From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Human settlement in England
Westgate
is a village in the
civil parish
of
Stanhope
, in
County Durham
, England. It is situated in
Weardale
between
St John's Chapel
and
Eastgate
. In the
2001 census
Westgate had a population of 298.
[1]
Westgate is also the entrance to Slitt wood and an old abandoned lead mine. Other features of the village include a caravan site and a football and basketball court.
Westgate Castle was a
peel tower
-cum-hunting lodge, probably built in the 14th century, and forming the western gatehouse (hence the name) of Stanhope
Deer Park
owned by the
Bishop of Durham
.
[2]
In 1442 the building was granted to Lord Lumley and used for
forest courts
and administration, but later served as a residence. By 1647 the 'castle' had become ruinous and was 'now demolished' although the 'crumbling walls of an old castle at Westgate' are mentioned in 1791.
[3]
[4]
[5]
There is a
Primitive Methodist chapel
built 1871 and incorporating an earlier chapel built in 1824.
[6]
The Anglican parish church of St Andrew was built in 1864 by Robert Jewell Withers (1824?1894).
[7]
Weardale Railway
[
edit
]
The village was once served by a
railway station
on the
Weardale Railway
that ran up the valley to Wearhead. The line has been preserved and runs between
Bishop Auckland
and nearby
Eastgate-In-Weardale
; the former Westgate station is closed and under different use.
References
[
edit
]
External links
[
edit
]
Media related to
Westgate, County Durham
at Wikimedia Commons