Cockfield, County Durham
 | This article needs additional citations for verification. (February 2008) |
| Cockfield | |
|---|---|
| OS grid reference | NZ126242 |
| Unitary authority | |
| Ceremonial county | |
| Region | |
| Country | England |
| Sovereign state | United Kingdom |
| Police | Durham |
| Fire | County Durham and Darlington |
| Ambulance | North East |
Cockfield is a village on the edge of Teesdale, County Durham, in England. It is situated a few miles to the south-west of Bishop Auckland. Remains found on Cockfield Fell suggest there was a settlement during the area in 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.
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'.
Local Amenities
Public Houses
There are three Public Houses in the Village. These are The Queens Head, The Kings Head, and The Cockfield Working Men's Club.
Stores
There are two stores in the Village of Cockfield. These are, The Co-Operative and The Newsagents.
Schools
The local Primary School is called Cockfield C of E Primary School.
References
- ^ "From star-gazing to canal digging". The Northern Echo. Newsquest Media Group. Retrieved 2010-03-11.
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