Diocese of Durham

Tudhoe is a village in County Durham, in England. It is situated approximately 8 km (5.0 mi) south of the city of Durham. It lies just outside Spennymoor, a short distance to the west of the Great North Road. The village is now a quiet backwater, its green a cul-de-sac that runs down from the main road towards the River Wear. In former times, however, Tudhoe lay at the centre of a network of roads: one ran to Durham by way of Sunderland Bridge and Croxdale, another to Kirk Merrington, a third to Bishop Auckland, a fourth to Whitworth and Byers Green, and a fifth across a ford to Brancepeth Castle and village on the far side of the river. All except the Brancepeth road are shown, somewhat schematically, on Thomas Jeffrey's map of County Durham of 1758. Tudhoe is now dwarfed by Spennymoor, an industrial town that grew up around the Tudhoe iron works in the 19th century. The modern town of Spennymoor lies only a few fields from Tudhoe, but the contours are such that it cannot be seen from most of the village, and Tudhoe today gives the impression that it is still an isolated country village. For most of its history, Tudhoe has been in the parish of Brancepeth. The parish church of St Brandon's, dating from the 16th century, was one of the finest village churches in County Durham until its destruction by fire in 1998. Brancepeth lies across the River Wear from Tudhoe; there has never been a bridge, and the ford was not an easy one. In winter, it was often impassable, and Tudhoe baptisms, weddings and burials then took place at Whitworth. Because of this, Tudhoe was always seen (from Brancepeth) as an isolated outpost. Tudhoe's own Anglican churches, Holy Innocents and St David's, were not built until 1866 and 1880, respectively, though there is a large Catholic church, dedicated to St. Charles Borromeo, which was founded in 1858. Tudhoe was renowned as a mining village until the end of the 20th century. Until the closure of the mines, the wealthy Colliery Masters took up residence in a grand mansion known as The Loggins, which stands in several acres of its own land and overlooks the area. Tudhoe United FC are the local football team and play in Spennymoor Sunday League.

Spennymoor Town Football Club is a football club based in Spennymoor, County Durham, England. They currently compete in the National League North, the sixth tier of English football, and play their home matches at the Brewery Field. The club began playing in the Northern League in 1931–32 as Evenwood Town, reaching the first round of the FA Cup in the 1956–57 season. In 2005, the club merged with Spennymoor United, who had folded earlier that year, and collectively changed their name to Spennymoor Town.

Croxdale railway station served the village of Croxdale, County Durham, England from 1872 to 1938 on the East Coast Main Line.

Croxdale is a village in the civil parish of Croxdale and Hett, situated about 3 miles (4.8 km) south of Durham City, in County Durham , England and on the A167 road, formerly part of the Great North Road. It is on the route of the East Coast Main Line and at one time had a station. The railway crosses over Croxdale Viaduct, built in 1872, just north of the village. The Weardale Way long distance footpath passes through the nearby Croxdale Hall estate.

Mount Pleasant is a village in County Durham, in England. It is situated immediately to the north-east of Spennymoor, close to Tudhoe.

Spennymoor is a town and civil parish in County Durham, England. It is south of the River Wear and is 7 mi (11 km) south of Durham. The civil parish includes the villages of Kirk Merrington, Middlestone Moor, Byers Green and Tudhoe.

Sunderland Bridge is a village in the civil parish of Croxdale and Hett, in the County Durham district, in the ceremonial county of Durham, England. It is about 3 miles (4.8 km) south of Durham city. In 1961 the parish had a population of 907.The village takes its name from a grade I listed bridge just outside the village. Sunderland meaning sundered or separated land, in this case parish lands separated from the parish of St Oswald's in Durham City, by the River Wear. The village is home to St Bartholomew's Church, a Victorian church built between 1843 and 1846 (by George Pickering) and extended between 1876 and 1878 (by C.H. Fowler), with the addition of a new nave and chancel. The church was built to serve the new settlement of Croxdale Colliery which had rapidly developed less than half a mile south of the village to house workers for the new mine workings in the area (now simply known as Croxdale). The land for the church was given by the Salvin family of nearby Croxdale Hall in exchange for the old chapel on the Croxdale estate. The churchyard is the resting place of James Finlay Weir Johnston the founding father of Durham Johnston School in near by Durham.

Tudhoe Grange is a suburb of Spennymoor, in County Durham, in England. Originally it was just a couple of farms on the edge of Tudhoe township, swallowed up as Spennymoor expanded through the 19th and 20th centuries, especially by housing for workers at Tudhoe Iron Works. The area included Tudhoe Grange School, formally Tudhoe Grange Comprehensive School. After the 100 year anniversary of its opening, Tudhoe Grange School closed in September 2012. Present students joined and moved sites to Spennymoor School, where the newly refurbished site was named as Whitworth Park School and Sixth Form College in 2012. The school is now named Whitworth Park Academy.

Spennymoor Town Hall is a municipal building in Spennymoor, County Durham, England. The town hall is the meeting place of Spennymoor Town Council.

Spennymoor railway station served the town of Spennymoor, County Durham, England from 1845 to 1952 on the Byers Green Branch of the Clarence Railway.

Croxdale and Hett is a civil parish in County Durham, England. It is situated approximately four miles south of Durham. The population of the civil parish as taken at the 2011 census was 866.The parish comprises the settlements of: Croxdale Hett Sunderland BridgeFor electoral purposes the parish is divided into two wards: Hett — covers the village of Hett and elects three parish councillors. Sunderland Bridge — covers the villages of Croxdale and Sunderland Bridge and elects six parish councillors.Labour currently has a majority on the parish council.

The Browney train crash occurred near to the Browney signal box on the East Coast Main Line, County Durham, England on 5 January 1946. A southbound goods train split in two, with the rear portion accelerating downhill and crashing into the front portion of the train, which had been stopped by the signaller to inform the driver that the train was split into two. The wreckage of the goods train was then hit by an express train heading north from London King's Cross, killing ten people and seriously wounding 18 others.