| The Boldons | |
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The Boldons
The Boldons shown within Tyne and Wear |
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| Population | 13,271 (2001) |
|---|---|
| OS grid reference | NZ361615 |
| Metropolitan borough | South Tyneside |
| Metropolitan county | Tyne and Wear |
| Region | North East |
| Country | England |
| Sovereign state | United Kingdom |
| Post town | BOLDON COLLIERY |
| Postcode district | NE35 |
| Post town | EAST BOLDON |
| Postcode district | NE36 |
| Dialling code | 0191 |
| Police | Northumbria |
| Fire | Tyne and Wear |
| Ambulance | North East |
| EU Parliament | North East England |
| List of places: UK • England • Tyne and Wear | |
The Boldons are a group of three small villages in the North East of England - East Boldon, West Boldon and Boldon Colliery - bordering the north of Sunderland and the south of South Shields and Jarrow. They have a population of 13,271.[1]
"Bol" is the Anglo Saxon name for "hill," and Don is the name of the river that wraps itself around the bol. Thus the original village was named "Bol-Don", meaning "hill on the Don."
In the 19th century when coal mining began, a colliery developed at the foot of the hill. Since colliers (miners) needed to live close to their work, at the foot of the hill another village began to grow which became known as Boldon Colliery.
Until 1974 the area was administered by Boldon Urban District Council in County Durham but since then has been part of the borough of South Tyneside.
In 1976, the Boldon Colliery Band appeared in episode 13 of the television series When the Boat Comes In. The mine closed in 1982 but more jobs became available when an Asda supermarket opened in 1987. Further recent developments include Boldon Business Park. Boldon Colliery also has its own multi-screen cinema (currently operated by Cineworld). The main school in the area is Boldon School, a special sports college (formerly Boldon Comprehensive School). There is also a junior school and nursery (west boldon primary), a playgroup and a hotel.
The Discovery Channel programme The Haunting produced an episode centred around the ghostly goings on at the Wheatsheaf Inn in West Boldon. The inn was reputedly haunted by the ghosts of a young girl and her murderer, with several reported sightings.
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The Boldons form part of the suburban fringe of South Tyneside and are completely surrounded by green belt.
There are conservation areas within the historic village centres of East and West Boldon.
Despite the relatively small geographical area, there are a significant number of older buildings considered as being of architectural merit including churches, public houses and former country houses, as well as modern additions. St. Nicholas Church in West Boldon is a Grade I listed building.
The area includes a wide range of housing styles, from Edwardian villas to Victorian terraces, post-war housing to more recent smaller-scale developments. The first street built in Boldon Colliery was Cross Row (also known as Sinkers Row) which was constructed to house the men who were initially employed to sink the shaft. Several years later, other major housing projects were started and terraced housing such as that at Arnold Street and Charles Street were built.
After the colliery closed, the former industrial land lay derelict for many years. In 2000, Colliery Wood was created with over 2,500 trees planted. The wood is popular with the local community and provides a habitat for animals such as pheasants, squirrels, woodpeckers and otters. Colliery Wood provides six new paths, which are also suitable for cycling and link to East Boldon, and Brockley Whins and Whiteleas in nearby South Shields.
Boldon Flats is another site important for nature conservation, which contains an area of damp pasture. The flats are flooded from each October to March and attract a wide array of bird life and a large population of Common Frogs.
The River Don traverses Boldon and is the last stronghold of water voles in South Tyneside.
In the last 30 or so years, since the decline of traditional industries such as coal mining, Boldon has developed dramatically. At the same time, the historic cores of the old colliery town, East Boldon and West Boldon villages have retained their traditional character and appeal.
Recent/proposed projects include:
The new £17.5 million Boldon School opened on 6 November 2006. It has been funded by a Private Finance Initiative and was constructed by Gleeson Building Company as well as other small businesses. The new school boasts a £750,000 theatre, top-of-the-range arts facilities, a four-lane 25 metre swimming pool and other new sports facilities such as five-a-side football pitches gymnasium. Computerised technology has been incorporated into the school's meals service, with school pupils using an electronic card system to purchase meals.
The recently-built Quadrus Centre at Boldon Business Park houses entrepreneurial businesses and acts as a gateway to South Tyneside on the main A19 trunk road. The building features a modern design within its lakeside setting. The building is illuminated at night in a range of colours and has won many awards for its iconic design.
Boldon has produced many notable sports personalities, one of which was former Newcastle United footballer Wes Saunders. Charlton Athletic goalkeeper Sam Bartram, their record appearance holder, who played 800 games for the London club, was signed from Boldon Villa in Sept 1934 and played in four successive Wembley cup finals from 1944 to 1947. Full back Jack Shreeve moved from the Villa to Charlton in 1935 and was a colleague of Bartram's in their 1947 FA Cup winning team. A Sam Bartram Memorial Cup competition was introduced at Boldon in February 2008 aimed at inspiring current footballing youngsters in the Boldon area. Notable sportsmen from Boldon are cricketers Simon Brown and current England rugby youth player Robert Bell, Blyth Spartans Striker Shaun Reay and Sunderland A.F.C Jamie Chandler[2].
There are private tennis and golf clubs at Dipe Lane as well as other pursuits on offer within local schools, community centres and parks.
East Boldon and Cleadon was previously the only ward in South Tyneside to elect three Conservative councillors. However, in the 2011 Local Elections Labour candidate Joan Atkinson unseated the sitting Conservative councillor, reducing the number of Conservatives on South Tyneside Council to one. Boldon Colliery usually elects three Labour councillors.
The Boldons are within the Jarrow constituency, which also includes Jarrow, Hebburn and parts of east Gateshead. The local MP is Stephen Hepburn of the Labour Party.