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In Edmondsley all the houses at this time with the exception of Fell Row, Hunter's Terrace, Wellington Terrace, Stobart's Buildings and two buildings on Front Street, were on the south side of the railway from the colliery to the Daisy Hill bankhead. Nettlesworth was substantially the same size as it was before some of the houses were demolished just before the second world war.The rapidly expanding population necessitated the building of more houses and the two Staffordshire Streets and the streets of the Newtown district, that is, practically all of the houses to the east of Front Street were built in rapid succession, followed later by Pitfield Street and others to the west of Front Street. These were all built by the Colliery Company but at different dates. There was some private buildings evidenced by the existence of streets named Iverson Terrace, Davison Terrace and Gregson Street, these all had family connections.
The Staffordshire Streets commemorated the arrival in the village of a number of families moving from the South Staffordshire coal field. Three of the Newtown streets, namely Blackett, Hunter, and Elliot were named after directors of the new formed Charlaw and Sacriston Colliery Company, while Victoria Street was named in honour of the Queen. The names of Coronation and Mafeking give an indication as to when these two streets were built (being in the early years of the present century).The two Graham streets were probably named as a compliment to Mr John Graham of Findon Cottage who, in addition to being the coroner for the Chester Ward for many years, was also the Waywarden of the parish of Witton Gilbert. In the latter capacity he was, until the formation of the civil parishes, responsible for the supervision of the upkeep of the roads in the parish.
In the early days of Sacrison the sanitation was a real problem as there was no piped water supply and the residents had to rely on a spring in a field on Plawsworth Road just below the Salvation Army Hall and one in Fulforth Dene known as the Springwell. There was also wells in the gardens of Lingey House Farm and the Vicarage. At Edmondsley there was a spring at the bottom of the field between east Edmondsley Farm and Daisy Hill, while at Nettlseworth there was a spring by the side of the road at the west side of the village. Earth closets and open ash pits very often shared by two or more houses were the only means of sanitation and in Sacriston rubbish was dumped at a spot known as the gap, John Street was later built on this site.
Many houses had no cooking facilities other than an open coal fire and in Sacriston one of the bakehouses undertook to bake the bread made by the housewives. At Edmondsley a communal oven was situated at the brickworks behind Hunter's Terrace and was probably heated from the waste heat of the brick kilns. Until about the beginning of the present cenury the residence of the local doctor was at Mount Pleasant Farm on the left of the Edmondsley to Waldridge road. Doctor Hall was the first occupant of the house and surgery at the Lane Ends and was the son of Doctor Hall of Holmeside. Edina House on Woodside was built for the late Doctor Garson who served the district for many years. He was Corps Surgeon for the Mid-Durham Corps of the St John Ambulance Brigade and after his death a stained glass memorial window was put into the south wall of St Peter's Church by his colleages of the Brigade. The late Doctor Munro served the people of Nettlesworth and district from the premises of Woodland Terrace for many years until his death. His son sold the practice to Doctor Glynn just before the outbreak of the second world war and it was amalgamated with the two practices at Sacriston. The Lane Ends surgery was ultimately closed and a new medical building was built to serve the whole of the district. This now stands at the cross roads of Sacriston.
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