Homelands Estate, Sunniside,Houghton-le-Spring:

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The Homelands Estate & Sunniside Mining Settlement, Houghton-le-Spring

The mining settlement of Sunniside, located on land between Newbottle and Houghton Pit, was established around 1865, with three rows of colliery houses. These were built out of local stone and were called: North Row, Middle Row, and South Row. Copyright © Books of the North 2008 - 2012.

Chestnut Terrace, Homelands Estate, Houghton-le-Spring

The settlement was served by Sunniside Primitive Methodist Chapel (originally on Middle Row but moved to Blind Lane in 1899) and a general dealers at the top of South Row, known in the 1930s as J. McArdle’s and later as Emery’s. This was all in the shadow of the Lambton Railway (Houghton Branch) embankment running from Houghton Colliery via neighbouring Grasswell. The streets were typical mining homes – the backyards had coal houses and also middens; indoor flush toilets didn’t arrive until just before the Second World War; electricity came much later in the early 1950s!

The streets weren’t just home to miners: an entrepreneurial Mr Ord, of 2 North Row, built a small brick building at the bottom of his yard and opened it as a fried fish shop. He did, however, continue to work at Houghton Pit. The fish shop was later occupied by the Blenkley family.


No 20 North Row, circa 1910.	No 33 North Row, circa 1937.

Former resident Colin Hughes remembers the old houses of North Row:
“They had a living room and kitchen with a pantry downstairs, two bedrooms upstairs - complete with ice on the inside of the windows during winter – a coal house and toilet out in the yard, along with a tin bath hanging on a 6 inch nail. As a youngster I would be bathed in the pot sink during the week, the tin bath came out on a Sunday night in front of the fire. Sometimes they were tough times but I have very happy memories of Sunniside, both the place and the people.”

The erection of the Homelands Estate in 1938/39 was in stark contrast to the older terraced houses – the houses on the new estate had electricity from day one plus an indoor bathroom and toilet. The kitchens had a pantry with a concrete shelf (forerunner to a fridge), and each house had its own front garden. The rear gardens were open-plan and landscaped with grass. Copyright © Books of the North 2008 - 2012.

Beechwood Terrace with Hawthorn Street in the background, Homelands Estate, Sunniside, as seen in 2006

All of the new streets, with the exception of one, were named after trees; they were called: Chestnut Terrace; Laurel Crescent; Hazel Terrace; Beechwood Terrace; Birch Crescent; and Coronation Crescent which acknowledged the crowning of George VI in May 1937. The building work was interrupted by the outbreak of the Second World War, and it wasn’t until after the end of hostilities that Houghton Urban District Council resumed its building programme and Hawthorn Street was added to the edge of the Estate. The twelve houses, which faced out onto the back yards of North Row, featured a different design to the rest of the houses on the Homelands Estate (for example, a concrete step instead of shelf!).

The sudden influx of new residents and a lucrative catchment area saw the Beehive pub relocating next to the Homelands Estate at the Coaley Lane/Blind Lane crossroad from its original location at Sedgeletch.

Bobby Cutmore's shop on the Homelands Estate, Houghton-le-Spring, later known as Sunrise Discount Store Hawthorn Street, Homelands Estate, Sunniside, as seen in 2003

A new shop was built at the main entrance to the Homelands Estate and former Sunniside resident, Harry Smith, remembers the time when it was built.
“I was only a ten year old at the time but can remember the shop being built and finished at the same time as the Estate. We had had a ‘top shop’ on South Row as long as I could remember and now we were to have a bottom one, too. Unfortunately this was just as the War started and the shop never seemed to get established. A chap named Tommy Overton and his family moved in but sadly he died shortly afterwards. Mrs Overton was left with a shop with practically empty shelves. As this was in the early weeks of the War when people were concerned about getting their Ration Books registered with a shop, most would go for their favourite. A lot of Sunnisiders and newbie Homelanders went to the old ‘top shop’ on South Row. This left the new Homelands shop with very little custom if any at all.”

The Homelands Estate shop was later acquired by the Cutmore family and became renowned for its slogan: “In the morning when you waken shout downstairs for Cutmore's bacon” while the owner, Bobby Cutmore, was known for his skills as a hypnotist! Hypnotic tricks aside, the shop's frontage was painted with large words which read: “NOTED FOR HONEST DEALING” and “WE AIM TO SERVE YOU WELL.” In more recent times, certainly since the early 1980s, it was known as Sunrise Discount Store and was owned by brothers Jaffa (Jeff) and Ahmed Ali until its closure in the 2000s.

Hawthorn Street then and now, with North Row still standing in the earlier view which shows a game of cricket on Hawthorn Street, with the back yards of North Row opposite

North Row, South Row and Middle Row were demolished around 1970. One resourceful resident, of 11 Hawthorn Street, utilised the stonework from the flattened houses and made a rockery/wall at the front of his garden. The land where the old terraced houses had stood, in front of Hawthorn Street, was grassed over and used as a recreational field with Sunday Football matches being a regular sight. The field was circulated by the original roads of the former streets but is now the location of a modern development, Harle Close, Beckwith Close and Fairbairn Drive, following the demolition of the Homelands Estate around 2007. Copyright © Books of the North 2008 - 2012.

Hawthorn Street, Homelands Estate, Sunniside, 1960s/1970s

The Homelands residents, who had been neighbours for many years (some more than 40), were forced into exile and scattered around Houghton following a decision to demolish the Homelands Estate. One resident, bestselling author Sheila Quigley, who lived at Laurel Crescent, said of the demolition:

“I would love nothing more than to still be there. Where I live now you hardly see a soul from November until March; at the Homelands you could poke your head out the door at any time of the day or night and within moments would have half a dozen people to talk to.”

The spirit of the Homelands Estate was resurrected recently when Sheila teamed up with local historian Paul Lanagan to form a Diamond Jubilee Street Party group. The event was billed as ‘the street party without a street’ and hundreds of former residents and neighbours turned up to renew acquaintances and share in the party atmosphere on the only sunny day of the Diamond Jubilee weekend in June. The BBC even attended and broadcast live from the party throughout the day!


Sunrise Discount Store, 2010.	Beechwood Terrace, 2010.

According to a document on Patrick Parsons Consulting Engineers website, 184 existing houses were to be demolished and replaced with 184 new builds for their client, Gentoo Homes. At the time of writing, a few lonely remnants of the Homelands still stand - houses purchased by the tenants long before demolition was on the cards. These last bastions stand guard over the estate’s old roads and footpaths, which are slowly disappearing under the encroaching grass.

Milk being delivered to Hawthorn Street in the 1980s

For memories of Sunniside during the 1930s and 1940s click HERE.

Details of the Homelands Estate Diamond Jubilee Street Party can be found HERE.

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Paul Lanagan wishes to place on record his thanks to the following:

:: Thanks go to: Harry Smith; Joan Lambton; Gilbert Fletcher; Christopher Heron; Michael Dean; Colin Hughes; Sheila Quigley; Paul Sykes for the old photograph of Cutmore’s shop; and Norman Sweeting for photographs of the Estate before it was demolished.
:: Sunniside settlement date from Ken Richardson.
:: Address of ‘Sunrise Discount Store, Alexander House, 21 Hazel Terrace, DH4 5JX’ confirmed in a document on the Rugby Paper website.
:: Document at www.patrickparsons.co.uk accessed Spring 2012.
:: At the time of writing (April & August 2012) the correct spelling of ‘Homelands’ is still in doubt.

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PAGE UPDATED: 26/08/2012

Homelands Estate, Sunniside, Houghton-le-Spring
Homlands Estate, Sunniside, Houghton-le-Spring
Homelands Estate, Sunniside, Houghton-le-Spring
Holmlands Estate, Sunniside, Houghton-le-Spring
Hawthorn Street
Hazel Terrace
Beechwood Terrace
Laurel Crescent
Chestnut Avenue
Chestnut Terrace
Sunniside Farm
Sunniside Farm Caravan Site
Grasswell Chippy
Beehive Pub Cutmore's Shop, Homelands Estate, Sunniside, Houghton-le-Spring
Coaley Lane
Sedgeletch Road
Blind Lane
Jeff's Shop, Sunniside
Sunniside Methodist Chapel
North Row
Middle Row
South Row
McArdle's general dealers shop, South Row, Sunniside.
19 Hazel Terrace Houghton-Le-Spring DH4 5JX 20 Hazel Terrace Houghton-Le-Spring DH4 5JX 16 Coronation Crescent Houghton-Le-Spring DH4 5JT 6 Birch Crescent Houghton-Le-Spring DH4 5JR 16 Birch Crescent Houghton-Le-Spring DH4 5JR 15 Birch Crescent Houghton-Le-Spring DH4 5JR 31 Coronation Crescent Houghton-Le-Spring DH4 5JT 18 Hazel Terrace Houghton-Le-Spring DH4 5JX 1 Hazel Terrace Houghton-Le-Spring DH4 5JX 2 Hazel Terrace Houghton-Le-Spring DH4 5JX 3 Hazel Terrace Houghton-Le-Spring DH4 5JX 4 Hazel Terrace Houghton-Le-Spring DH4 5JX 5 Hazel Terrace Houghton-Le-Spring DH4 5JX 6 Hazel Terrace Houghton-Le-Spring DH4 5JX 10 Hawthorn Street Sedgeletch Houghton-Le-Spring DH4 5JD 8 Hazel Terrace Houghton-Le-Spring DH4 5JX 9 Hawthorn Street Sedgeletch Houghton-Le-Spring DH4 5JD 13 Hazel Terrace Houghton-Le-Spring DH4 5JX 15 Hazel Terrace Houghton-Le-Spring DH4 5JX 16 Hazel Terrace Houghton-Le-Spring DH4 5JX 17 Hazel Terrace Houghton-Le-Spring DH4 5JX 7 Hazel Terrace Houghton-Le-Spring DH4 5JX 22 Laurel Crescent Houghton-Le-Spring DH4 5JS 8 Laurel Crescent Houghton-Le-Spring DH4 5JS 20 Laurel Crescent Houghton-Le-Spring DH4 5JS 23 Laurel Crescent Houghton-Le-Spring DH4 5JS 24 Laurel Crescent Houghton-Le-Spring DH4 5JS 26 Laurel Crescent Houghton-Le-Spring DH4 5JS 27 Laurel Crescent Houghton-Le-Spring DH4 5JS 28 Laurel Crescent Houghton-Le-Spring DH4 5JS 1 Laurel Crescent Houghton-Le-Spring DH4 5JS 5 Laurel Crescent Houghton-Le-Spring DH4 5JS 19 Laurel Crescent Houghton-Le-Spring DH4 5JS 6 Laurel Crescent Houghton-Le-Spring DH4 5JS 11 Laurel Crescent Houghton-Le-Spring DH4 5JS Cutmore's Shop, Homelands Estate, Sunniside, Houghton-le-Spring 12 Laurel Crescent Houghton-Le-Spring DH4 5JS 15 Laurel Crescent Houghton-Le-Spring DH4 5JS 17 Laurel Crescent Houghton-Le-Spring DH4 5JS 9 Birch Crescent Houghton-Le-Spring DH4 5JR 11 Birch Crescent Houghton-Le-Spring DH4 5JR 12 Birch Crescent Houghton-Le-Spring DH4 5JR 13 Birch Crescent Houghton-Le-Spring DH4 5JR 20 Birch Crescent Houghton-Le-Spring DH4 5JR 14 Birch Crescent Houghton-Le-Spring DH4 5JR 1 Beechwood Terrace Houghton-Le-Spring DH4 5JP 17 Beechwood Terrace Houghton-Le-Spring DH4 5JP 18 Beechwood Terrace Houghton-Le-Spring DH4 5JP 19 Beechwood Terrace Houghton-Le-Spring DH4 5JP 21 Beechwood Terrace Houghton-Le-Spring DH4 5JP 23 Beechwood Terrace Houghton-Le-Spring DH4 5JP 24 Beechwood Terrace Houghton-Le-Spring DH4 5JP 25 Beechwood Terrace Houghton-Le-Spring DH4 5JP 28 Beechwood Terrace Houghton-Le-Spring DH4 5JP 2 Beechwood Terrace Houghton-Le-Spring DH4 5JP 4 Beechwood Terrace Houghton-Le-Spring DH4 5JP 5 Beechwood Terrace Houghton-Le-Spring DH4 5JP 27 Beechwood Terrace Houghton-Le-Spring DH4 5JP 12 Beechwood Terrace Houghton-Le-Spring DH4 5JP 14 Beechwood Terrace Houghton-Le-Spring DH4 5JP 23 Birch Crescent Houghton-Le-Spring DH4 5JR 24 Birch Crescent Houghton-Le-Spring DH4 5JR 25 Birch Crescent Houghton-Le-Spring DH4 5JR 26 Birch Crescent Houghton-Le-Spring DH4 5JR 3 Birch Crescent Houghton-Le-Spring DH4 5JR 5 Birch Crescent Houghton-Le-Spring DH4 5JR 30 Beechwood Terrace Houghton-Le-Spring DH4 5JP 6 Beechwood Terrace Houghton-Le-Spring DH4 5JP 7 Beechwood Terrace Houghton-Le-Spring DH4 5JP 8 Beechwood Terrace Houghton-Le-Spring DH4 5JP 9 Beechwood Terrace Houghton-Le-Spring DH4 5JP 10 Beechwood Terrace Houghton-Le-Spring DH4 5JP 11 Beechwood Terrace Houghton-Le-Spring DH4 5JP 13 Beechwood Terrace Houghton-Le-Spring DH4 5JP 20 Chestnut Terrace Houghton-Le-Spring DH4 5JU 11 Chestnut Terrace Houghton-Le-Spring DH4 5JU 2 Chestnut Terrace Houghton-Le-Spring DH4 5JU 5 Chestnut Terrace Houghton-Le-Spring DH4 5JU 10 Chestnut Terrace Houghton-Le-Spring DH4 5JU 24 Chestnut Terrace Houghton-Le-Spring DH4 5JU 12 Chestnut Terrace Houghton-Le-Spring DH4 5JU 13 Chestnut Terrace Houghton-Le-Spring DH4 5JU 14 Chestnut Terrace Houghton-Le-Spring DH4 5JU 15 Chestnut Terrace Houghton-Le-Spring DH4 5JU 16 Chestnut Terrace Houghton-Le-Spring DH4 5JU 17 Chestnut Terrace Houghton-Le-Spring DH4 5JU 19 Chestnut Terrace Houghton-Le-Spring DH4 5JU 6 Chestnut Terrace Houghton-Le-Spring DH4 5JU 28 Chestnut Terrace Houghton-Le-Spring DH4 5JU 23 Chestnut Terrace Houghton-Le-Spring DH4 5JU 30 Coronation Crescent Houghton-Le-Spring DH4 5JT 19 Coronation Crescent Houghton-Le-Spring DH4 5JT 21 Coronation Crescent Houghton-Le-Spring DH4 5JT 23 Coronation Crescent Houghton-Le-Spring DH4 5JT 24 Coronation Crescent Houghton-Le-Spring DH4 5JT 27 Coronation Crescent Houghton-Le-Spring DH4 5JT 28 Coronation Crescent Houghton-Le-Spring DH4 5JT 32 Coronation Crescent Houghton-Le-Spring DH4 5JT 29 Coronation Crescent Houghton-Le-Spring DH4 5JT 2 Coronation Crescent Houghton-Le-Spring DH4 5JT 3 Coronation Crescent Houghton-Le-Spring DH4 5JT 4 Coronation Crescent Houghton-Le-Spring DH4 5JT 8 Coronation Crescent Houghton-Le-Spring DH4 5JT 9 Coronation Crescent Houghton-Le-Spring DH4 5JT 11 Coronation Crescent Houghton-Le-Spring DH4 5JT 12 Coronation Crescent Houghton-Le-Spring DH4 5JT 15 Coronation Crescent Houghton-Le-Spring DH4 5JT 13 Coronation Crescent Houghton-Le-Spring DH4 5JT 10 Coronation Crescent Houghton-Le-Spring DH4 5JT 27 Birch Crescent Houghton-Le-Spring DH4 5JR 29 Beechwood Terrace Houghton-Le-Spring DH4 5JP 3 Beechwood Terrace Houghton-Le-Spring DH4 5JP 14 Hazel Terrace Houghton-Le-Spring DH4 5JX 21 Laurel Crescent Houghton-Le-Spring DH4 5JS 2 Laurel Crescent Houghton-Le-Spring DH4 5JS 18 Chestnut Terrace Houghton-Le-Spring DH4 5JU 3 Chestnut Terrace Houghton-Le-Spring DH4 5JU 22 Coronation Crescent Houghton-Le-Spring DH4 5JT 14 Coronation Crescent Houghton-Le-Spring DH4 5JT 4 Chestnut Terrace Houghton-Le-Spring DH4 5JU 10 Birch Crescent Houghton-Le-Spring DH4 5JR 1 Chestnut Terrace Houghton-Le-Spring DH4 5JU 4 Birch Crescent Houghton-Le-Spring DH4 5JR 22 Beechwood Terrace Houghton-Le-Spring DH4 5JP 27 Chestnut Terrace Houghton-Le-Spring DH4 5JU 1 Coronation Crescent Houghton-Le-Spring DH4 5JT 20 Coronation Crescent Houghton-Le-Spring DH4 5JT 18 Laurel Crescent Houghton-Le-Spring DH4 5JS 1 Hawthorn Street Sedgeletch Houghton-Le-Spring DH4 5JD 9 Chestnut Terrace Houghton-Le-Spring DH4 5JU 7 Coronation Crescent Houghton-Le-Spring DH4 5JT 19 Birch Crescent Houghton-Le-Spring DH4 5JR 28 Birch Crescent Houghton-Le-Spring DH4 5JR 20 Beechwood Terrace Houghton-Le-Spring DH4 5JP 26 Beechwood Terrace Houghton-Le-Spring DH4 5JP 2 Hawthorn Street Sedgeletch Houghton-Le-Spring DH4 5JD 25 Laurel Crescent Houghton-Le-Spring DH4 5JS 7 Laurel Crescent Houghton-Le-Spring DH4 5JS 16 Laurel Crescent Houghton-Le-Spring DH4 5JS Street Record Beechwood Terrace Houghton-Le-Spring Site Of 1-14 Beechwood Terrace Houghton-Le-Sprin

Client: Gentoo Homes Architect: JDDK Status: Ongoing The proposed residential development is part of a large housing regeneration scheme in the area with this development consisting of demolishing 184 existing houses and replacing with the construction of 184 new build houses which will be constructed to a minimum of Code for Sustainable Homes Level 3. Patrick Parsons involvement includes providing the full Civil, Infrastructure and Geoenvironmental Engineering services from development concept through to construction complete. The scope of works includes initial feasibility assessment work associated with existing and proposed highway requirements, preliminary drainage strategy assessment, existing and proposed utilities including accommodation of renewable energy and existing and proposed levels assessment including identification of earthworks and retaining requirements. The early feasibility assessment work also includes undertaking an intrusive ground investigation on the site. Following the early feasibility work which assists the design team in preparing a detailed planning application Patrick Parsons is providing the full Engineering design package for adoptable roads and drainage infrastructure as part of Section 38 and 104 Agreements respectively, offsite highway design associated with Section 278 works, preparing and co-ordinating temporary and permanent stopping up notices in accordance with Section 116 and 117 of the Highways Act 1980, private external plots works including surface and foul water drainage in accordance with current Building regulations and co-ordinating all proposed utility supplies on to the site to serve each proposed unit. Our involvement also includes providing on-site technical support to the construction team through the design process.

News of Sheila's sensational book deal broke last year. Run For Home, a gritty gangland thriller, had seven publishers locked in combat with Random House finally securing the deal with that mega-bid. Months later, Sheila's modest home has changed only in one material sense. Along one wall is a vast fish tank, like a chunk of imported ocean. "That's my present to me," says Sheila. Change has been in the air on the Homelands estate since Sunderland Council sold its housing stock to the private Sunderland Housing Group. The estate is in a regeneration area which means the houses might be refurbished or demolished. But Sheila decided to go a while back and is considering a move to nearby Newbottle where there are some modern detached homes. "The people are leaving here at the rate of one or two a week. I am sad. Most people probably think I'm stupid but I'm not one of those who can flit around. Once my roots are down, they're down. "I can travel all over so long as I know I have got a home to come back to."