Esh, County Durham
| Esh | |
|---|---|
 Esh
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| Esh shown within County Durham | |
| Population | 4,984 (2011) |
| OS grid reference | NZ 1944 |
| Civil parish |
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| Unitary authority | |
| Ceremonial county | |
| Region | |
| Country | England |
| Sovereign state | United Kingdom |
| Post town | Durham |
| Dialling code | 0191 |
| Police | Durham |
| Fire | County Durham and Darlington |
| Ambulance | North East |
| EU Parliament | North East England |
| UK Parliament |
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Esh is a village and civil parish situated around five miles north-west of Durham in County Durham, England. The central area of the village contains a stone cross, which probably replaced a former market cross. This is locally known as St Cuthberts Cross and bears the inscription I. H. S., and the date 1687. Esh is a rural village, nestled between a number of working farms; it has two primary schools, a pub and two churches, St Michael and All Angels (C of E) and St. Michael's (Roman Catholic).
Esh parish comprises a number of small settlements located near and around Esh village, which include: Ushaw Moor, Esh Winning and Langley Park. Predominantly these are old colliery villages sited on top of the Durham Coalfield, which was exploited in the area from the late 1800s, leading to a need to house workers from newly sunk collieries. The population effect of the coal industry is clearly reflected in a table of population growth through the 1800s, which shows a nine-fold increase in a twenty-year period.
The name Esh is thought to derive from an Anglo-Saxon name meaning ash tree, whilst the spelling reflects an old Northumbrian dialect, which evidently is local to the area.
Esh Hall was built in 1687, this could be verified by the date inscribed upon the halls sundial; which until recently was still visible but has now disappeared through corrosion. The village store cum Post Office closed in June 2008 along with 79 other post offices in the north-east; as a result there is now only The Cross Keys pub still open as a public amenity in the village.
A major aspect of Esh's history is bound up with the coal industry. The Esh colliery specialised in the mining of coal and then from 1896 also the manufacture of coke. Employment in the collieries peaked in 1914, with around 870 men employed just prior to World War I. In 1947 production of coke peaked at 70,000 tonnes largely in response to the demands of World War II. This form of employment was typical all over Northern England and much of Wales at the time and allowed for the community to develop and result in what remains today.
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