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Ushaw College buildings and grounds open to public from Saturday (From The Northern Echo)
A FORMER training college for priests for the Roman Catholic church is openings its doors to the public over coming months.
Ushaw College, a Roman Catholic seminary from inception in 1808 until the last trainees were consecrated in 2011, is considered a hidden gem, set in a large expanse countryside four miles west of Durham.
It has been linked with Durham University from 1968 and, since the last trainee priests left, its residential block has been used as overflow accommodation by both the university’s business school and more recently by Josephine Butler College.
Surrounded by 400-acres of picturesque grounds, between the villages of Ushaw Moor, Bearpark and Langley Park, the site includes Grade I and Grade II-listed buildings, including St Margaret’s Chapel and St Cuthbert’s Chapel, as well as an ornate exhibition hall and refectory.
All were built by English architect Augustus Pugin in the classic Gothic Renaissance style.
The charitable trust now running the former seminary was awarded a £3,000 grant towards the enhancement of its herbaceous borders in the formal gardens in front of the college.
Work also began restoring the 19th Century gardens last autumn with initially a 20-strong band of volunteers, swelled on occasions after a call for extra helping hands.
Roger Kelly, chair of the college’s concert and events group, which promotes use of the grounds and buildings, said it was the beginning of a bid to restore the site to its former glory.
“Already, since last September, a transformation has taken place.
“The overgrown borders have been weeded, saplings and briars cleared away, and the gift of 3,000 tulips has resulted in the central borders becoming a blaze of spring colour.”
Both the buildings and gardens are open to the public on Saturdays, from 12-noon to 5pm, with a gift shop and cafe running during those hours.
It includes entry to the chapels, refectory and exhibition hall, with admission free.
Over the next four weeks visitors will also have the chance to view the medieval chasuble, a vestment worn by the Archbishop of Westminster, Cardinal Vincent Nichols, during the recent funeral ceremonies for King Richard III in Leicester.
Tickets are available for a concert featuring the Durham-founded singing ensemble Renaissance in St Cuthbert’s College, at Ushaw, on Saturday, at 7.30pm.
They are available for £10 each from the box office at Durham’s Gala Theatre, but can also be bought on the door on the night.
via College buildings and grounds open to public from Saturday (From The Northern Echo).
CatholicHerald.co.uk » Cardinal to wear vestment ‘from wardrobe of King Richard III’
Cardinal Nichols will wear the vestment at a Mass for the repose of the king’s soul
Cardinal Vincent Nichols will wear an ancient vestment believed to be from the royal wardrobe of King Richard III when he celebrates Mass for the repose of the soul of the monarch’s soul in Leicester on Monday.
Known as the Westminster Vestment, the chasuble is part of the heritage collection of Ushaw College, the former Catholic seminary at Ushaw Moor, Durham.
There is a tradition that it was worn by the Benedictine monks of Westminster Abbey during the reign of King Richard, who died at the Battle of Bosworth Field in 1485.
Scholars have expressed the view that its embroidery is the same described by the inventories of his royal wardrobe and that it dates from the third quarter of the 15th century.
The king, whose remains were found underneath a car park in 2012, will be reinterred in Leicester Cathedral on Thursday. Three days earlier Cardinal Nichols will celebrate a Mass for the repose of his soul at Leicester’s Holy Cross church. He will also preach at a service of compline in Leicester’s Anglican cathedral on Sunday, the day the king’s remains are received there.
Mgr John Marsland, president of Ushaw College, said: “The trustees of Ushaw are delighted that the Westminster Chasuble will be worn by Cardinal Nichols at the Requiem Mass on Monday March 23.
“We are very pleased to contribute to the celebrations surrounding the reburial of Richard III culminating in the service on Thursday March 26 in Leicester Cathedral.
“The Westminster chasuble is one of the oldest vestments at Ushaw. We respect the tradition conveyed to us through the Walton family – who gave the vestment to Ushaw in 1867 – that it had been in use at Westminster Abbey prior to the Protestant Reformation of the 16th century. This links us to our Catholic past, before the opening of Ushaw in 1808, and before the foundation of Douai in 1568.”
He added: “The Westminster vestment together with many other artefacts we hold contributes to the richness of our heritage at Ushaw. At present, we are opening our doors to events and visits at Ushaw so that our rich heritage can be made available to the broader community.”
The Westminster Vestment is an example of Opus Anglicanum (English work), the rich, complex and beautiful works of ecclesiastical embroidery for which England was famous during the Middle Ages.
It has been made from velvet cloths of tissue linked together with silver-gilt brocading thread, with the figures cut from coloured silks and attached to a golden background.
The chasuble depicts the Crucified Christ with the Roman soldier Longinus expressing his belief that Jesus is the “Son of God”. It features depictions of St Nicholas, St Catherine and St Pancras, the teenage Roman martyr whose relics were brought to England by St Augustine of Canterbury.
via CatholicHerald.co.uk » Cardinal to wear vestment ‘from wardrobe of King Richard III’.
Middlewood Moor – Land off Whitehouse Lane – 167 Spacious family Homes – Ushaw Moor
A fantastic development
Taylor Wimpey North East have been granted planning permission for new family homes in Ushaw Moor, County Durham on Thursday 1st July 2014. Having formally purchased the land on 1st December 2014 we intend to have ground workers on site immediately with the hope that we will launch our sales office in March/April of 2015.
We have had an exceptional early response to this exciting new development and would urge anyone interested in the site to ensure that they have registered for updates, to stay one step ahead.
Over the coming weeks this webpage will begin to fill with more and more information as we move ever closer to the launch of the development. However, if you would like to contact us directly via telephone or email do not hesitate to do so.
The designs used throughout the development have been carefully planned and thought-out ensuring that the site is as homely as possible for its new residents, incorporating fantastic areas of green space and natural materials; slotting perfectly into the development surroudings.
Middlewood Moor will fit into the surrounding village of Ushaw Moor adding a fantastic array of homes, perfect for each and every buyer.
Each home will be built to the impeccably high standard set by Taylor Wimpey, ensuring every purchaser a relaxed, easier moving process.
Taylor Wimpey are already investing in the community surrounding the development and are constantly looking for opportunities to help the area around Middlewood Moor thrive and develop even further.
Throughout our time on site we will invest heavily in the community, not just through cash investments or sponsorship, but with time and labour too.
Ushaw College open this Sunday 2-4pm, 9th November
Ushaw College will be open this Sunday 2-4pm, come and see our beautiful Lady Chapel- designed by Augustus Pugin
9th Nov 4pm Evening Prayer at Ushaw for Remembrance Sunday with the Westlands Choir.
Building & Cafe open for viewing from 2pm- 4pm
Booking IS NOT neccessary, just turn up.
Ushaw College – ‘Hidden gem’ to become visitor attraction From The Northern Echo
A CENTURIES old former Catholic seminary largely hidden from the public for decades is set to become the region’s newest visitor attraction.
Ushaw College was founded near Ushaw Moor, County Durham, as a college for training would-be priests by Catholics fleeing revolutionary France in 1808.
It boasts stunning architecture including the 1870s-built St Cuthbert’s Chapel and a 500-acre estate, including walled gardens.
The 75,000-book library includes works from the Middle Ages, the archive of the English College at Lisbon from 1628 to 1971 and an extensive collection of works on and by Cardinal John Newman, a 19th century priest who beatified by Pope Benedict XVI in 2010.
At its peak in the 1950s, there were 300 adult students and 150 children and its alumni include cardinals and bishops.
However, it closed in summer 2011 amid falling rolls and rising maintenance costs.
Talks are ongoing which could see part of the campus become a new Durham University college.
But although some small group tours have been undertaken in recent years, its treasures have mostly been kept away from public view.
Now Ushaw bosses want to open up much of the campus to visitors for concerts, exhibitions, open days, lectures and other events.
A year-long programme will be launched during the Heritage Open Days weekend, of September 13 to 14.
But the plans are dependent on finding enough volunteers.
Help is needed greeting visitors, leading tours, serving refreshments, stewarding venues, restoring the gardens and more.
Monsignor John Marsland, president of Ushaw College, said: “This is an extraordinary opportunity for people of all ages to come along and make a real difference, by helping to open up to the public one of the most important and largely unknown architectural and cultural gems in the region.
“We hope it will be a rewarding and life-enhancing experience for all.
“Please come along whatever your skills and join this wonderful project.”
Anyone interested is invited to join a college tour on Saturday, September 13, at 11am or attend an opening evening on Wednesday, September 17, from 4pm to 7pm. To register, email: info@ushaw.ac.uk or call 07421-035-240.
‘Hidden gem’ to become visitor attraction From The Northern Echo.
New housing scheme for Ushaw Moor approved From The Northern Echo
A MULTI-MILLION pound scheme to build 167 new homes on the edge of a village has been approved despite a recommendation by council officials that it be rejected because of the potential for increased traffic congestion.
Durham county councillors unanimously endorsed the plans for land north of Ladysmith Terrace, Ushaw Moor, near Durham, following an impassioned plea from community leaders for new development in the village.
Taylor Wimpey has won permission to construct the £13m housing estate on a 5.5-hectare greenfield site. Thirty three dwellings will be “affordable” two or three bedroom homes, while the others will be three or four bedroom detached houses.
Recommending refusal, planning officers said traffic generated would add to already saturated junctions on the A167 and A690 at peak times and would lead to “severe cumulative impacts upon the transport network”.
Speaking in favour of the scheme, Phil Stoddart of Brandon and Byshottles Parish Council, said: “This development will improve the visual image of our village and will help support schools, shops post office and jobs and local transport. It will also give the village the kickstart it needs.”
Ward councillor Jean Chaplow added: “This will help generate houses and bring families into Ushaw Moor. We have capacity in our three schools for extra children.”
Objector Sally Dixon, speaking on behalf of residents of Ladysmith Terrace, said their homes would be directly overlooked by the new housing and she agreed with concerns raised by the highways officers.
Monsignor John Marsland, president of landowners Ushaw College, which closed as seminary in June 2011, said: “The financial receipts generated from the scheme will provide much-needed funds for Ushaw College and will contribute toward the new future of this important asset.”
via New housing scheme for Ushaw Moor approved From The Northern Echo.
Housing Development – UPDATE – Land off Whitehouse Lane | Taylor Wimpey
NEWS AND UPDATES :-
16.01.14Taylor Wimpey North East thank all those who attended the community engagement this week and for all the comments we have received. We are also collating the correspondence received by those unable to attend and will keep you informed of our progress.
13.01.14A community engagement is to be carried out in the Sports Hall of Durham County Business College from 4pm until 7pm.
08.01.14In preparation of submitting a planning application, Taylor Wimpey North East will be carrying out Geo-environmental investigative works into the Ushaw Moor Site, and apologise for any inconvenience.
BBC News – Durham Business School role for Ushaw College
A Roman Catholic college in County Durham is to have a new role as a business school.
As home to St Cuthbert’s Seminary, Ushaw College trained entrants for the priesthood for more than 200 years.
Its closure in June 2011 led to fears about the future of the historic building, just outside Durham City.
Durham Business School will be based there temporarily during the multi million-pound development of its site on Mill Hill Lane.
The £16.6m rebuilding and expansion work is expected to take about two years.
Ushaw College can trace its roots back to Douai College, which was founded in 1568 in the Spanish Netherlands, now northern France.
Nicolas Boyes Stone Conservation – Interior of St Michaels Ushaw College
St Michaels Chape - Ushaw College
Nicolas Boyes Stone Conservation have been engaged by Ushaw College to commence conservation treatments to the decorative interior of St Michael’s Chapel.
Nicolas Boyes Stone Conservation
County in gear for cycling sensation – Start at Ushaw College
An event designed to underline County Durham’s growing reputation as an exemplar host for top cycling events looks set to bring a major economic boost to the county.
As part of the authority’s ‘Join in….’ Olympic legacy programme Durham County Council is supporting the Marie Curie Cancer Care Etape Pennines, a 78 mile course which will take cyclists through some of the county’s most breathtaking countryside. The inaugural Marie Curie Cancer Care Etape Pennines, an IMG Challenger World event, will take place on Sunday 7 October 2012 and promises both top notch competition and significant economic spin offs.
Cabinet member for leisure, Councillor Maria Plews, said: “County Durham has a growing world reputation as a fantastic venue for cycling events, hosting everything from a stage of the Halfords Cycle Tour Series to the Durham Beast and Big Ride.
“The Marie Curie Cancer Care Etape Pennines gives the county the chance to host a unique closed road cycling event which has the potential to attract thousands of entrants in the coming years. Indeed, organisers IMG Challenger World are hoping for 3,500 entrants for the event next year.
“Moreover, the Etape will be the first major event post London 2012 to be held in the county and offers us the opportunity to deliver on our pledge to support a programme of Olympic legacy sporting contests.”
Cabinet member for regeneration and economic development, Councillor Neil Foster, said: “Analysis of similar events held in Ireland and Scotland show that on average competitors book a two night stay in the area when they attend an event like this and often bring friends and family with them.
“This sort of major event will not only give us another opportunity to show off what a spectacular county we have, but will also bring major economic benefits to the tourism and related industries.
“I can not think of a more stunning backdrop than the Dales or, indeed, a more challenging one!”
James Robinson, Managing Director of IMG Challenger World, has been working closely with the event team on the route since the event’s inception, “We are really pleased and excited to be bringing the first closed road sportive in England to County Durham as the course has been designed to offer riders a challenging and rewarding ride in the stunning countryside of the North East. Rider safety and enjoyment is paramount at all times and to this end we have been working with the Police and Durham County Council to ensure a traffic free route for the entire event. We will be working very hard over the next 11 months to make sure the first closed road sportive in England will be every bit as successful as its sister event – the Marie Curie Cancer Care Etape Caledonia. ”
The 78 mile course starts at Ushaw College and heads as far west as St John’s Chapel – and will take cyclists across to Eggleston in Teesdale in the south, approaching Northumberland at its northern most tip at Baybridge.
So far, 850 people have entered the event, and organisers IMG Challenger World, are contacting accommodation providers in the county to try and negotiate cyclist-friendly rates and promotional offers for overnight stays in the area.
It is also hoped that many entrants will visit the county to try out the circuit in the months before the event itself, further boosting the local economy from spring onwards.
For further information on the event please visit www.etapepennines.co.uk
Marie Curie Cancer Care is the official Charity Partner of the Etape Series 2012. All funds raised by cyclists taking part in the Marie Curie Cancer Care Etape Pennines will enable Marie Curie Nurses to provide more free care and support to terminally ill people and their families.
Ends.
Notes to News Editors:
Durham County Council is championing this event with an annual in kind package of support worth £30,000.
Ushaw Moor Community Site
Ushaw Moor Radio
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