OuseburnOpenStudios

To Backworth, and it’s lovely tudoresque social club dating to the 1900s. Weird one this - for such a grand and expensive building I can find barely anything on it. Shiremoor though was of course a historic village built around the estate of Backworth Hall. Similar to places like Washington and Ryhope, masses of rows were constructed amongst the historic cottages for the immediate demand of pitmen. Given the interesting mix of historic and industrial, I suppose the club had to live to the standards of the hall. I imagine much of the money was subscribed by the Wasteneys Smith family who occupied the hall at that time. William of the family invented the stock less anchor which was adopted by many international navies. It provided exactly what you’d expect from a social club - a function room, bar and a library were built alongside the institute next door a few years later, which only expanded the offering for local pitmen. Leek shows and suppers were held in the venue, while the club offered excursions to the coast and other areas of the north.