Rural Fencehouses Prime Location

Fencehouses is a small village located in the parish of Houghton-le-Spring

, in the county of Tyne & Wear. It is situated around 15 minutes' drive from Durham, 20 minutes from Sunderland and about 25 minutes from Newcastle upon Tyne. Durham offers much in the way of history and culture, with its famous castle, cathedral and university; Sunderland has a bustling urban centre, complete with plenty of retail options, vibrant nightlife and extensive transport connections; and Newcastle is useful as a result of, among other things, its international airport. Fencehouses can therefore be described as having a prime location, with great access to many local amenities while still enjoying all the charm of a small rural community.

There are two explanations to how the village got its interesting name. The first is based around the belief that there used to be housing for Napoleonic prisoners in the region who were used to carry out labouring work to help with the movement of troops between Sunderland and Durham. As a result of the nationality of these prisoners, the village became known as 'French Houses' which soon morphed into Fencehouses. The second explanation, which is slightly more plausible but perhaps not quite as fascinating, is that the name was derived from some border fencing once in place in the area.

Whichever explanation you choose to believe, it's undeniable that the village of Fencehouses has a genuinely interesting past. It was originally built on land belonging to a local manor house, known as the Grange, but expanded from there throughout the 19th and 20th Centuries due to a series of additions. A train line was built to the village in 1836 and this led to the development of a stock yard so that local farmers could transport their cattle, as well as a post office and a telephone exchange, which soon became the largest in the area. The rail station has long since closed but the old line still splits the village into two, not just in appearance but also in local authority control (Durham on the north side and Sunderland council to the south) and it's become a defining feature of Fencehouses.

Alongside its interesting sense of history, Fencehouses also has plenty else to offer. There is an abundance of housing due to a series of residential developments including those built only a stone's throw from the old railway station, in an area which is now known locally as the 'sidings'. The schools in the village have just undergone a major overhaul in which the nursery, infants and junior schools were all merged together in one new and very advanced building, allowing for a better quality of education for all.

The village of Fencehouses is a prime location by all accounts. It comes with all the benefits of a British rural idyll, especially the historical quirks and the peace and quiet of the surrounding countryside, but is granted a degree of convenience and wider national access by its proximity to bigger cities such as Sunderland and Newcastle.

by: David Fisher

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