Byers Green

infobox UK place
country = England
official_name= Byers Green
latitude= 54.701
longitude= -1.653
civil_parish=
population = 672 [ [http://www.durham.gov.uk/durhamcc/usp.nsf/Lookup/Sedgefield%20Settlement%20Summary%20Sheets%20Numbers/$file/Sedgefield+Settlement+Summary+Sheets+Numbers.pdf Settlement Summary Sheets.xls ] ]
shire_district= Sedgefield
shire_county= County Durham
region= North East England
constituency_westminster= Bishop Auckland
post_town= SPENNYMOOR
postcode_district= DL16
postcode_area= DL
dial_code= 01388
os_grid_reference= NZ223340

Byers Green is a village in County Durham, in England. It is situated to the north of Bishop Auckland, between Willington and Spennymoor, and a short distance from the River Wear.

Thomas Wright, (1711-1786) a famous 18th century astronomer, architect and mathematician was born and died here. He was one of the first scientists to suggest a theory for the origin of the Milky Way.

Harold Orton, a noted 20th century linguist and English dialectologist was also born here.Sir Percy Cradock, GCMG, a senior British civil servant, was born 26 October 1923 in Byers Green. He was educated at Alderman Wraith Grammer School, Spennymoor followed by St John's College, Cambridge where he read law. Cradock held a number of senior diplomatic posts including Ambassador to China. Later in his career he was labelled by the media as the 'UK's most senior spy' because he chaired the Joint Intelligence Committee (UK) under Margaret Thatcher's government.

It is not known whether there was a village at Byers Green in the Anglo-Saxon period. The village name is quite late; it was first recorded in 1345 as Bires. It is probably the exact equivalent of the modern word 'byres'. The village name thus means '(the green by the) cowsheds'.

Byers Green remained a farming area throughout the medieval period and into 16th and 17th century. Most people would have worked on the land.

References