Cockfield, County Durham

Coordinates: 54°36′47″N 1°48′22″W / 54.61292°N 1.80616°W / 54.61292; -1.80616

Cockfield
Cockfield  Cockfield shown within County Durham
Population	1,545
OS grid reference	NZ126242
Unitary authority	County Durham
Ceremonial county	County Durham
Region	North East
Country	England
Sovereign state	United Kingdom
Post town	Bishop Auckland
Postcode district	Bishop Auckland
Dialling code	01388
Police	Durham
Fire	County Durham and Darlington
Ambulance	North East
EU Parliament	North East England
UK Parliament	Bishop Auckland
List of places: UK • England • County Durham

Church of St Mary the Virgin

Cockfield is a village on the edge of Teesdale, County Durham, England. It is situated 8 miles to the south-west of Bishop Auckland, 15 miles north-west of Darlington and 40 miles south-east of Newcastle-upon-Tyne. Remains found on Cockfield Fell suggest there was a settlement in the area during the Iron Age. The parish church, dedicated to St Mary the Virgin, probably dates from the late 12th century.

Coal mining began in the area in the medieval period. When the South West Durham coalfield was opened in the nineteenth and twentieth centuries the population of the village grew significantly. The last Coal Mine closed in 1962.

Notable residents

One of the more illustrious families to hail from Cockfield was the Dixon family. George Dixon (1731–1785) owned coal mines and was a keen inventor, and was probably the first to use coal gas for illumination.^[1] His brother Jeremiah Dixon (1733–1779), an astronomer, went to America with Charles Mason in 1763 to survey the boundaries of Maryland and Pennsylvania thereby creating the 'Mason-Dixon Line'.

Cockfield is a small village, in between Evenwood and Butterknowle

Local amenities

Public houses

There are three public houses in the village, the Queen's Head, the King's Head, and the Cockfield Working Men's Club.

Stores

There are two stores in the village of Cockfield, a Co-Operative and a newsagents.

Schools

The local primary school is Cockfield C of E Primary School.

Churches

The two churches that can be found in Cockfield are the CofE Church of Saint Mary the Virgin and the Cockfield Methodist Church.

References

1. ^ "From star-gazing to canal digging". The Northern Echo. Newsquest Media Group. http://archive.thenorthernecho.co.uk/2002/8/7/125478.html. Retrieved 2010-03-11. 

External links

Media related to Cockfield, County Durham at Wikimedia Commons