The villages west of Durham City often owe their origins to the mining era but Esh Village or Old Esh as it is sometimes known dates to Anglo-Saxon times. Although it developed as an agricultural settlement it is often confused with the much larger mining village of Esh Winning that developed in the 1850s a mile to the south.

There is no direct road across the hills between Esh and Esh Winning and the little village's nearest neighbours are actually Langley Park and Quebec. In fact Old Esh is located in the council district of Derwentside, whilst Esh Winning is in Durham City.

Esh is an Anglo-Saxon name meaning Ash Tree and the spelling reflects the old Northumbrian dialect. There may have been a prominent ash tree here or an extensive woodland. Whatever the origin, Esh gave its name to a family called De Esh who resided here from medieval times to the reign of Henry VIII. Family members included Simon De Esh, a High Sheriff and Bailiff of Durham in the 1300s.

The Esh family's medieval residence is not known but Esh village church dedicated to St Michael probably stands on the site of the family's private chapel dating from 1283. On September 10, 1306, Edward I visited the church and said mass before heading north to fight the Scots, making an offering of 7 shillings before his departure. The church was rebuilt in the 1770s with further restoration in the 1850s. Only the lower walls of the church are thought to be ancient but the church does contain a medieval effigy of a costumed lady thought to be one of the De Eshes.

South of the church lies the walled village green with a solitary stone cross at its southern end inscribed with the mysterious letters I.H.S and dated 1687. It may stand on the site of an earlier medieval structure.

Just south of the Green is Esh Hall, erected by the Smythe family in the 1600s. The Smythes inherited Esh village and its surrounding land around 1560 when Margaret De Esh daughter of Anthony De Esh (last of the male line) married William Smythe, a member of a staunchly Roman Catholic family from Nunstainton near Sedgefield. The Smythes actively encouraged Catholicism in and around Esh during the Tudor era when Catholics were suppressed and although they lost their land for a time after 1569 it was later restored.

A place of Catholic worship had been established by the Smythes a mile south of Esh at Newhouse to serve the surrounding farms and it operated in secret during periods of Catholic suppression. It continued in use until about 1798 when its last priest Ferdinando Asmall died at the age of 103. Newhouse would later become the site of a Catholic Church serving the Irish community of the newly established colliery village of Esh Winning from 1871, but the original foundation had in the meantime moved to a new site.

The original Newhouse had fallen into ruin at about the time of Father Asmall's death and Sir Edward Smythe of Esh Hall wanted a new more accessible foundation. A slackening of laws restricting Catholicism and the establishment of the Catholic Ushaw College on land provided by the Smythes gave the family a new optimism and they wanted to establish a church in keeping with the neighbourhood's strong Catholic traditions. A new site at Esh Laude was chosen half a mile along the road west of Esh Village. Perhaps wary of past suppression, it was decided that the church should be built to resemble a farmhouse so as not to draw attention. Like its Anglican counterpart in Esh village, Esh Laude church was dedicated to St Michael and the building was constructed around a courtyard. It opened in 1800 and is the oldest church in the Roman Catholic Diocese of Hexham and Newcastle.

Despite their involvement in the establishment of Esh Laude and Ushaw College the Smythes increasingly came to favour residence at their property of Acton Burnell in Shropshire. Surtees, the Durham historian writing in the 1820s described Esh Hall as deserted. In the 1850s the Smythes leased Esh and its hall to Henry Smith, a Catholic of Drax Abbey, near Selby Yorkshire for forty years and this had disastrous effects. Smith raised the rents of local farms, forcing many tenant farmers out and replacing them with new tenants from Yorkshire. The Yorkshire farmers, finding conditions difficult would later depart.

Smith's impact on Esh Hall had a much longer-lasting effect. By 1857 he had completely removed the old hall with its oak-panelled walls, great kitchen and welled staircase and replaced it with a new hall using material from the old. A priest's hiding place - a priest hole - was discovered during the demolition complete with vestments and sacramental vessels, a reminder of Catholic secrecy in times gone by.

Esh village has seen little growth in recent centuries compared to many Durham villages and still retains a rural charm. In the nineteenth century there was only very small-scale coal mining near the village, but there were two smithies and a Cartwright's shop. The Cross Keys pub, dates from the nineteenth century when it was notorious for cock fighting but stands on the site of an earlier thatched inn used by cattle drovers. The village saw slight growth along the road to the east in the late nineteenth century and further growth east and west of the green in the late twentieth century. It has been served by two schools - Catholic and Anglican since the nineteenth century and in this respect serves as a little centre for an extensive farming area just as it did in the days of old.

Next weeks Durham Memories visits Quebec, Hamsteels and Rowley Gillet.

David Simpson will be giving a light-hearted talk on North East Dialect and Place-Names at Durham Clayport Library on Saturday April 3rd at 2pm. Admission is 2.00 per ticket.

If you have any memories of Durham City, Chester-le-Street,Derwentside or the Durham coast, including old photos or stories of people and places you would like to share with readers of The Northern Echo, write to David Simpson, Durham Memories, The Northern Echo, Priestgate, Darlington, DL1 1NF or email David.Simpson@nne.co.uk. All photos will be returned.