 | This article needs additional citations for verification. (February 2018) |
| Murton | |
|---|---|
  Murton Location within County Durham | |
| Population | 4,534 (2011 Census) |
| OS grid reference | NZ323702 |
| Unitary authority | |
| Ceremonial county | |
| Region | |
| Country | England |
| Sovereign state | United Kingdom |
| Post town | SEAHAM |
| Postcode district | SR7 |
| Dialling code | 0191 |
| Police | Durham |
| Fire | County Durham and Darlington |
| Ambulance | North East |
| UK Parliament | |
Murton is a village in County Durham, England, eight miles (13 km) east of the city of Durham and six miles (9.7 km) south of Sunderland. It had a population of 4,534,[1] which rose to 7,676 at the 2011 Census.[2]
It was originally a rural agricultural hamlet called Morton,[3] but the discovery of coal beneath its fields in the 19th century transformed it into an industrial community.[4] 'Morton became known as Murton Colliery or Murton-in-the-Whins[5] following the sinking of the pit in 1838 by South Hetton Coal Company,[6] and the village was a productive coal mining community for more than a century. The pit employed more than 1000 men at its peak and featured in a Picture Post article showing the 'vesting' of the mine at nationalisation in 1947.[7]
The village also had the South East Durham Cooperative Bakery and a Northern Bus Company garage as added sources of jobs. In 1955 a by-product works for coal was established for the production mainly of coke. The mine and other employment opportunities closed in the 1990s along with many other County Durham mines and now the old spoil heaps are covered by a retail outlet development Dalton Park, bringing much-needed new employment.
- ^ British Government. "Office for Statistics: Area: Murton East (Ward)". Office for National Statistics. Retrieved 30 March 2008.
- ^ "Parish population 2011". Retrieved 13 July 2015.
- ^ Durham County Council. "Durham Records Inline Murton (East Murton)". Durham Records Office. Retrieved 30 March 2008.
- ^ PROF. A. C. Ramsay. "Deeper And More Difficult Winnings". Durham Mining Museum. Retrieved 30 March 2008.
- ^ Paul R. Joiner. "GenukI Dalton-le-Dale". GENUKI. Archived from the original on 5 May 2010. Retrieved 30 March 2008.
- ^ Whellan's 1894 Directory of County Durham. "Murton Colliery also known as Dalton Winning". Durham Mining Museum. Retrieved 30 March 2008.
{{cite web}}:|last=has generic name (help)CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link) - ^ Durham Mining Museum. "Durham Mining Museum Gallery". Durham Mining Museum. Retrieved 30 March 2008.