COUNTY Durham’s “pitman’s parliament” has been named as one of the top ten places that uncover the history of power, protest and progress in England.

Durham Miners’ Hall, in Durham city, was the democratic hub of the Durham Miners’ Association (DMA) during the twentieth century.

It has now been included in Historic England’s list of ten places that uncover the history of power, protest and progress, which has been put together by historian David Olusoga.

The campaign is aimed at exploring England’s heritage through 100 places which bring to life ten categories of history.

The miners’ hall, at Redhills, was chosen because of its place in the history of trade unionism.

Describing the building as one of the finest trade union buildings in Europe, a spokesperson for Historic England said: “The Pitman’s Parliament is working class leadership manifested in bricks and mortar.

“It has been described as ‘a palace built by workers for workers’ and the room is designed to amplify the voice of the people.

“Although the remaining membership of the DMA has fallen to under 2,000 living ex-Durham miners, the Pitman’s Parliament continues to be a hub for dialogue and debate.”

Mr Olusoga said: “The infrastructure of these formidable communities is too often forgotten, as is their history.”

The miners’ hall, which cost £50,000 to build, opened in 1915 and replaced another hall in North Road.

Intended as a status symbol to show the strength of the union, which at its height had 200,000 members, the hall was a centre of the mining community.

Perhaps the most important room in the hall is the 298-seat debating chamber – fondly known as the Pitman’s Parliament – where important debates shaping the Durham coalfield took place.

Each seat in the chamber has a number, which corresponds with a colliery, and is where delegates from that colliery would sit during debates.

The Power, Protest and Progress category is the final one to be announced by Historic England as part of its campaign, which has included a podcast series, Irreplaceable: A History of England in 100 Places.

Duncan Wilson, chief executive of Historic England, said: “Every place chosen in this category has a fascinating story to tell about the history of power, protest and progress.

“Throughout this campaign we have been trying to uncover lesser known stories, as well as to delve more deeply into the history of some well-known places. The ten in this category show that there is still so much to learn about our nation’s past.

The list, which was selected by Mr Olusoga from hundreds of public nominations, also includes the Palace of Westminster, Bosworth Battlefield, near Leicester, the site of the Peterloo Massacre, at St Peter’s Field, Manchester.

As well as the podcasts, available from www.historicengland.org.uk, Historic Engand is producing an illustrated book, due to be published in September.