Living and Working in Chester-le-Street
A Pen Portrait of the District
Chester-le-Street is a thriving market town situated between the historic City of Durham and the thriving shopping and regional centre of Newcastle and Gateshead.
The District has first class road and rail links, being situated on the main A1(M) motorway and having a local railway station on the North East Main Line railway network.
During the middle-ages Chester-le-Street was the administrative and ecclesiastical centre for the northern part of County Durham with the 14th century parishes of the church of St. Mary and St Cuthbert, this church being one of the town’s major landmarks today, along with Lumley castle, which is the ancestral home of the Lumley family who had prospered over the years, latterly as mine owners.
Chester-le-Street comprises both rural and urban areas with Chester-le-Street town being its economic centre with smaller villages dispersed throughout the area. The town regularly holds an open-air market, selling a wide range of goods.
Recreation and Leisure
The District is characterised by a high quality physical and natural environment. The world class Test Match standard Durham County Cricket Ground is located in the District and opens out to a view of Lumley Castle, a well-preserved monument, now used as a hotel. The cricket ground is part of a brand new Riverside development, which also includes an athletics track, a health club, tennis courts, an artificial hockey pitch, top quality rugby and football pitches, an American Football field, a rowing club and a luxury housing development.
There is also a nature reserve, and a large recreational park with children’s play area and pool, all on the banks of the River Wear.
The Riverside Park is the first area of green space within County Durham to be awarded a Green Flag – the national standard for parks and green spaces in England and Wales. Only nine sites in the North East received the award in 2003.
The Metro Centre and the city centres of Newcastle, with the refurbished Baltic Mill Arts Centre, and Gateshead, with the Sage Music Centre, are all within a 20 minute drive of the District. The world heritage site of Durham Cathedral and the historic market town are also within easy reach.
Living Space for All
No matter what your preference, Chester-le-Street offers a wide range of housing in both urban and rural locations to suit all. Beautiful villages rub shoulders with the more urban environment of the town itself, each offering its own special attractions and character and the range of property associated with the lifestyle. None of it is ever far from open countryside.
The area has benefited from significant inward migration in recent years. This has been facilitated by the sensitive development of a wide range of new housing developments to meet the needs of all households living in and returning to the District.
The broad range of schools both within and not far beyond the District boundaries offers all levels within both the state and independent sectors. Whether at primary, secondary or further education level, there are establishments to suit all requirements.
Higher education is also comprehensively catered for by renowned institutions within the wider region, with Newcastle, Durham and Sunderland all having universities within easy travelling distance.