# Shincliffe > Mediated Wiki article. Canonical URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/Shincliffe > Markdown URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/Shincliffe.md > Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shincliffe > Source revision: 1308821201 > License: Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/) Village in County Durham, England Human settlement in England Shincliffe Shincliffe Bridge over the River Wear Shincliffe Location within County Durham Civil parish Shincliffe Unitary authority County Durham Ceremonial county County Durham Region North East Country England Sovereign state United Kingdom Post town DURHAM Postcode district DH1 Dialling code 0191 Police Durham Fire County Durham and Darlington Ambulance North East UK Parliament City of Durham List of places UK England County Durham 54°45.6′N 1°33.0′W / 54.7600°N 1.5500°W / 54.7600; -1.5500 **Shincliffe** is a village and [civil parish](/source/Civil_parish) in [County Durham](/source/County_Durham), England. The parish population (according to the [2011 census](/source/2011_United_Kingdom_census)) was 1,796.[1] It is situated just over 1 mile (1.6 km) to the south-east of [Durham](/source/Durham%2C_England) city centre, on the [A177 road](/source/A177_road_(England)) to [Stockton](/source/Stockton-on-Tees). Shincliffe is also a civil and ecclesiastical [parish](/source/Parish) consisting of Shincliffe Village, [High Shincliffe](/source/High_Shincliffe), [Sherburn House](/source/Sherburn_House) and [Whitwell House](/source/Whitwell_House). Shincliffe is regarded as one of the most affluent villages in Durham City and has been designated a [conservation area](/source/Conservation_area) to preserve its historic character. ## History The place-name 'Shincliffe' is first attested in the *Liber Vitae Ecclesiae Dunelmensis* of circa 1085, where it appears as *Scinneclif*. It appears in the [Charter Rolls](/source/Charter_Rolls) of 1195 as *Sineclive*. The name means 'the cliff of the spectre or demon, haunted cliff'.[2] Shincliffe is the site of a mediaeval bridge over the [River Wear](/source/River_Wear) and archaeological investigations in 2005 suggest Shincliffe may have been the site of a Roman crossing.[3] In the Middle Ages Shincliffe was an agricultural community belonging to the [Prior](/source/Prior_(ecclesiastical)) of [Durham Cathedral](/source/Durham_Cathedral). The population grew significantly due to coal mining at nearby [Houghall](/source/Houghall), [Old Durham](/source/Old_Durham) and Shincliffe Colliery (now [High Shincliffe](/source/High_Shincliffe)) but declined following [mine closures](/source/Mine_closure) in the late 19th century. Durham's first railway station opened at Shincliffe in 1839 as the passenger terminus between the Durham area and [Sunderland](/source/Sunderland%2C_Tyne_and_Wear) but closed in 1893 once a line had been run from Sherburn House to Durham itself. A goods line continued to [Houghall](/source/Houghall) and [Croxdale](/source/Croxdale) Colliery. In the 1920s, Back Lane along the eastern side of the village was enlarged to become a bypass for it.[4] [Horse racing](/source/Horse_racing) under [National Hunt](/source/National_Hunt) rules took place at Shincliffe between 1895 and 1914. The course was taken over for military purposes during the First World War and racing never resumed.[5] ## Local features Shincliffe Hall is a nearby woodland mansion. It served as a [Land Army](/source/Land_Army) hostel then as postgraduate [hall of residence](/source/Hall_of_residence) for [Durham University](/source/Durham_University). In 2005 it was sold into private hands. ## Religion Shincliffe was an outlying part of the large Durham [parish of St. Oswald's](/source/St_Oswald's_Church%2C_Durham). A rectory was built in the village in 1800, and a [Chapel of Ease](/source/Chapel_of_ease) in 1826. Shincliffe became a parish in its own right in 1831, however the Parish Church, St. Mary's, was not built until 1851. [John Wesley](/source/John_Wesley) preached in Shincliffe in 1780.[4] A (Wesleyan) [Methodist](/source/Methodist) Chapel opened in Shincliffe in 1874. [William Sever](/source/William_Sever), [Bishop of Durham](/source/Bishop_of_Durham) (1502–1505) was born in Shincliffe. ## Businesses Although Shincliffe is primarily a residential settlement, it is also home to two pubs, a daycare nursery and the Poplar Tree garden centre. The former Post Office is now a private home. ## References 1. **[^](#cite_ref-1)** ["Parish population 2011"](http://www.neighbourhood.statistics.gov.uk/dissemination/LeadKeyFigures.do?a=7&b=11128434&c=DH1+2NA&d=16&e=62&g=6484136&i=1001x1003x1032x1004&m=0&r=0&s=1436378395763&enc=1). Retrieved 8 July 2015. 1. **[^](#cite_ref-2)** [Eilert Ekwall](/source/Eilert_Ekwall), *The Concise Oxford Dictionary of English Place-names*, p.418. 1. **[^](#cite_ref-3)** ["On verge of rewriting history"](https://web.archive.org/web/20070709145824/http://archive.thisisthenortheast.co.uk/2005/9/22/206798.html). *[The Northern Echo](/source/The_Northern_Echo)*. 22 September 2005. Archived from [the original](http://archive.thisisthenortheast.co.uk/2005/9/22/206798.html) on 9 July 2007. Retrieved 29 July 2007. 1. ^ [***a***](#cite_ref-echo2003_4-0) [***b***](#cite_ref-echo2003_4-1) ["Rich seam of commuters turns village's fortunes"](http://archive.thenorthernecho.co.uk/2003/10/10/74173.html). *[The Northern Echo](/source/The_Northern_Echo)*. 10 October 2003. Retrieved 17 April 2009. 1. **[^](#cite_ref-5)** Pitt, Chris (2006). *A Long Time Gone* (Rev. and updated ed.). Halifax: Portway. pp. 145–147. [ISBN](/source/ISBN_(identifier)) [1901570622](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:BookSources/1901570622). ## External links Wikimedia Commons has media related to [Shincliffe](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Category:Shincliffe). - [Shincliffe Community Association](http://www.shincliffe.org.uk/) - [Shincliffe Parish Council](https://web.archive.org/web/20070210080550/http://www.shincliffe.org.uk/ParishCouncil/index.htm) - [GenUKi entry on Shincliffe](https://web.archive.org/web/20070930035017/http://website.lineone.net/~pjoiner/genuki/DUR/DurhamStOswald/Shincliffe.html) - [Durham Mining Museum entry on Shincliffe Colliery](http://www.dmm.org.uk/colliery/s027.htm) - [History of Sherburn House Station, including further information on Shincliffe Station](http://www.subbrit.org.uk/sb-sites/stations/s/sherburn_house/index.shtml) v t e Civil parishes in County Durham including Stockton-on-Tees (north of the river) Darlington Parishes Archdeacon Newton Barmpton Bishopton Brafferton Coatham Mundeville Denton East and West Newbiggin Great Burdon Great Stainton Heighington High Coniscliffe Houghton le Side Hurworth Killerby Little Stainton Low Coniscliffe and Merrybent Middleton St. George Morton Palms Neasham Piercebridge Sadberge Summerhouse Walworth Whessoe Unparished areas The former Darlington County Borough County Durham Towns Barnard Castle Bishop Auckland Chilton Ferryhill Great Aycliffe Greater Willington Peterlee Seaham Sedgefield Shildon Spennymoor Stanley Tow Law Parishes Barforth Barningham Bearpark Belmont Bishop Middleham Bolam Boldron Bournmoor Bowes Bradbury and the Isle Brancepeth Brandon and Byshottles Brignall Burnhope Cassop-cum-Quarrington Castle Eden City of Durham Cleatlam Cockfield Cornforth Cornsay Cotherstone Coxhoe Croxdale and Hett Dalton-le-Dale Dene Valley Easington Colliery Easington Village Edmondbyers Edmondsley Eggleston Egglestone Abbey Eldon Esh Etherley Evenwood and Barony Fishburn Forest and Frith Framwellgate Moor Gainford Gilmonby Great Lumley Greencroft Hamsterley Hamsterley Common Haswell Hawthorn Headlam Healeyfield Hedleyhope Hilton Holwick Hope Horden Hunderthwaite Hunstanworth Hutton Henry and Station Town Hutton Magna Ingleton Kelloe Kimblesworth and Plawsworth Lanchester Langleydale and Shotton Langton Lartington Little Lumley Lunedale Lynesack and Softley Marwood Mickleton Middleton in Teesdale Middridge Monk Hesleden Mordon Morton Tinmouth Muggleswick Murton Nesbitt Newbiggin North Lodge Ouston Ovington Pelton Pittington Raby with Keverstone Rokeby Romaldkirk Sacriston Satley Scargill Seaton with Slingley Shadforth Sheraton with Hulam Sherburn Village Shincliffe Shotton South Bedburn South Hetton Staindrop Stanhope Startforth Streatlam and Stainton Thornley Toft Hill Trimdon Trimdon Foundry Urpeth Waldridge Wackerfield Weather Hill Wood West Auckland West Rainton and Leamside Westwick Wheatley Hill Whorlton Windlestone Wingate Winston Witton Gilbert Witton-le-Wear Wolsingham Wolsingham Park Moor Woodland Wycliffe with Thorpe Unparished areas The former Chester le Street Urban District Consett Parts of the former Durham Municipal Borough Parts of the former Bishop Auckland Urban District Crook and Willington Urban District Gilesgate Stanley Urban District Hartlepool Towns Headland Parishes Brierton Claxton Dalton Piercy Elwick Greatham Hart Newton Bewley Wynyard Unparished areas Part of the former Hartlepool County Borough Stockton-on-Tees Towns Billingham Parishes Aislaby Carlton Egglescliffe Elton Grindon and Thorpe Thewles Longnewton Newsham Preston-on-Tees Redmarshall Stillington and Whitton Wolviston Wynyard Unparished areas Part of the former Teesside County Borough For further information about the above parishes, see List of civil parishes in County Durham. For the part of Stockton-on-Tees (borough) south of the River Tees, see List of civil parishes in North Yorkshire. Authority control databases International VIAF National United States Israel --- Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Shincliffe](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shincliffe) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shincliffe?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.