THERE is a pretty cluster of villages to the west of Dere Street, the old Roman road, as, heading north, it prepares to cross the River Tees into County Durham at Piercebridge.

Exactly 150 years ago, these villages – Aldborough St John, Carlton, Stanwick St John, Forcett, Eppleby and Caldwell – were thrown into mourning when, very quietly, the Dowager Duchess of Northumberland came in their midst.

Lady Eleanor’s husband, the 4th Duke of Northumberland of Alnwick Castle, had died six months earlier on February 12, 1865, and now she – still in deepest mourning – was making her way to the family’s secondary home at Stanwick Hall, between Richmond and Darlington.

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EQUIDISTANT: Our villages are inbetween Barnard Castle, Richmond and Darlington

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WIDE GREEN: Looking south in Eppleby in March 1949 – before the planting of the village’s daffodils. Today’s front cover picture was taken looking north in Eppleby in Feburary 1960, as one bobble-hatted youngster closed in for a kiss. We presume the image is framed by a piece of farm machinery that the photographer encountered

“Her Grace arrived at Bank Top (railway station) on the Scotch Express at 4.15, which for her special service stopped in the centre of the station, in order that she might quietly alight,” said the Darlington and Stockton Times.

“That train usually merely rests at Darlington to take in water, and no passengers are either booked from or to that place.

“Her grace was attired in the deepest weeds, and wore a plain widower’s cap.

"She drove off to Stanwick in her brougham with a single pair of horses, and was received at her favourite home, which will be her future country residence, with the respectful and silent greeting of her tenants in the quietest and most unostentatious manner possible.”

Eleanor’s husband had been 28 years older than her, and so she lived as a widow at Stanwick for 46 years until her death, aged 90, in 1911. Very active in the village communities, she had a profound effect on the area, and many of the houses she built for her staff can still be seen.

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DAFFODIL VILLAGE: In 1960 – five years before this picture was taken – Frederick Reeks, of Eppleby post office, planted between 95,000 and 100,000 daffodil bulbs in trenches along the roadside. In the 1960s, people came from miles around to see them, and they still put on a tremendous show every spring

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LADY ELEANOR: The duchess married her duke in 1842 when she was 22 and he was 55

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IMPRESSIVE OUT-BUILDING: This was the Stanwick Hall stable block, pictured in September 1955

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HUNTING COUNTRY: Hounds outside the Stanwick Arms, in Aldborough St John, one March in the early 1960s. The Zetland Hunt still has its kennels down the road

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LAST POST: Can anyone tell us about Caldwell Post Office, as pictured here in its wooden building in February 1960?

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PLEASE HELP: This picture just says “Stanwick, 30-9-55” on the rear of it. Despite the enormity of the house, we don’t recognise it. Someone will surely tell us its story...

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RECORD-BREAKER: Aldborough St John apparently has the largest village green in England, but in 1965, there was controversy when the owner of Aldbrough House on the north side wanted to cut down the trees to either build three houses facing onto the green or to turn his home into a country hotel. The Ministry of Housing scuppered the plan and saved the trees after an inquiry

These pictures come from The Northern Echo’s photo-library. If any of them trigger any memories, thoughts or pieces of information you’d like to share, we’d love to hear from you. Please email chris.lloyd@nne.co.uk