Belmont, County Durham

{{Short description|Suburb of the City of Durham, England}} {{Redirect|Carrville|similarly named places|Carville (disambiguation){{!}}Carville}} {{Use dmy dates|date=October 2019}} {{Use British English|date=February 2025}} {{Infobox UK place |country = England |official_name= Belmont |civil_parish= Belmont |coordinates = {{coord|54.783|-1.517|display=inline,title}} |unitary_england = County Durham |lieutenancy_england = County Durham |region= North East England |constituency_westminster= City of Durham |post_town= DURHAM |population = 8881 |population_ref = (2011) |postcode_district = DH1 |postcode_area= DH |dial_code= 0191 |os_grid_reference= NZ305435 }}

'''Belmont''' is a suburb forming the north-eastern parts of the city of Durham, England. Belmont Parish covers four old coal mining villages of Belmont, Carrville, Broomside and Gilesgate Moor, which have been joined by industrial and suburban developments since the 1950s. As such Belmont can be used either to refer narrowly to the old village area, or the wider parish, particularly the parts (Belmont, Carrville and Broomside) to the east of the A1(M) motorway which bisects the area. At the 2011 census, the parish had a population of 8,881.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.neighbourhood.statistics.gov.uk/dissemination/LeadKeyFigures.do?a=7&b=11120578&c=Belmont&d=16&e=62&g=6419296&i=1001x1003x1032x1004&m=0&r=1&s=1436276396919&enc=1|title=Parish population 2011|access-date=7 July 2015}}</ref>

==Geography and History== thumb|left|Church of St Mary Magdalene, Belmont Belmont was a largely agricultural area within the parishes of St Giles Church, Durham and Pittington, but industrial developments - mainly coal mining - brought development through the second half of the nineteenth century.<ref name="mine hist">{{cite web |last1=Hatcher |first1=Jane |title=Belmont - a short history |url=https://www.durham-miner.org.uk/belmont.html |publisher=Durham Miner |access-date=28 September 2022}}</ref> A number of collieries were sunk in the area and the largest, Belmont Colliery, took its name from the 1820s-built Belmont Hall (previously and now again known as 'Ramside Hall').<ref name="mine hist" /> Belmont was surrounded by a number of other collieries, including Kepier Grange, Carrville, Dragonville, Broomside and Gilesgate Moor.<ref name="mine hist" /> These together formed the new Belmont Parish in 1852, and the boundaries of the Parish today still include these districts.<ref>{{cite web |title=Local History |url=https://belmont.parish.durham.gov.uk/local-history/ |publisher=Belmont Parish Council}}</ref> However, by the late nineteenth century the majority of the collieries in this part of Durham had closed (although some small ones stayed open until the 1920s) and many of the houses built just decades earlier were demolished. The Grange Ironworks became the main employer in the villages, but in the absence of the coalmines the villages did not grow significantly and even saw some population loss through this time.<ref name="Ironworks">{{cite web |last1=Simpson |first1=David |title=Pendulum that swung away from the pits |date=18 July 2008 |url=https://www.thenorthernecho.co.uk/news/2402823.pendulum-that-swung-away-from-the-pits/ |publisher=Northern Echo |access-date=28 September 2022}}</ref> The Ironworks too closed in the 1920s.<ref name="Ironworks" />

Belmont, Broomside, Carrville and Gilesgate Moor were still village-like until the 1950s, when significant expansion of suburban housing in Durham City occurred.<ref name="OPAP">{{cite web |title=Of Pembertons and pits – a tale of three villages |date=4 July 2008 |url=https://www.thenorthernecho.co.uk/news/2380105.of-pembertons-and-pits-a-tale-of-three-villages/ |publisher=Northern Echo |access-date=28 September 2022}}</ref> The High Grange Estate in Gilesgate Moor, built in the 1960s, greatly expanded the north and western parts of the parish and filled in some of the area between Gilesgate and Belmont village,<ref>{{cite web |title=How family's estate grew out of land omce owned by monks |date=22 October 2004 |url=https://www.thenorthernecho.co.uk/news/6974297.familys-estate-grew-land-omce-owned-monks/ |publisher=Northern Echo |access-date=28 September 2022}}</ref> though the A1 motorway, which opened in 1965,<ref>{{cite web |title=The A1 Trunk Road |url=https://www.ciht.org.uk/media/8076/the_a1_trunk_road.pdf |publisher=Chartered Institute of Highways and Transportation |access-date=28 September 2022}}</ref> had the effect of splitting the parish somewhat, cutting off the eastern part (Belmont, Carrville and Broomside) from the western parts (Gilsegate Moor and High Grange).<ref name="OPAP" />

Further significant suburban developments in Belmont and Carrville, particularly to the south of Broomside Lane, grew the area's population between 1970 and 2000, while the Dragonville area of Gilesgate Moor saw first industrial and then later retail growth from the 1970s onwards; today the district is home to a number of large shopping centres and supermarkets.<ref>{{cite web |title=Life after the age of the collieries |date=10 November 2004 |url=https://www.thenorthernecho.co.uk/news/6972221.life-age-collieries/ |publisher=Northern Echo |access-date=28 September 2022}}</ref> Belmont Community Centre, with a small park, was constructed in 1971 and provides a hub for community activities, including the home of the parish council.<ref>{{cite web |title=About us |url=https://belmontcommunityassociation.org.uk/about-us |publisher=Belmont Community Centre |access-date=30 September 2022}}</ref> To the north of the area, Belmont Business Park with New Ferens Park football stadium opened in 1995,<ref>{{cite web |title=Former Football League club 'on life support' with fears of folding after 103 years |date=29 September 2021 |url=https://fanbanter.co.uk/former-football-league-club-on-life-support-with-fears-of-folding-after-103-years/ |publisher=Fan Banter |access-date=28 September 2022}}</ref> and this site has continued to grow with further industrial developments into the 2010s.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Gibson |first1=Robin |title=Work begins on North East's largest new-build industrial scheme for more than eight years |date=29 October 2015 |url=https://www.chroniclelive.co.uk/business/business-news/work-begins-north-easts-largest-10355459 |publisher=Evening Chronicle |access-date=28 September 2022}}</ref>

==Facilities== thumb|left|Blue House Shops, Carville Belmont Community School is the local secondary school, with several primary schools in the Parish.

The main bus routes from Sunderland and Seaham to Durham run through Belmont, providing regular services into the city centre. Belmont Park and Ride opened by the A1 Motorway junction in the Carrville area in 2004.<ref>{{cite web |title=New park and ride scheme for Durham |date=8 April 2003 |url=https://www.thenorthernecho.co.uk/news/7035621.new-park-ride-scheme-durham/ |publisher=Northern Echo |access-date=28 September 2022}}</ref> The western part of the parish has a large number of retail and shopping outlets. There are four pubs: the Travellers Rest in Broomside, The Belmont in Belmont, Broomside Park on the Belmont Business Park, and the Gilesgate Moor. There is a small library in Broomside.

==Sport== Since 1995 Belmont has been the site of New Ferens Park. This has hosted numerous different football teams, most notably Durham City from 1995 to 2015,<ref>{{cite web |last1=Simpson |first1=Ray |title=City decide to leave New Ferens Park |date=24 October 2015 |url=https://www.thenorthernecho.co.uk/sport/football/northernleague/13894240.city-decide-leave-new-ferens-park/ |publisher=Northern Echo |access-date=28 September 2022}}</ref> Durham Women from 2014 to 2020, and Sunderland reserves for a period in the 2000s.

Belmont now (2025), boasts a comprehensive network of football clubs playing under 'Belmont United FC'. Belmont United FC have 23 children's teams, playing between the ages of 5–17 in various leagues over the county. They also have one adults team who compete in the Wearside Football League and host their home games at the afore mentioned New Ferens Park.

On the site of present-day housing south of Broomside Lane and on the east side of the cemetery was Belmont Stadium, which existed as a greyhound racing stadium from 1940 until 1969.<ref>{{cite book|last=Barnes|first=Julia|title=Daily Mirror Greyhound Fact File|year=1988|publisher=Ringpress Books|isbn=0-948955-15-5}}</ref>

==In popular culture== * ''Get Carter'' - "Beechcroft", a house on Broomside Lane, was used as a location in the 1971 film as the home of character Cliff Brumby. It was here that ''Michael Caine'' as Jack Carter delivered the oft-quoted line "You’re a big man, but you’re out of shape."<ref>{{cite web | url=http://www.thenorthernecho.co.uk/news/topstories/display.var.1116059.0.the_fight_for_get_carter_house.php%3Cbr%20/%3E | title=The fight for Get Carter house | date=11 January 2007 | access-date=2008-07-07 }}</ref> Despite a campaign to preserve it, the house was demolished in 2008.<ref>{{cite news | url=http://www.sunderlandecho.com/news/Get-Carter-house-demolished.4808774.jp | title=Get Carter house demolished | work=Sunderland Echo | date=19 December 2008 | access-date=2009-03-17}}</ref>

* Belmont Stadium was used in the 1954 film The Gay Dog.<ref>{{cite news|title=Remember When - 1954|year=2013|newspaper=Greyhound Star}}</ref>

== References == {{Reflist}}

==External links== {{Commons category-inline|Belmont, County Durham|Belmont}} * [http://www.durhamcity.gov.uk/pdf/Parishsummary.pdf Parish Council Elections for Durham Parishes 2003]{{dead link|date=October 2016 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}. * [http://www.visionofbritain.org.uk/unit_page.jsp?u_id=10226387&c_id=10001043 Vision of Britain information on Belmont Parish]. * [https://web.archive.org/web/20060602094736/http://www.pjoiner.demon.co.uk/genuki/DUR/DurhamStGiles/BelmontDesc.html GenUKi description of historic Belmont parish].

Category:Areas of Durham, England Category:Civil parishes in County Durham