Fencehouses: Cattle Auction Market

Fencehouses Cattle Auction Market was known locally as the 'cattle mart' and was located adjacent to the railway station, directly behind Cork Cottage and the Chester-le-Street Co-operative Society Store. This location gave easy access to both the main road and the station/railway for the movement of livestock to and from the market.

The building was octagonal in shape and is pictured below. To the left, the rear of Cork Cottage can be seen and the large building in the right-hand background was the Chester-le-Street Co-operative Society Store, now B&S Stores. A car park now occupies this site.

It is unclear when the market was established in Fencehouses, the earliest reference found so far is 1882, when it was held fortnightly.

Below is the 1895 OS map of the area and the octagonal building can be seen behind Cork Cottage - note also the dotted path leading from the main road to the cottage. However, it is only marked as "Cattle Pens" which was the original purpose of this area - a holding area for cattle arriving and leaving via the railway. The image below-right is the same map with a modern map overlaid.

Although marked as "Cattle Pens" on the above (1895) map, it is interesting to note that there are structures here on the earliest maps of the area, although their purpose is unclear. Below is the 1857 map of the area with only Fencehouses Station and Hotel marked.

Above: the 1915 OS map is the first map to indicate the presence of an Auction Mart on this site. It also shows the early development of the site with the arrangement of animal stalls/pens around the octagonal building. However, it is evidenced from newspaper articles that auction marts had been taking place here since at least 1901 and that at that time it was held on a fortnightly-basis - see further below.

Above: OS map of 1940. The auction market area looks remarkably unchanged since the earlier map of 1915

The main entrance into the octagonal building was via a wide doorway at the rear. Large weighing machines were situated at the rear of the mart just inside the wide doorway. After entering, there was a set of tall iron gates in front of you which led into the central part of the building which consisted of a small circular ring which was used for parading the animals. The entrance gates could be closed to prevent animals from straying out of the ring. The ring was surrounded by a sturdy low fence behind which were three rows of wooden forms which were used as seating. These followed the general octagonal shape of the outer walls of the building. There was a small booth on the left-hand side when entering the building and this was used by the auctioneer during the sales. The building was lit by gas lamps in the early days but this was later replaced by electric lighting. The only daylight which entered was through the main doors and through glass panels on the roof. Above these panels at the top-most part of the roof was a square shaped ventilation tower.

Some early examples of newspaper articles which make reference to the auction mart:

Newcastle Daily Chronicle, 05 September 1882

Fence Houses Auction Mart

Usual fortnightly sale of cattle, cows, sheep and lambs, will take place on Monday, 11 Sept. at two o’clock. Entries respectfully solicited. Full particulars in future advertisements. Wormald and Chrystal, Auctioneers.

Newcastle Courant 05 September 1884

Chester-le-Street, Sept. 1. Mr James Turnbull held his fortnightly sale of stock today…….

….. The auctioneer announced his intention of re-opening Fence Houses mart. on Sept. 22nd and holding the same on alternate weeks to the Chester-le-Street sale.

Newcastle Courant, 23 September 1887

Opening of a Mart at Fence Houses

An auction mart was opened on Monday at Fence Houses by Mr Edmund Cook Wheater under circumstances which give promise of success. Thirty five beasts and upwards of 400 sheep and lambs were placed under the hammer. High prices were realised and the bidding was most spirited throughout the sale. The result was extremely satisfactory and there is no doubt that Fence Houses Mart will now become a permanent fixture. We can congratulate Mr Wheater on his success so far and entertain no fear as to his ability and tact enabling him to command patronage in the future. Below we append prices:- Young sheep and lambs, 7½d per lb; tups and ewes, 6d per lb; fat cattle from 7s 6d to 8s per stone; top prices for heifers, £14 2s 6d. Keeping lambs sold remarkably well, being quite 2s per head above last week’s market. Half-breds went for 20s, mules for 20s, cheviots for 11s 6d and young pigs for 26s 6d.

With reference to the above article, it is interesting to note that Edmund Cook Wheater was one of the children of William Wheater and his wife Rebecca, of the Station Hotel, Fence Houses. Edmund was born in 1864 so would only have been 23 years of age when he took over the auction mart.

Sunderland Daily Echo and Shipping Gazette 27 November 1900

New Local Company

The Durham County Auction Marts. Ltd. has just been registered with a capital of £2,200 in £1 shares, to acquire the business carried on at Fencehouses and Ferryhill Railway Stations by William Chrystal. The subscribers are Herbert Webster, Morton House, Fencehouses; Ralph Richardson, Field House, West Rainton; William McLaren, Herrington Hill, near Sunderland; William A. Weightman, Hall Farm, Silksworth; James McLaren, Offerton Hall, Sunderland; Harry B. McLaren, Flint Hall, near Sunderland; John Bean jun., Manor House, Fencehouses. The number of directors is not to be less than five nor more than seven. The first are Herbert Webster, Jas. McLaren, Wm. Hutchinson, John I. Wilkinson, John M. Snowdon, Robt. J. Watson and George Scott. Qualification, £20; remuneration as fixed by the company. Registered office, The Villa, Houghton-le-Spring, Durham.

Sunderland Daily Echo and Shipping Gazette 15 October 1901

Fence Houses

At the Fence Houses fortnightly auction mart, Mr W. Chrystal had forward 16 cattle, 103 sheep, 40 grazing cattle and eight newly-calved cows. There was a very large attendance of buyers from all parts. The demand for cattle and sheep was much stronger than usual; newly-calved cows were, however, a bad trade. The top price for cattle (£19 15s) was given by Mr Hutchinson, South Hylton, and for sheep by Mr V.C.S.W. Corbett, Chilton Moor, 47s 6d.

Newcastle Journal 21 January 1916

Red Cross Sale At Fence Houses

As the result of a Red Cross Sale held at Fence Houses Auction Mart by Mr William Chrystal, who was assisted by Mr J. Turnbull, of Chester-le-Street, a sum of £370 has been raised. Donors included the Earl of Durham, the Marquis of Londonderry, Mrs Challoner (Warden Law), who opened the sale, Mr V.W. Corbett, Mrs R. Richardson (Field House), Mr and Mrs W. Chrystal, Mr H.M. Stobart, Mrs W.A. Weightman, Mrs Lamb (Hetton-le-Hole), the Rev. S. Parkinson (Rainton), Dr. G.P. Lishman (Burnmoor), Mr W.H. Chatt, Mr J. Pallister (Philadelphia), Dr. Hall (Fence Houses), Mr R. Rogerson (Newcastle), Dr. Parkinson, Mrs Chatt, Messrs Tindale, Mr J.T. Hedley, Mrs Tully, Mr J.B. Nisbet, Mrs T. Oswald, Mrs A. Wearmouth, Mr J. Doherty (Newcastle), Mrs R.F. Thompson, Mr W. Lishman, Mr F. Welsh, Mr J. Atkinson, Mr J. Renwick, Miss Scorer, Miss Bowes, Mr Willis (Hetton), Mr J. Ainsley, Mr D. Peuk (Tunstall) and many others.

Newcastle Journal 18 August 1917

Notice – lost or taken away from Fence Houses Auction Mart, on Monday, the 30^th July, 1917, three fat ewes. Any information will be thankfully received by Wm. Chrystal, The Grove, Houghton-le-Spring.

The six superb photographs below are by Saundra Kerr and are reproduced here by the kind permission of Mr Dennis Sharples. They were taken in the cattle market or in the Station Hotel - which stayed open all day on market days and was a popular meeting place. The Station Hotel at this time was run by Ted and Evelyn Berriman who can be seen behind the bar in one of the images. If any more people can be identified, please contact the Webmaster via the email address on the Home page of this website.

Above: The distinctive cattle market building is nearing the end of its life in the late 1970s. This picture is taken looking north-east; the edge of a brick outbuilding belonging to Cork Cottage can be see at far-right.

Above: Another picture contemporary to the previous one, this time looking south. Cork Cottage can be seen centre-right and Fencehouses signal box in the distance on the left.

The market was finally demolished in 1979 and the site cleared.