Giant's Stride, west of The Old School, in former schoolyard
The Old School, Townfield, Consett, Co Durham
Listed on the National Heritage List for England. Search over 400,000 listed places
Overview
- Heritage Category:
- Listed Building
- Grade:
- II
- List Entry Number:
- 1229910
- Date first listed:
- 05-Jun-1987
- List Entry Name:
- Giant's Stride, west of The Old School, in former schoolyard
- Statutory Address:
- The Old School, Townfield, Consett, Co Durham
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Location
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Images of England Project
- Date:
- 2002-07-21
- Reference:
- IOE01/08034/31
- Rights:
- © Mr Thomas A. Jones. Source: Historic England Archive
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Discover moreOfficial list entry
- Heritage Category:
- Listed Building
- Grade:
- II
- List Entry Number:
- 1229910
- Date first listed:
- 05-Jun-1987
- Date of most recent amendment:
- 09-Jan-2015
- List Entry Name:
- Giant's Stride, west of The Old School, in former schoolyard
- Statutory Address 1:
- The Old School, Townfield, Consett, Co Durham
The scope of legal protection for listed buildings
This List entry helps identify the building designated at this address for its special architectural or historic interest.
Unless the List entry states otherwise, it includes both the structure itself and any object or structure fixed to it (whether inside or outside) as well as any object or structure within the curtilage of the building.
For these purposes, to be included within the curtilage of the building, the object or structure must have formed part of the land since before 1st July 1948.
The scope of legal protection for listed buildings
This List entry helps identify the building designated at this address for its special architectural or historic interest.
Unless the List entry states otherwise, it includes both the structure itself and any object or structure fixed to it (whether inside or outside) as well as any object or structure within the curtilage of the building.
For these purposes, to be included within the curtilage of the building, the object or structure must have formed part of the land since before 1st July 1948.
Location
- Statutory Address:
- The Old School, Townfield, Consett, Co Durham
The building or site itself may lie within the boundary of more than one authority.
- District:
- County Durham (Unitary Authority)
- Parish:
- Hunstanworth
- National Grid Reference:
- NY9512048382
Summary
Playground Stride, 1866.
Reasons for Designation
This giant's stride of 1866 is listed at Grade II for the following principal reasons:
* Rarity: it is an extremely rare example of Victorian school playground apparatus;
* Group value: it benefits from strong group value due to its proximity and functional relationship with the Grade II listed school;
* Historic interest: it is a rare survival of the Victorian approach to childhood play, for which it has social and cultural interest.
History
Townfield School (listed Grade II) was designed by Samuel Sanders Teulon in 1863 for Rev W Capper, as part of Hunstanworth model village. A set of school log books dating from the opening of the school in 1864 has been located and an entry in one dated 1866 records the construction of a ‘Giant's Stride’ donated by the local clergyman and his wife for the use of the school’s boys: 'Mrs Simons [the vicar Dr Simons and his wife visited regularly and often helped with lessons] presented to the girls some skipping ropes for general use during playtime. Dr Simons proposed and gave orders for the erection of a 'giant's stride' for the boys.'
A giant's stride was a piece of playground apparatus in the form of a pole with ropes attached for taking big swinging leaps. The school closed in the mid-1970s and was converted to a private dwelling.
Details
Playground Stride, 1866.
Set into the former playground of Townfield School, the stride comprises a tall wooden pole considered to be English hardwood. There are three bands of wrought iron at the top (the lower having become displaced) and a double-hoop finial with four attached hooks, from which short chains attached to ropes were hung.
Legacy
The contents of this record have been generated from a legacy data system.
- Legacy System number:
- 404392
- Legacy System:
- LBS
Sources
Websites
Hunstanworth History, accessed 17-10-2014 from http://www.hunstanworthhistory.org.uk/life/school.php
Other
Hunstanworth School Log Books in Durham County Council Archives (D/X 1607/1 and 2)
Newspaper article: The Journal [Newcastle] 17 Sept 2007 p17 by Tony Henderson
Legal
This building is listed under the Planning (Listed Buildings and Conservation Areas) Act 1990 as amended for its special architectural or historic interest.
Map
This map is for quick reference purposes only and may not be to scale. This copy shows the entry on 14-Jun-2026 at 05:40:12.
Download a full scale map (PDF)End of official list entry
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