Hamsterley, Consett

[1] It is situated to the north of Consett and borders the hamlet of Low Westwood.

The name Hamsterley possibly derives from the Old English ‘hamstra’, meaning a corn weevil and ‘ley’ meaning clearing, hence a clearing frequented by corn weevils, perhaps indicating the poor quality of farming in the area.

[2][3] Hamsterley is mentioned in Bishop Hatfield’s survey of 1382, the land being held by John de Felton and the heirs of Hugh del Redhugh.

[4][5] Hamsterley Hall was the birthplace of the hunting novelist Robert Smith Surtees, author of Jorrocks' Jaunts and Jollities.

The colliery, halfway between Hamsterley and High Westwood, had opened in 1864 and closed on 2 February 1968.