New signs to mark historic county boundaries across Teesdale

New signs marking historic county boundaries have gone up across Teesdale.

The River Tees historically marked the boundary between County Durham and the North Riding of Yorkshire but new administrative boundaries implemented in 1974 saw parts of Teesdale south of the river incorporated into County Durham.

Barnard Castle’s County Bridge will be the last of the six signs at road crossings of the river in County Durham to be installed.

Other crossings to get signs are Winston Bridge, Whorlton’s historic suspension bridge, Egglestone Abbey Bridge, Eggleston Bridge and Middleton-in-Teesdale Bridge.

Another sign has been installed at Ley Seat Edge in Lunedale, marking the historic boundary between the North Riding of Yorkshire and Westmorland.

The signs were unveiled on June 15 at Egglestone Abbey Bridge by Durham County Council chairman Cllr Robbie Rodiss. They were made possible through a grant from the Historic Counties Trust and cash raised by former Stockton mayor Cllr Ross Patterson.

Peter Boyce of the Historic Counties Trust said: “Could one even imagine our country without Yorkshire and County Durham? Not just beloved by the people who call them home, but by all Britons.

“We are very grateful to Durham County Council for marking the ancient border between them and to Cllr Rodiss for unveiling the new signs.”

Nigel Wilkin of the Yorkshire Ridings Society said: “The River Tees has marked the border between County Durham and the North Riding of Yorkshire for over a thousand years.

“Despite the indelible place of our two great counties in our history and our hearts, this border has not been properly marked for over 50 years.

“We are overjoyed to see this omission rectified.”

Upper dale county councillor Richard Bell, who attended the unveiling, noted that while administrative boundaries had moved, church boundaries had not, as the churches south of the river remain in the Leeds Diocese.