Joseph Hopper, founder of the aged mineworkers scheme, and John Oxberry, a prominent historian, also hailed from the village.

[4] This, along with a number of pre-existing, smaller quarries, provided work for the early settlers and by 1820 there existed a "modern but populous village".

[4][12] The decrease in employment opportunities led to a steady decline in population and although some housing developed along Stone Street and Coldwell Lane, the urban sprawl that enveloped most of the outlying settlements of Gateshead during the early 20th century never reached Windy Nook, so that in 1945 it remained largely unchanged in location and size.

[16] The decline of heavy industry in the 20th century left Windy Nook with no major employer and there was little in terms of economic activity.

[19] However, in November 2011, planning permission was approved for conversion of the Black House Inn at the junction of Carr Hill Road and Coldwell lane into a Tesco Express store.

It sits on a bed of coal, freestone and sandstone known locally as the "Grindstone Post"[8][26] and occupies an elevated position with a steep slope running from north to south to a maximum natural height of 160 metres (520 ft) above sea-level.

[28] Windy Nook was part of County Durham until it was incorporated into the Metropolitan Borough of Gateshead by the Local Government Act 1972.

[36] The amount of Ethnic Minorities resident in Windy Nook is low compared with other Gateshead districts like Felling, Deckham and Saltwell.

Mearns' success in 2010 followed of Sharon Hodgson, who in the 2005 UK General Election polled over 60% of the votes cast[46] whilst in 2001, Joyce Quin was returned with a majority of 53.3%.

[55] Approximately 66% of children leave secondary school with 5 or more A*–C grade GCSEs, which is higher than the national and Gateshead averages (59% and 58% respectively),[56] though overall the total number of residents holding those qualifications is 36.5%.

[59][60] Built in locally quarried sandstone and named for the first martyr of the Anglican Church,[60] St Alban's is a "neat structure in the early English style"[61] with a Welsh slate roof and "satisfactory interior and decoration".

[64] In addition, the residential properties at 1–10 East View Terrace were locally listed by Gateshead Council as buildings of special interest in 2004.

[67][68][69] The New Connexion amalgamated with the Primitive Methodists in 1942 and services were held in Ebenezer until 1963 while the Albion Street chapel hosted Sunday School.

Planning permission was sought on 20 June 2003 to renovate and reopen the near derelict Windy Nook Social Club at Stone Street.

[70] Run by Helen Sutherland, today the hotel is a thriving venue which in December 2010 successfully applied for certification allowing marriage and civil partnerships to be performed in the upper 'Tree-House Suite'.

[27][72] The Fiddlers Three public house, located at Albion Street, is another older stone building with modern catering facilities.

[75] The sculpture appears at first glance to be an old fortification of interlinked walls and pathways sitting atop Windy Nook Pit Hill; local children refer to the artwork simply as 'the Fortress'[76] In fact, the hill is a former slag heap and the 'ruins' are made from 2,500 tons of granite blocks salvaged from the old Scotswood Bridge.

[77] It is a collaborative enterprise between local conservation volunteers and Gateshead Council, seeking to turn two hectares of unattractive wasteland into an urban nature park.

Many of the trees were planted by local school children[78] and today the reserve is a large open space offering the same panoramic views as most other parts of the area, with acid-heath grassland, scrub woodland and a small spring-fed pond.

[80] In 2007, Gateshead Council invested £100,000 into the reserve from their 'Safer, Stronger Communities Fund' to make improvements to an area which had become "blighted by misuse".

The money led to the removal of a BMX track within the reserve, the installation of an extensive footpath network, improved access points and gating and the planting of more trees.

[82] The reserve remains popular with residents; in May 2012 dozens of volunteers cleared rubbish and engaged in a 'Windy Nook Wildlife Festival' with face-painting and other traditional activities.

[83] Local police continue to make 'targeted patrols' of the reserve to maintain the downward trend of anti-social behaviour in the area.

[85] Joseph Hopper was a local councillor and Methodist preacher who lived in Windy Nook and was the creator of the 'aged mineworkers home scheme' in 1898 which provided housing for miners who had retired and were no longer eligible for tenure by dint of their employment.

[86] The organisation he created, the Durham Aged Mineworkers Homes Association, is today a registered charity[87] which owns around 1,500 properties and had a turnover in 2012 of over six million pounds.

[91] Arguably the most notable resident, however, is Mary Elizabeth Wilson; a serial killer who achieved worldwide notoriety as the "Merry Widow of Windy Nook".

[97] Local residents heard of these comment and began speculating as to the spate of deaths, so that Police eventually exhumed Oliver Leonard and Ernest Wilson in 1958 and found traces of phosphorus caused by rat poison.

Windy Nook is served by Go North East's local bus services, with routes providing frequent connections to Gateshead, Newcastle upon Tyne and Metrocentre.

As of June 2020[update], the following bus routes serve Windy Nook: Where an abbreviation is used in the references this is indicated below in (brackets) at the end of the source name.