IMAGES TAKEN NEAR TO
Mitchell Street, STANLEY, DH9 7SX

Land on the trackbed of the former Consett and Sunderland railway at Annfield Plain was sold off for housing, but a narrow pathway was retained alongside to carry the C2C (National Cycle Network route 7).

A view looking north along the village main street from the corner of West Road. The big building in the centre is The Queens Head Hotel. The building on the right was once a bank, one of two bank branches in the village. Both now closed, unfortunately.

In the centre of Annfield Plain, at the north end of the main street. These houses were built a few years ago on the site of a famous old pub which unfortunately burned down. It was called the Stanhope and Tyne Railway Inn and was built in the 1830's when the railway opened. There was very little else in Annfield Plain at the time. The village name came from the inclined plane up the Loud Bank where a steam engine hauled the trucks up the slope on a wire rope.

The large, well dressed stones and angles in this front garden wall are the only indications that this is all that remains of the north east abutment of Station Road Bridge, which carried the Birtley, Annfield Plain and Consett railway over the northwest end of Durham Road adjacent to the junction with Station Road and Spring Close. The former railway is now only used by walkers, cyclists and horse riders exercising on the Consett and Sunderland Railway Path. There is an Ordnance Survey cut benchmark on one of the large stone quoins on the face of the wall (detail photograph Image).

Detail of the Ordnance Survey cut benchmark on the northeast buttress of Station Road Bridge in Annfield Plain. The benchmark marks a height of 235.6683m above mean sea level (Ordnance Datum Newlyn), last verified in 1962 (location photograph Image).

View SW, probably on the B6168 road. The station had been where the superstore is, or just behind it. It had been on the line to Consett from Newcastle via Birtley and Ouston Junction and closed to passengers on 23/5/55 (goods 10/8/64). The line through Annfield Plain had remained active for the iron ore traffic from Tyne Dock via South Pelaw Junction, until Consett Ironworks closed in 9/80.

Looking west along to the crossroads with West Road on the left and Front Street on the right. The street leading down from the left is Northgate. This is the centre of this former mining village.