI” (Sixth Legion) set upside down. The church was restored in 1875-1880 by RJ Johnson, and in 1965 by Sir Albert Richardson (“Escomb Saxon Church”). Some simple Gothic windows were inserted in the 13th century and the south porch was built in the 14th century. In the 19th century more windows were inserted and a new door was installed in the porch, but the majority of the windows are original Anglo-Saxon work and the church is little changed from when it was built. Similarly, St. Peter’s Church in Monkwearmouth is shown in the film, which also has its origins in the Anglo-Saxon period, but which was adapted into the Gothic style throughout the 13th and 14th centuries. Formerly known as St Gregory’s, St Mary’s Church in the village of Staindrop is considered a mediaeval gem, architecturally based on an eighth century Saxon foundation. The village itself has a history of neolithic activity, but expansion of the village would have taken place during Roman times, as evidenced by the nearby settlements and roads. It is thought this church would have resembled the church at Escomb. Tucked away on the banks of the River Wear we see the extensive remains of Finchale Priory. Founded in 1196, the Priory sits on the site of the hermitage of St Godric, a former sailor and merchant. The Priory was affiliated with Durham Cathedral and functioned as a holiday retreat for the monks of Durham until its suppression in 1538. We also see the ruins of the monastery at St Paul’s Church in Jarrow dating back to 681. The monastery was the home to the Venerable Bede from 685-735, whose bones now lie in the Galilee Chapel of Durham Cathedral. The outstandingly preserved Raby Castle was built for the mighty Nevill dynasty in the 14th century, though its history dates back almost 1000 years, having been built on the former estate of the Viking King Cnut (also known as Canute II the Great), self-appointed 'Emperor of the North.' The Castle was defended in the Civil War of 1569, often referred to as the 'Rising of the North,' but remained relatively unchanged until rebuilding took place in the 18th and 19th centuries. Raby Castle has an imposing exterior complete with medieval towers, turrets and embattled walls. Also featured in the film is Brancepeth Castle, first constructed during the mid-12th century. Home of the Dobson family since 1978, the castle has a dynamic history and has frequently changed hands and use. Brancepeth’s ownership passed through the hands of the Neville dynasty who used it as a stronghold of their estate, and in the mid-20th-century the castle was used by the British army as a research station. Despite its long history, the castle has often been dismissed by architectural historians as a ‘sham’ castle due to the extensive re-modelling undertaken in the 19th century. Brancepeth provides a dramatic backdrop to the folk dancing on display in the 1951 film Brancepeth, Durham County Federation of Women's Institutes, Folk Dancing held in the NEFA collection. Though the film’s intention was to showcase the non-industrial heart of the north east, we are shown the quarrying of ganister, a hard, fine-grained sandstone typically used for firebrick to line furnaces in the steel works. We see the ganister quarried using a combination of explosives and manual tools, before the stone is rinsed with water and loaded onto the waiting trucks. As we are told in the film, the quarrying of ganister is an industry ‘peculiar’ to Durham. The mining of fluorite, or fluorspar as it is referred to in the film, is also a local industry which serves the steel works. It is possible this is Blackdene mine (closed 1987) due to its close proximity to the village of St John’s Chapel which we see immediately after the mining footage. The mining of lead, zinc and fluorite in the North Pennines is well documented, going back at least 700 years and possibly back to Roman times. The discovery in 1880 of the fluxing properties of fluorspar in steel making revived the mining industry and fluorspar mining began in 1882 by the Weardale Lead Company, who remained the principal producers throughout the first half of the 20th Century. Fluorspar production in Weardale ended in 1999 with the closure of Frazer’s Hush mine in Rookhope (“Weardale”). The first Miners’ Gala was held on August 12, 1871, in Wharton Park, Durham. The annual event, which still runs to this day, began as a campaign by Northern mine workers to lobby pit bosses, who met regularly at the Royal County Hotel to set wages. Always a political rally as well as a celebration of men who contributed so much to the nation’s wealth, it attracted quarter of a million people at its peak and was fondly remembered as “bigger than Christmas” in its 1950s heyday. Left-wing politicians and trades union leaders continue to cheer on the parade of brass bands and banners that present “a colourful tapestry of working class history” when gathered at the old Durham Racecourse. Death of a Working Man by artist Grayson Perry was made in response to the culture of the north east and the iconic miners’ banners which continue to hold significance to many people. Perry’s own take on this tradition was inspired by his exploration of modern masculinity for the 2016 TV series Grayson Perry: All Man. After visiting the Durham Miners’ Gala, Perry had been struck by the banners, describing them as “brilliant folk art – fantastic, powerful pieces.” The banners symbolise a bygone life and industry. New banners continue to be made to replace those worn with age and are blessed every year in Durham Cathedral. Death of a Working Man bears the words: “A time to fight. A time to talk. A time to change. We work for the future and grieve for the past.” The banner, which was aptly displayed in the Cathedral in 2017 as part of the Textiles exhibition, includes familiar symbols of the north east including the Angel of the North, the Tyne Bridge and Durham Cathedral (Whetstone). References: “A Brief History of Patchwork & Quilting.” The Quilters Guild. https://www.quiltersguild.org.uk/learn/a-brief-history-of-patchwork-quilting “Brancepeth Castle.” http://www.brancepethcastle.org.uk/ “Escomb Saxon Church” https://escombsaxonchurch.co.uk/about-the-church/ Moss, Pippa. “The difference between Welsh and Durham Quilts.” Welsh Quilts, Durham Quilts and the British Tradition of Bellringing, 2012. http://welshquilts.blogspot.com/2012/01/difference-between-welsh-and-durham.html “Raby Castle.” http://www.rabycastle.com/history “St Mary’s Church, Staindrop.” https://www.stmarysstaindrop.org.uk/Staindrop/St_Marys_Staindrop.html “Weardale.” Steetley Minerals. http://www.rock-site.co.uk/cms.php?id_cms=11 Whetstone, David. “Grayson Perry banner goes on show with ancient textile relics at Durham Cathedral.” Chronicle, 2016. https://www.chroniclelive.co.uk/whats-on/arts-culture-news/grayson-perry-banner-goes-show-12127571 “Wolsingham.” UK & Ireland Genealogy. https://www.genuki.org.uk/big/eng/DUR/Wolsingham |