Chatershaugh

Approximate location / Grid Reference: NZ30889 53564

Google Maps: approximate location: 54.875878,-1.520094

The 1737 map by Mark Burleigh (see "Old Maps" section of this website) names this area "Chater Haugh", the word 'Haugh' being old English, signifying a low-lying meadow in a river valley, presumably belonging to a person by the name of Chater. Strictly speaking, the area marked as 'Chater Haugh' on the old map lies slightly further west (up-river) than the area we commonly know as Chatershaugh, a word derived from the possessive of Chater's Haugh.

Above: the 'Chater Haugh' area today. The embankment to the left of the photograph is presumably for flood defence purposes, separating the river from the flat meadow area to the right which has been planted with trees.

There have been several variations in the name of the village since that date in many publications. Variants include:

Chater Haugh

Chaterhaugh

Chatershaugh

Chaytor Haugh

Chaytorhaugh

Chaytorshaugh

Charter Haugh

Charterhaugh

It is safe to say that the village became established because of the presence of coal. Coal was mined in this area from at least as early as the 1500's and the amount of coal pits marked on historic maps bear witness to the importance of this industry in this area. Coal pits need shaft sinkers and miners and with them came the associated trades, businesses and industries such as wagonways, staiths, a mill, lampblack works, brickworks and brewery to name just a few. In this way, the village, once described as a low-lying meadow in a river valley, moved away from its rural roots and gradually grew in size especially during the 18th and 19th centuries. The many old maps of the area confirm this growth as more and more housing was built to accommodate the workers involved in these industries and their families, as well as shops, public houses and places of worship to serve the expanding population. However, from around the mid 20th century, many believe that the village of Chatershaugh lost much of its identity as it merged with the larger, nearby village of Fatfield. With the apparent 'merging' with Fatfield, many people forget that Chatershaugh had once been a separate, proud community in its own right. Here are the names of streets and buildings from a time long-gone:

Beamish Staithes

Biddick Ferry

Biddick Ford

Biddick House

Boat House Row

Castle Street

Catherine Square

Cut House

Dun Cow Public House

Ferryboat Inn Public House

Haggis Hall

High Chapel Row

Lambton Street

Lampblack Works

Long Row

Low Chapel Row

Methodist Church (x2)

Park View

Pear Tree

Peareth Arms

Peareth Row

Post Office

Pumping Engine

Punch Bowl Public House

Short Row

Spotted Cow Public House

The Lockup

Union Place

Union Row

Verdun Terrace

Water Row

Weardale Terrace

The location of most of the above can be found on the maps in the "Old Maps" section of this website or they appear on the various census returns for Chatershaugh.

The name 'Chatershaugh' lives on, not only in the memory of those who remember the village as it was but also in the name of the road bridge which carries the modern A182 (or "Washington Highway") over the river Wear. The bridge was built in 1975, at the same time that the last remaining buildings in Chatershaugh were being demolished as part of the development plan of Washington New Town. The bridge was erected by Mowlem Construction to a design by Travers Morgan.

There were two Methodist Churches in Chatershaugh, both of which can seen on the following maps (from 1939):

Above: site of the Primitive Methodist Chapel (centre of map)

Above: The site of the (original) Wesleyan Methodist Chapel (centre-left of map)

Just to the south of Chatershaugh, on the same riverbank, a recreation ground was created in the 1920's for the use of the village's inhabitants.

Above: the site of the recreation ground today, looking west (up river).

Further west still (up river) lay the even smaller hamlet of High Chatershaugh (or 'High Chartershaugh'), though nothing remains of this community today.

Above: Map showing the location of High Chartershaugh in relation to Chartershaugh.

Above: the same area today