Historic Settlement Patterns in Weardale

Westgate Village Continued...
At the same time, another beef rearing farm, known as Westyatflodyatshele  was founded in what was to become the lower part of Westgate village. It is likely that these sites were occupied permanently and by this time, sufficient improvements would have been made to the farms founded in c.1300 at Weeds and Windyside for them to be permanent too. Changes to the tenurial system encouraged the creation of more farms and clusters were created at Westgate leading to the limited expansion of settlement by Elizabethan times. Some limited development took place in the 16-17th centuries but little survives in Westgate today, however High Mill dates to a little before 1649 and other 17th century buildings apparently existed near the mill. It was also in the 17th century that Westgate was given a school. By the 18th century a programme of building followed which extended the original settlement core at High Westgate southwards and Low Westgate extended along Front Street. It was at this time that the growth of nonconformism can be chartered through the construction of two new chapels at North Road and on Front Street. By the19th century, a programme of civic building took place including the St Andrew’s Church and Vicarage, the Board School, the Institute and the railway and some additional house building took place along Front Street. By 1921 Westgate was described as a “pretty little village” and was apparently a favourite resort for health visitors. The largest new development took place in 1952 with the construction of council houses at St Andrew’s Place. One of the main features of the settlement pattern within the village was the presence of open space at the Bull Grass, but this was developed in 2004.

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