Archdeacon Newton

Archdeacon Newton is a hamlet and rural parish of several farms in the borough of Darlington and the ceremonial county of County Durham, in England. The population taken at the 2011 Census was less than 100. Details are maintained in the parish of Walworth. It is associated with an abandoned village site under pasture and farm buildings, This is a small hamlet incorporating Hall Farm, Garthorne Farm and Townend Farm on an approach road south of Newton Lane. It is the focus of the parish of Archdeacon Newton rural ward, and its councillor is Rosalind Tweddle. It is situated on flat land to the north-west of the Branksome suburb of Darlington, and to the north-west of the A1 road. At Cockerton near the southern end of Newton Lane and to the south-east of the hamlet is its namesake, the Archdeacon pub; Michael Perry, Archdeacon of Durham, posed for the sign in 1980, although the sign has since been replaced.

Demographics

History

The hamlet apparently once contained a chapel; although it was once part of Darlington parish. The area enclosed by Townend Farm and Archdeacon Newton's approach road to the west, Newton Lane to the north, and Hall Farm to the south contains the site of a medieval abandoned village, with visible earthworks in pasture at the northern end and farm buildings at the southern end of the site: The 1851 census shows residents with surnames of Brown and Geldart or Geldert.

Archaeological sites and finds

The manor of this village survives at Hall Farm as a farm building with some medieval features, and an adjacent farm building was probably once an early 16th-century house. Apart from these buildings, the abandoned village is indicated by earthworks of a medieval moated site and enclosures. There are also indications of three fish ponds, of which one is still a duck pond, An undated trench for electricity supply was dug at Hall Farm at the southern end of the hamlet's approach road, surveyed by an archaeological watching brief, but nothing of historical interest was found.

Old Hall and moated site

thumb|right|Hall Farm with Old Hall to its right

The Old Hall, one of the farm buildings at the centre of Hall Farm, is a surviving medieval domestic building or manor house, probably dating from the 14th century and remodelled in the 16th and 17th century. It was burned and then re-roofed in the early 21st century, and no internal partitions survive. This is a two-storey listed building which was converted to a barn in the 19th century, has a Welsh slate roof and seven internal bays. It is built of squared and rubble masonry with ashlar dressing. The structure includes medieval and Tudor carved stone, including mullions and fireplaces. Buttresses, broken arches and fireplaces of the manor are still standing and are incorporated in the Old Hall. It is by , containing two Tudor fireplaces, with the remains of archways on the outside walls at each end.

Chapel

It is thought that the chapel was on the high triangular platform at the north end of the site and on the south side of Newton Lane.

References

External links

Map of Archdeacon Newton
Old map of Archdeacon Newton, 1896–1913
Walks around the Borough of Darlington: No.6, Archdeacon Newton & Walworth (online leaflet)
14-mile (23 km) circular cycle route from Darlington, taking in Archdeacon Newton