Bearpark

Bearpark is a village and civil parish in County Durham in England. It is situated two and a half miles west of Durham, and a short distance to the north of Ushaw Moor. The name may be a corruption of the French term Beau Repaire – meaning "beautiful retreat". Half a mile to the north of the present village lies the ruins of Beaurepaire Priory, built in 1258 by the Prior of Durham, Bertram de Middleton, as a retirement residence. The building was extended in the subsequent three centuries, becoming a retreat for the Durham monks in a similar way to the nearby Finchale Priory. The manor was largely destroyed by the Scots in 1640 and 1644 during the British Civil War.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref><ref>Template:Cite book</ref> In 1872, Theodore Fry was involved in founding the Bearpark Coal and Coke Company, which established a coal mine in Bearpark until 1984, when the mine was closed.

Bearpark Community Centre is at the hub of the local village, a red brick building originally built in 1921 as a miners' welfare hall. An old pit wheel stands in front of the building, a memorial to the village's mining history.

Bearpark featured on the BBC radio and television series Uncanny, citing the case of a Victorian boy haunting a house in the village.

Bearpark is the subject of a song by Durham-based band Prefab Sprout.<ref>Template:Cite AV media</ref>

References

• Margot Johnson. "Beaurepaire" in Durham: Historic and University City and surrounding area. Sixth Edition. Turnstone Ventures. 1992. Template:ISBN. Page 33.

4. ^ "A Mining World: The Story of Bearpark County Durham". Template:ISBN

External links

• Bearpark-Online : Many Photos of Bearpark and Beaurepaire
• Durham Mining Museum information on Bearpark Colliery
• Subterranea Britannica entry on Bearpark Station
• Keys to the Past's notes on Bearpark.
• City of Durham Council's notes on Beaurepaire

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