FOR this week's selection from The Northern Echo's photo archive, we selected the file marked "Eggleston". There was then a lot of crossing out as generations of librarians struggled to work out whether or not there should be a final e.
We reckon there should, and there should not.
CAMP CONTROVERSY: This is what was left of Westwick army camp, just off the A68 Darlington to Barnard Castle road, in April 1970, and close to Egglestone Abbey Bridge. Westwick, and its neighbour Humbleton camp, had been empty for nearly ten years and local councils were pressing the Ministry of Defence to remove the concrete roads and parade grounds. Does anything remain of them now?
QUAINT CROSSING: Abbey Bridge, beneath Egglestone Abbey, was built by Sir Thomas Robinson, of Rokeby, in 1773. This was taken in March 1954, just as the crossing charge was ending. The tollhouses were on the Yorkshire side. The toll-collector, and his family lived in both houses. On the left was the toll office and the shop selling postcards and souvenirs, where the toll-collector was stationed during the day. His kitchen was in the cellar beneath, dug into the cliffs. On the right was the toll-collector's bedroom.
Eggleston is the Teesdale village without an e and Egglestone is the abbey on the south side of the River Tees about eight miles away, on the approaches to Barnard Castle.
According to the Oxford Dictionary of English Place Names, both places have the same derivation: they were once the settlement of someone called Ecgwulf or Ecgel.
If any of the pictures bring back any memories or thoughts, please email chris.lloyd@nne.co.uk
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