Medomsley is a village in County Durham, England, about 2 miles (3 km) northeast of the centre of Consett, 1+1⁄2 miles (2 km) south of Hamsterley and 1 mile (2 km) southeast of Ebchester.
Medomsley is about 778 feet (237 m) above sea level, atop a hill overlooking the Derwent Valley. The village has views of the Pennines and the surrounding countryside for miles around.
The Boldon Book of 1183 records Medomsley as Medomesley. The Vita S Godrici, written in 1190, records it as Madmeslei.[1] The placename is derived from Old English and may mean the “middlemost clearing” or “Maethhelm’s clearing”.[2]
Parish church
The interior of St Mary Magdalene Church, before 1914
Medomsley's church served many inhabitants of Shotley Bridge for baptisms, marriages and burials until the creation of Shotley Bridge parish in the 19th century. The sword-makers of Shotley Bridge were frequent visitors of the church, and the parish registers record many of these events.[citation needed]
There were two collieries near the village: Medomsley Colliery southwest of the village and Derwent Colliery immediately to the north. Medomsley Colliery was opened in 1839.[6] It was also known as the Busty pit, and is not to be confused with South Medomsley Colliery near Annfield Plain. Derwent Colliery was opened in 1856.[7]
Coal left the two pits by rail. A 2-mile (3 km) freight-only railway ran south from Derwent Colliery via Medomsley Colliery to a junction west of Leadgate, where it joined the Stanhope and Tyne line of the North Eastern Railway.[8]
There were several mining accidents at the pits. One in 1923 killed eight miners.[9] In 1957, in another accident, two miners were rescued uninjured.[10]
The site was previously Medomsley Detention Centre, where some staff sexually and physically abused thousands of boys in the 1970s and 80s.[12][13][14] In 1988 the centre closed after the scandal of the paedophile officer Neville Husband.[15]
Hassockfield detention centre
The centre was re-opened in 1999. In 2004 Adam Rickwood, a resident of Hassockfield, committed suicide.[16] After this incident Hassockfield improved its performance, but it was closed again in 2015.
^"Medomsley: Prison officers who subjected vulnerable teenagers to daily abuse at detention centre jailed". Northern Echo. 4 April 2019. from the original on 5 April 2019.
^Allison, Eric (13 April 2012). "A true horror story: The abuse of teenage boys in a detention centre". The Guardian. Guardian Media Group. Retrieved 16 April 2012.
^H M Chief Inspector of Prisons (1986). Report on HM Detention Centre Medomsley. London: Home Office.
^"Medomsley detention centre saw hundreds sexually abused". BBC News. 12 March 2019. Retrieved 12 March 2019.
^"Unlawful force contributed to death of boy, 14, in cell". BBC News. 27 January 2011. Retrieved 12 March 2019.
Surtees, Robert (1820). "Chapelry of Medomsley". The History and Antiquities of the County Palatine of Durham. Vol. 2: Chester ward. London: Nichols & Son. pp. 284–297.
Watts, Victor (2002). A dictionary of County Durham place-names. Nottingham: English Place-Name Society. Medomsley. ISBN0904889653.
medomsley, village, county, durham, england, about, miles, northeast, centre, consett, miles, south, hamsterley, mile, southeast, ebchester, cottages, villagelocation, within, county, durhamos, grid, referencenz1254civil, parishunparishedunitary, authoritycoun. Medomsley is a village in County Durham England about 2 miles 3 km northeast of the centre of Consett 1 1 2 miles 2 km south of Hamsterley and 1 mile 2 km southeast of Ebchester MedomsleyCottages in the villageMedomsleyLocation within County DurhamOS grid referenceNZ1254Civil parishunparishedUnitary authorityCounty DurhamCeremonial countyCounty DurhamRegionNorth EastCountryEnglandSovereign stateUnited KingdomPost townConsettPostcode districtDH8PoliceDurhamFireCounty Durham and DarlingtonAmbulanceNorth EastUK ParliamentNorth West DurhamList of places UK England County Durham 54 53 02 N 1 48 58 W 54 883943 N 1 816195 W 54 883943 1 816195 Coordinates 54 53 02 N 1 48 58 W 54 883943 N 1 816195 W 54 883943 1 816195Medomsley is about 778 feet 237 m above sea level atop a hill overlooking the Derwent Valley The village has views of the Pennines and the surrounding countryside for miles around Contents 1 Toponym 2 Parish church 3 Notable people 4 Coal mining 5 Amenities 6 Youth detention centres 6 1 Medomsley Detention Centre 6 2 Hassockfield detention centre 7 References 8 Bibliography 9 External linksToponym EditThe Boldon Book of 1183 records Medomsley as Medomesley The Vita S Godrici written in 1190 records it as Madmeslei 1 The placename is derived from Old English and may mean the middlemost clearing or Maethhelm s clearing 2 Parish church Edit The interior of St Mary Magdalene Church before 1914 The Church of England parish church of St Mary Magdalene is a sandstone building completed in the 13th century In 1878 it was restored to designs by the architects HJ Austin RJ Johnson and WS Hicks who added a new roof chancel screen designed by Hicks and north aisle It is a Grade I listed building 3 Medomsley s church served many inhabitants of Shotley Bridge for baptisms marriages and burials until the creation of Shotley Bridge parish in the 19th century The sword makers of Shotley Bridge were frequent visitors of the church and the parish registers record many of these events citation needed Notable people EditThe antiquarian and physician Christopher Hunter 1675 1757 was born at Medomsley Hall 4 5 Coal mining EditThere were two collieries near the village Medomsley Colliery southwest of the village and Derwent Colliery immediately to the north Medomsley Colliery was opened in 1839 6 It was also known as the Busty pit and is not to be confused with South Medomsley Colliery near Annfield Plain Derwent Colliery was opened in 1856 7 Both pits were opened by Edward Richardson and Co The Consett Iron Company took them over in the 1860s They were nationalised in 1947 Coal left the two pits by rail A 2 mile 3 km freight only railway ran south from Derwent Colliery via Medomsley Colliery to a junction west of Leadgate where it joined the Stanhope and Tyne line of the North Eastern Railway 8 There were several mining accidents at the pits One in 1923 killed eight miners 9 In 1957 in another accident two miners were rescued uninjured 10 The National Coal Board closed Derwent Colliery in 1964 and Medomsley Colliery in 1972 It proposed opencast coal mining near Medomsley but in 1976 the Secretary of State for Energy Tony Benn rejected the proposal 11 Amenities EditThis section does not cite any sources Please help improve this section by adding citations to reliable sources Unsourced material may be challenged and removed December 2017 Learn how and when to remove this template message Scheduled bus services link Medomsley with Consett and Newcastle upon Tyne Medomsley has a cricket club at High Westwood that was founded in 1926 Youth detention centres EditThis section needs additional citations for verification Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources Unsourced material may be challenged and removed December 2017 Learn how and when to remove this template message Hassockfield youth detention centre is on a 33 acres 13 ha site on the edge of Medomsley Medomsley Detention Centre Edit Main article Medomsley Detention Centre The site was previously Medomsley Detention Centre where some staff sexually and physically abused thousands of boys in the 1970s and 80s 12 13 14 In 1988 the centre closed after the scandal of the paedophile officer Neville Husband 15 Hassockfield detention centre Edit The centre was re opened in 1999 In 2004 Adam Rickwood a resident of Hassockfield committed suicide 16 After this incident Hassockfield improved its performance but it was closed again in 2015 References Edit Ekwall 1960 Medomsley Watts 2002 Medomsley Historic England Church of St Mary Magdalene Grade I 1240478 National Heritage List for England Retrieved 1 December 2017 Dictionary of National Biography London Oxford University Press Retrieved 18 May 2013 Surtees 1820 pp 284 297 Medomsley Colliery Durham Mining Museum Retrieved 28 May 2013 Derwent Colliery Durham Mining Museum Retrieved 28 May 2013 One Inch Map of Great Britain Map Hexham 1947 52 ed 1 63 360 Seventh Series Chessington Ordnance Survey 1956 Sheet 77 The Times London 26 February 1923 p 12 The Times London 20 June 1957 p 4 The Times London 26 February 1976 p 3 Medomsley Prison officers who subjected vulnerable teenagers to daily abuse at detention centre jailed Northern Echo 4 April 2019 Archived from the original on 5 April 2019 Allison Eric 13 April 2012 A true horror story The abuse of teenage boys in a detention centre The Guardian Guardian Media Group Retrieved 16 April 2012 H M Chief Inspector of Prisons 1986 Report on HM Detention Centre Medomsley London Home Office Medomsley detention centre saw hundreds sexually abused BBC News 12 March 2019 Retrieved 12 March 2019 Unlawful force contributed to death of boy 14 in cell BBC News 27 January 2011 Retrieved 12 March 2019 Bibliography EditEkwall Eilert 1960 1936 Concise Oxford Dictionary of English Place Names 4th ed Oxford Oxford University Press Medomsley ISBN 0198691033 Pevsner Nikolaus Williamson Elizabeth revision 1983 1953 County Durham The Buildings of England 2nd ed Harmondsworth Penguin Books pp 362 363 ISBN 0 14 071009 4 Surtees Robert 1820 Chapelry of Medomsley The History and Antiquities of the County Palatine of Durham Vol 2 Chester ward London Nichols amp Son pp 284 297 Watts Victor 2002 A dictionary of County Durham place names Nottingham English Place Name Society Medomsley ISBN 0904889653 External links Edit Wikimedia Commons has media related to Medomsley Medomsley GENUKI Map sources for Medomsley Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Medomsley amp oldid 1063723267, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
