Stanley, County Durham

Stanley is a town and civil parish in the ceremonial county and district of County Durham, England. Centred on a hilltop between Chester-le-Street and Consett, Stanley lies south-west of Gateshead.

The local economy was once based on coal mining and other heavy industries. The core of the town began to grow in the nineteenth century through the expansion and merger of the mining villages of East Stanley and West Stanley. The civil parish, created in 2007, incorporates the town of Stanley and the villages of Annfield Plain, Bloemfontein, Catchgate, Clough Dene, Craghead, Greencroft, Harelaw, Kip Hill, New Kyo, No Place, Oxhill, Quaking Houses, Shield Row, South Moor, Tanfield, Tanfield Lea, Tantobie, The Middles, West Kyo and White-le-Head.

History
Some archaeological evidence, or possible evidence, of Iron Age and Roman activity has been found in the Stanley area.

Stanley was first mentioned in historical records in 1211. Stanley is referred to in an early thirteenth century episcopal actuma documented decision of Richard Poore, Bishop of Durham from 1228 to 1237. The actum, dated between 1228 and 1234, confirms the granting of the vill of Stanley and some land in Durham to William de Kilkenny. The town's name is derived from the Old English stān and lēah, meaning "stony woodland clearing".

The first printed map of the Bishopric of Durham was created in 1576. Published in 1579 as part of the cartographer Christopher Saxton's county atlas, it appears to show Stanley as "Standley". In 1611, John Speed, a famous English mapmaker who built on Saxton's work, created a map of the bishopric that also appears to show Stanley as "Standley".

The 1909 West Stanley Pit Disaster, one of the worst in the history of British coal mining, occurred at West Stanley Colliery on 16 February of that year. 168 men and boys were killed. An explosion at the same colliery in 1882 had killed 13 men. On 22 August 1947, an explosion at the Louisa Morrison Colliery killed 22 men.

Stanley was served by the Stanhope and Tyne Railway, which had two stations in the town: West Stanley, and Annfield Plain. Both closed in 1955.

Over recent decades, Stanley has suffered hard times economically, with the closure of the coal pits followed by the loss of major employers at Ever Ready in nearby Tanfield, as well as the closure of both the British Steel plant and Shotley Bridge General Hospital in the neighbouring town of Consett. Local businesses in Stanley town centre were also significantly affected by the development of the giant MetroCentre shopping complex in nearby Gateshead, with local trade decreasing as a result.

In 1999, the Harry Ramsden's fish-and-chips restaurant chain threatened to sue the eponymous owner of the "Harry Ramadan" fish-and-chip shop on Front Street for trademark infringement. The name was changed. In 2003, plans to convert a derelict hotel on the High Street into a club for swingers received numerous objections, and after the intervention of the then-district council, were dropped.

In 2005, the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister granted permission to plans to form a Stanley Town Council. This followed a campaign by local people, including a petition signed by more than 2,000 names, representing 10% of the population that would be covered by the new Town Council. Campaigners promised that the new Town Council would increase the pace of regeneration within the town.

The Stanley Blues Festival took place during the first weekend in August between 1993 and 2007, with appearances by local, national, and international blues artists and renowned musical acts. In 2005, The Animals played a well-received set. In early 2008, however, organisers announced that the Festival was to be discontinued due to insufficient funding.

In June 2008, an arson attack left a historic building on Front Street in ruins, along with a billiards club and several shops. In November 2008, the burnt buildings were demolished.

Stanley was renowned for an annual, two-week summer playscheme, which ran from 1972 to 2013. Based at the former Stanley Youth Centre, it was organised by a group of local people, and recruited international volunteers through VAP (Volunteer Action for Peaceformerly Youth Action for Peace). Children participated in games, activities, and trips to local cultural and leisure venues.

Stanley Youth Centre offered activities to young people Monday to Friday during school term as well as a summer programme. Located at the top of Tyne Road, facilities included a sports hall, pool table, table tennis, meeting rooms and coffee bar. The range of activities available included DJing, volunteering, the Duke of Edinburgh's Award, babysitting, first aid training, and youth work courses. The Centre closed in 2016 after many decades of work with young people.

In mid-2023, Stanley Town Council handed back Stanley Civic Hall, the town’s long-standing arts venue and community hub, to Durham County Council. Amidst political controversy, it closed shortly afterwards, and was put up for sale in early 2024. The Civic Hall was formerly known as the Lamplight Arts Centre, which opened in 1961. The Council had taken over its running in mid-2013. The Civic Hall hosted concerts, recitals, plays and shows in the Alun Armstrong Theatre, had an independent cinema, put on exhibitions, held classes and seminars, and was a weddings and corporate events venue.

In late 2023, the owners of the Beamish Football Centre training ground announced that government funding had been secured for a major refurbishment and upgrade, with work starting in 2024.

Local government
Stanley, whose boundaries have changed over the years, has successively been part of the Lanchester Poor Law Union (from 1837 onwards); Stanley Local Board (1892); Stanley Urban District (1894); Derwentside District (1974);  and County Durham (2009).

Stanley is in the UK parliamentary constituency of North Durham. Since 2001, this has been represented by MP Kevan Jones of the Labour Party.

Town Council
Since 2007, Stanley Town Council has provided the first tier of local government. The council has the statutory right to do whatever it considers will improve the economic, social or environmental well-being of the area. It has a duty to provide allotments and to consider the potential impact of every policy and action on reducing crime. The council's powers include the provision and maintenance of bus shelters, community centres, play areas and play equipment, and the awarding of grants to local community organisations. It can also issue fixed penalty fines for offences such as littering, graffiti, fly-posting, and contraventions of dog control orders.

The town council has 20 councillors, elected every four years by electors in the seven parish wards. The last election was in 2021 for the 20212025 term. Each year the councillors elect, from amongst themselves, a town mayor and deputy, and a council leader and deputy.

County Council
Durham County Council provides the second tier of local government. Eight Stanley town councillors serve on the county council. Its responsibilities include education, housing, social services, highways, planning, and refuse collection.

In May 2024, the county council became part of a new upper tier of local government, the North East Combined Authority, led by Mayor Kim McGuinness of the Labour Party.

Area Action Partnership (AAP)
The Stanley AAP, one of 14 in County Durham, is a non-political organisation and funding body engaged with tackling local issues. It involves members of the public and representatives of Durham County Council and Stanley Town Council, the police, the fire brigade, health, housing, and education providers, business, and voluntary organisations. Stanley AAP publishes a directory of local activities and advice and support services.

Economy
In recent decades, with the decline of traditional industries and the encroachment of large supermarkets and chain stores, 'Old Stanley' has declined, with many locally owned shops and pubs closing.

The town's main shopping area, Front Street, is pedestrianised, housing independent shops alongside large chains such as Boots. A market is held on Front Street on Thursdays and Saturdays, although this has become smaller in recent years. There are also supermarkets such as Asda, Aldi and Iceland located within the town. Tesco planned to construct a new supermarket on the Clifford Road Retail Complex site, which had previously housed Kwik Save, Presto, a furniture shop, and an indoor market. Tesco sold the land to TJ Morris and the former Kwik Save site was then redeveloped into a large Home Bargains store, opening in July 2018. The store created 60 new jobs for the area.

Stanley has also added a Domino's, a larger Greggs store (both opening December 2022) and a drive-thru Starbucks (opened in March 2023) in a newly developed site off of Agnes Street. The front street area, however, continues to be defined by its derelict buildings including the old school building which sits in the centre of the Front Street and has remained unoccupied for decades.

Refurbishment of Stanley town centre in the past 20 years has seen the opening of a new solar-powered bus interchange and an extension to the Louisa Centre leisure facility incorporating a new town swimming pool. A new health centre, Stanley Primary Care Centre, was opened in February 2010 along with a Sure Start children's centre.

Transport links
Stanley is 4 miles from Junction 63 of the A1(M) motorway. Stanley Bus Station is an interchange for bus services which is served by several operators. The nearest railway stations to the town are Chester-le-Street, Durham and Dunston. The town is also close to Newcastle International Airport.

Education
As well as a number of primary schools, Stanley has two secondary schools. These are:
 * North Durham Academy (in South Stanley – connected to South Stanley Infants and Juniors)
 * Tanfield School, (in Tanfield next to Stanley)

The town is also served by St Bede's Catholic School and Sixth Form College, based in the nearby village of Lanchester.

Leisure


The C2C Cycle Route skirts Stanley to the north. This 140-mile (230 km) route links Whitehaven (Cumberland) on England's north-west coast with Roker Beach (Sunderland) on the north-east coast. The Louisa Centre, a sports and leisure complex, contains a gym, a 25-metre swimming pool (with a 300-seat spectators' gallery), a small pool, a sports hall, a shooting range, a soft play area, a nursery, meeting rooms, a café, and Stanley Library.

The Stanley Indoor Bowls Centre, with a large arena and grandstand, offers play for people of all ages and abilities. Inaugurated in 1977, it has hosted several top-level international events. The Centre also provides meeting facilities for a range of community groups and clubs, and can be hired for private functions.

Youth clubs and activities for children
Under the umbrella of SAYC, the Stanley Area Youth Consortium, trips and activities for children and young people in the wider Stanley area are offered by an array of youth clubs and voluntary associations.

These include Stanley Young People’s Club, focused on the South Stanley and South Moor areas; Oxhill Youth Club, founded in 1962, which runs the Duke of Edinburgh's Award scheme locally; the Activity Den, based in Tanfield Lea, active for nearly 20 years; Beamish Community Football Club; PACT House, a community hub; and several community halls, schools, and churches.

Notable people

 * John Curr (c. 1756–1823), born in West Kyo, managed the Duke of Norfolk's collieries in Sheffield from 1781 to 1801. Several of his technological innovations contributed to the development of the coal-mining industry.
 * John Buddle (1773–1843), born in West Kyo, was a prominent mining engineer and entrepreneur who helped improve the safety of coal-mining. His innovations included the use of the Davy Lamp.
 * Jonathan Rodham (1843–1917), who lived in Oxhill before emigrating to the USA, was Hillary Clinton's great-grandfather.
 * Thomas "Tommy" Armstrong (1848–1920), famed as a song-writer and music-hall performer, lived for most of his life in Tanfield Lea. He was known as "The Pitman Poet" and "The Bard of the Northern Coalfield".
 * David Horsley (1873–1933), born in Stanley, was a founder of the Hollywood-based US film industry.
 * Frank Keegan (?–1916), from West Stanley, was one of the heroes of the 1909 West Stanley Pit disaster and Kevin Keegan's grandfather.
 * Michael Heaviside (1880–1939), a miner who lived in Craghead, served in the Durham Light Infantry during the First World War, and in 1917 was awarded the Victoria Cross for his heroism during the Battle of Arras.
 * Joseph Crawford (1910–1997), born in New Kyo, was a coal miner and trade unionist who became general secretary of NACODS, the National Association of Colliery Overmen, Deputies and Shotfirers (1960–1973), and was president of the Trades Union Congress (TUC) in 1973.
 * Tom Lamb (1928–2016) was a miner at Craghead Colliery and an artist who sketched and painted the underground life of miners as well as County Durham landscapes.
 * Alun Armstrong (born 1946) is an actor from Annfield Plain.
 * Micky Horswill (born 1953), from Annfield Plain, is a former professional footballer who played as a midfielder for Sunderland, Manchester City, Plymouth Argyle, Hull City, Happy Valley (Hong Kong) and Carlisle United.
 * Kim Darroch (born 1954), from South Stanley, was Britain's ambassador to the United States from 2016 to 2019.
 * Mak Wilson (born 1957), from Shield Row, was a puppeteer for Jim Henson's Creature Shop and the BBC, working on films including Labyrinth, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, Babe, and Muppets Most Wanted.
 * Yvonne Ridley (born 1958), from Stanley, a journalist, author, and politician, was held captive by the Taliban in Afghanistan for 11 days in 2001.
 * Glenn McCrory (born 1964), from Annfield Plain, was the IBF cruiserweight champion from 1989 to 1990.
 * Brian Tinnion (born 1968) is a former Newcastle United and Bristol City footballer from Burnopfield.
 * Carly Telford (born 1987), from Tanfield, is a former professional footballer who played as a goalkeeper for Notts County Ladies F.C., Chelsea, and the England women's national football team.
 * Lewis Miley (born 2006), from Stanley, is a professional footballer who plays mainly for Newcastle United and the England under-20 national team.

Pit disasters
There are two memorials to the 1909 West Stanley Pit Disaster: one unveiled in 1913, four years after the event, and another unveiled in 1995, 86 years after. In addition, a memorial headstone to mark the mass graves of those who died was dedicated in 2005. A memorial to the 1947 Louisa Morrison Pit Disaster was unveiled in 1997 on the fiftieth anniversary of the event, and re-dedicated in 2018 after it was moved to another site.

Wars
South Moor Memorial Park was opened in 1920 and dedicated to the memory of employees of the South Moor Colliery Company who died in WWI. It was rededicated in 1950 to also commemorate those who died in WWII.

The Masonic Hall in Stanley has a plaque commemorating members of the Coronation Lodge who served or were killed in WWI.

Commemorations
Armed Forces Day, an official UK event, is observed on the last Saturday in June.

Miners' Sunday, a celebration of Stanley's heritage, takes place in late August.